January has arrived and that means it is time to look forward to on-the-water activities in the sunshine! With that in mind, we have posted the club schedule on the EYC website. This is a Google calendar, so if you want you can incorporate it into your personal calendar. While we have set up a normal schedule, the virus is still in charge of the situation. So it is best to assume that everything on the schedule is in pencil, not ink. We will adjust as best we can under the Governor's guidelines. Being safe is always our mantra.
The first day of racing is scheduled for April first. The lake will be full on April 15. Sail School is at the end of June, almost as normal. Fireworks will go off (I really hope) on the Fourth of July and so on. The first couple of potlucks (including the Chili Feed on January 30) will most certainly be online events via Zoom, and others may get moved over to Zoom. But even then, the grounds are open to individuals and their bubbles to do individual stuff. We only ask that you stay outdoors as much as possible, wear a mask and social distance following the Governor's guidelines, and generally be safe.
2021 Membership Cards have been sent to all the members who have paid their dues (there are a still a few who have not at this point!). On the back of your Membership Card you'll find the new gate code which is also the code to get into the Member's Area of the website (as of January 30). If you have not paid yet, you can go to the Members Area on the website using the 2020 pass code to get paid up. And while you are there, you can also fill out your Moorage Request Form, which must be filled out every year by everyone who wants moorage.
As you probably have heard, EYC is in the process of buying a whole bunch of boats for the Youth Sailing Program. This will greatly enhance our ability to teach kids to sail and all the good things that happen in that process. If you would like to donate to this effort, we have associated ourselves with the Oregon Youth Sailing Foundation which makes your donation to EYC tax-deductible. They have a website where you can press a "donate now" button (please be sure to indicate your gift is for Eugene Yacht Club). If you happen to be out at the club you can peek into the clubhouse where we have set up one of the Optimist Prams that we have purchased. These are the smallest sailboats you'll ever see at less than eight feet long. And even though they are designed for kids less than 100 pounds, I want to sail one!
So what are your New Year's Resolutions? Mine is to sail an Optimist!