Message from the Commodore/Vice Commodore:

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News:

Let’s add the RBHYC 2025 Women’s cruise to this year’s great club events!

Cassiopeia – Captain Ellen English, Crew Annette Golden and Carrie Will

C Major – Captain Denise Haskins, Crew Diane Roza and Bonnie

Pride and Joy – Captain Maura Suprenant, Crew Holly Goodale and Susan Bisaillon

Twilight – Captain Anita R Smith, Crew Elizabeth Rechter and Rhonda Veugen

Boats and crew gathered on a sweltering Wednesday night, June 25, at the club house for hors d’oeuvres, pizza and pink burgees! Two boats, Pride and Joy, captained by Maura Surprenant and joined by Holly Goodale and Susan Bisaillon as crew; and Cassiopeia, captained by Ellen English and joined by long-time sailing friends Annette Golden and Carrie Will, call Red Brook Harbor their home port, so were already poised for the cruise. Twilight and her crew, Anita Smith, Elizabeth Rechter and Rhonda Veugen, sailed from Onset and spent a few hours shaking out the crew in Buzzards Bay before arriving in Red Brook. Everyone easily made new friends right away and looked forward to temperatures dropping over the next 12 hours.

Thursday morning brought cooler temperatures and an east wind.  With Cuttyhunk as the next destination, an east wind did not disappoint the crews. Cassiopeia showed off her spinnaker and sailing prowess and made a straight shot to port, while Twilight and Pride and Joy jibed their way down Buzzards Bay.  The all-day east wind delivered large waves by Penekese Island, and a sailing class capsizing in the Cuttyhunk channel made the approach a bit dodgy at the end of a long day.  Denise Haskins and Diane Roza, aboard C Major, reached from Fairhaven Shipyard and met up with the cruise in Cuttyhunk. With the wind not giving up in the evening, the women persevered with a spirited dinghy ride to Cassiopeia’s cozy enclosed cockpit for Happy Hour, which turned into dinner for most. There was tea trading going on to satisfy the sailors, and Bonnie, Denise’s dog, enjoyed the shrimp tails.

As if the RBHYC women could order the weather, a SSE wind on Friday carried the four boats to Popes Island in Fairhaven. Rhonda, a veteran of working in New Bedford, led a walking tour of the city, pointing out historic sites and dispensing fun facts. The tour was punctuated with a private showing at a local art gallery. No RBHYC cruise would be complete without souvenirs, and most of the women found art, a t-shirt or a trinket to take home. A jaw-dropping view of a barge transporting wind turbine parts from the South Terminal through the hurricane barrier entertained all, and then a pot-luck dinner at the marina followed with charcuterie, fajitas, salad, and key lime pie baked under way aboard Cassiopeia. The launch quit at 1800, so the electric-powered dinghies from Pride and Joy and Twilight shuttled everyone to their boats for the night.

The final leg on Saturday started out bumpy since the south wind blew all night and stacked up waves against the outgoing tide through the hurricane barrier. The active fishing fleet peppered the plotters to add to the challenge. As soon as the boats rounded the SE channel the sailors enjoyed the south wind for one tack back to Red Brook Harbor. The captains and crews kicked back with mudslides, appetizers and awards at the Chart Room for their final evening together, recounting memorable moments, and looking forward to next year’s women’s cruise!

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