NSA Crew Clinic

CREW CLINIC

NSA members volunteer their boats once a year to introduce participants to the pleasure of yachting on the Neuse River.  The participants are given basic instruction on the fundamentals of sailing and are then allowed to actually practice what they have learned while sailing the member's boat!

This activity provides an excellent opportunity for novice sailors and prospective boat owners to experience sailing first hand.  Crew Clinic is also a means of raising funds for NSA and helps keep dues very reasonable.

2005 Crew Clinic

Reecie Dolan, Vice Commodore - Crew Clinic

2005 Crew Clinic Schedule

Friday Evening, May 13:                   

Social/Registration (Cash Bar), 1900 (7:00pm)

Entertainment and Music/ DJ & Dancing by Robert McDuffie, 20:00-23:00 (8:00pm -11:00pm)

Oriental Marina & Inn - Tiki Bar & Deck

Saturday Morning, May 14:                   

Captains’ Meeting, 0900 (9:00am) - Oriental Marina &    Inn Deck

Sailing on the Neuse River, 1000 (10:00am) – Until ?

Raft Up in South River for Lunch around 13:30 (1:30pm)

Anchorage TBD

Saturday Evening, May 14:       

Buffet Dinner, 1800-1930  (6:00 – 7:30pm) Toucan Grille - Oriental Marina – Tiki Bar & Deck (Prime Rib & Fried Shrimp with all the trimmings!)

Entertainment and Dancing, 2000-2300 (8:00pm–11:00pm)

Band:  “Trick Bag”

Sunday Morning, May 15:                   

Captains’ Meeting, 0900 (9:00am) - Oriental Marina & Inn Deck

Sailboat “Fun Race”, 1000 (10:00am – Approx.

Remember, we may need more boats to accommodate the final number of participants, since people tend to sign up as late as the week before the event.  So it is not too late to join us!  Please contact Reecie Dolan to join the festivities. Sign up and help make this event a success!

May Update:

Crew Clinic 2005 is here!  Both Raleigh and Greensboro Ski and Outing Club members are ready to join NSA for a weekend of fun, socializing and sharing of nautical adventures. 

Look for the Crew Clinic Schedule inside this issue for the complete listing of events, locations and times.

Again thanks to the NSA Captains who have volunteered this year!  We appreciate your contributing your time and boats for this event.  Please be there to make this event happen!  We have the following boats committed this year:

Allegria                        Ichthus                         Rejuventaion

Ariel                             Katrina                         Second Wind

Crab Crusher             Kinja                             Spirit

Geisha                         Liberty                         Tarantella

General                       LuLu

Gypsea                       Opus

We may need more boats to accommodate the final number of participants, since people tend to sign up as late as the week before the event.  So it is not too late to join us!  Captains and their First Mates will attend all events free of charge and will be provided two free dinner tickets for Saturday evening.  Please contact Reecie Dolan to join the festivities.  I will be e-mailing further information and instructions to participating Captains before the weekend of May 13-15. 

April Update:

We are off to a good start for Crew Clinic 2005!  After the presentations at both the Raleigh Ski and Outing Club (RSOC) and Greensboro Ski and Outing (GSOC) Club Meetings in March, we had twice as many sign-ups as the same time last year.  There will be additional efforts through each Club to encourage even better participation this year.  

Many thanks to the NSA Captains who have already volunteered their boats for this year!  We still need more boats to accommodate the number of participants we hope to have, so please contact Reecie Dolan to join us for this event.   

Plans for Crew Clinic are going smoothly, and details will be provided closer to that weekend.  I would like to request any volunteers who are willing to help with the set up and planning for some of the weekend activities, such as checking in participants on Friday night, monitoring those attending to be sure they are signed in, set up of tables and chairs as needed, help to organize Captain’s meetings on Saturday or Sunday mornings, and fun race activities on Sunday.   Again, please contact me by e-mail to volunteer.  Thanks for your help with this request.

Wishing for more fun in the sun again this year!

March:

We are already getting sign-ups for Crew Clinic 2005 from Raleigh Ski and Outing Club (RSOC) members, and we will be presenting at the RSOC Meeting on 8 March and the Greensboro Ski and Outing (GSOC) Club Meeting on 9 March. This should provide NSA a big kick-off to recruit a record number of participants.

Crew Clinic activities will be based on the deck at the Oriental Marina and Inn this year, and we will add a fun race on Sunday morning, 15 May, to create more interest and keep more people on board that day. Please check for information and updates, as well as photos of last year’s event, on the group website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crewclinic2005. You may also add photos of your own from past years.

We have also begun signing up Captains in order to make this year a bigger and better success.  Remember Crew Clinic is dependent upon the number of boats we have available.  If you haven’t done so, please sign up as a Captain by e-mailing Reecie Dolan or crewclinic2005@yahoogroups.com . 

Again wish for warm weather and fair skies this year!

Plans are moving forward in preparation for Crew Clinic 2005 on 13 – 15 May.  We will be presenting at The Raleigh Ski and Outing Club (RSOC) meeting on 8 March 2005, to review last year’s event and to invite members to participate again this year.  The dates have already been posted in the RSOC Newsletter, and an invitation has been forwarded to the Greensboro Ski & Out Club (GSOC) to join us again as well.  We have booked the band “Trick Bag” that NSA enjoyed at the last Commodore’s Ball for the Saturday evening entertainment, and Robert McDuffie will perform on Friday evening.  

Plans for dinner on Saturday night are progressing with more details to follow.  I will be posting information about Crew Clinic on the group website as it is updated, and you may view it at:   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crewclinic2005 . 

Remember, a large part of the success of Crew Clinic is dependent upon the number of boats we have available.  Please sign up as a Captain at the upcoming Shrimperoo.  I will have a sign up sheet available and will be soliciting your help.  Continue to think warm weather and fair skies again this year!

Mark your calendars for Crew Clinic 2005 on 13 – 15 May!  We will again invite the Raleigh and Greensboro Ski and Outing Clubs to participate in this event.  With your help we are hoping for a bigger and better Crew Clinic this coming year.  Be sure to sign up as a Captain for this event at the Shrimperoo in February.  I will have a sign up sheet available and will be soliciting your help.

Back by popular demand, we will include a dinner on Saturday night.  We will also have a good dance band that evening. More details to follow as the plans are confirmed.  I have set up a Yahoo Mail Group to communicate with members of the Ski Clubs and NSA.  I will be inviting members to join the group when I have loaded files and other information onto the site.  I have already included links to NSA and Oriental which you may now view at:   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crewclinic2005.  The e-mail address for the group is: crewclinic2005@yahoogroups.com. 

As we begin the New Year, we are hopeful that the “weather gods” will again bring us warm weather and fair skies for this event.  Looking forward to another exciting Crew Clinic!

2004 Crew Clinic

Chip Ackerman, 2004 Vice Commodore of Crew Clinic

Pray to the Weather Gods

And pray I did! ----- in the morning, in the evening, and even toasted the gods each time I hit the water for the last three months. Someone must of heard me, 'cause what a large time we had.

Great wind, warm sun, fantastic music and fun for all.

We had 16 boats in the raft-up with another 4 anchored close by.

Thanks to all of you who made this years Crew Clinic such a success. The feedback from the two Ski and Outing Clubs, Raleigh and Greensboro, has been nothing short of " Can't wait 'til next year!"

Once again, I thank you all.

The following boats and there crews helped make the event a success:

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2004 Crew Clinic Photos

South River Raft-Up at 2004 Crew Clinic Photos by Ken & Diane Nash of KateLe

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Photos by Jim and Judy Beacham of Kittiwake
Commodore Kent Fann at the helm of Kittiwake	Geisha - Her mainsail looks ok here!	Kinja

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Photos by Adrian Mitu of Calypso
The crew is all smiles as the storm passes by	Anytime there are two sailboats on the river, they will start to race!	What storm?

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Photos by Earl Quick of Luna Sea
	Fisheye View

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Photos by Steven Norris aboard Luna Sea
Conrad Beeson sports his  NSA T-Shirt	Cockpit action	Fun on Sea Duction (Titanic style)

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A Warm and Hearty Thanks

Reecie Dolan

On behalf of the Raleigh Ski and Outing Club, I provide a warm and hearty thanks to all of our Captains and their first mates for a wonderful weekend of sailing!  We certainly had a variety of weather conditions which made for an exciting day on Saturday and a laid back day on Sunday.  Thanks so much for your wonderful hospitality!

I have emailed a list of Captains for Ski Club attendees who have requested e-mail addresses to personally thank you for a super weekend.  Everyone from RSOC to whom I have spoken had a great time!  We certainly hope to participate again next year.  I think holding it later in May made a tremendous difference.

Below is a link that Cliff Lamson from RSOC sent us showing photos of our condo-mates on shore and sailing on Geisha with Captain Tim Carrere and First Mate Carol.  We had a wonderful time, even after blowing out the mainsail on Saturday! http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=659181084879004860/l=27310916/cobrandOid=1000112

Thanks again to all NSA, RSOC, and GSOC members who made this a special weekend to remember!

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Chip Ackerman and Sherri Ivy promote NSA Crew Clinic Photo by George Hommé

Crew Clinic Presentation to  Greensboro Ski and Outing Club For the year 2004 NSA had crew clinic participants from both the Greensboro and Raleigh Ski and Outing Clubs. For the promotion kick-off of Crew Clinic, Chip Ackerman, Sherri Ivy, and George Hommé met with the Greensboro Ski and Outing Club at the Downtown Marriott, Greensboro, in January, 2004.

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2003 Crew Clinic

Lee Gardner, 2003 Vice Commodore of Crew Clinic

Many thanks to all of you who volunteered your boats for the abbreviated 2003 Crew Clinic.  Due to the small turnout of RSOC participants, we only needed about half the boats that offered their weekend sail to NSA / RSOC.  We want to rebuild this great Oriental weekend tradition next year.  RSOC is open to our suggestions to better attract their members for this sailing / party outing.  Please email me your ideas for CREW CLINIC so we can get back the good numbers of RSOC'ers and involve many more NSA member boats.  Anyone who has participated in this weekend will tell you how much fun and sailing sport building it is.  It also is the major fundraiser for NSA and helps keep our dues low.  So send me your ideas and suggestions and we'll package up a Crew Clinic 2004 to be remembered.