We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season despite the obstacles set before us. I know I saw family members that I had not seen in a couple of years and do not take that for granted. I know that those of you who believe in Santa got Harken for Christmas. And those of you who don't got socks.
So how is the club doing? Good! Membership levels are steady. We have money. And we have a calendar full of fun events. I remind you that going inside the clubhouse requires masking up. And the same goes for crowded areas outside.
The water level has fluctuated some as it does during the winter months. The Corps plans to start filling Fern Ridge on February 1st, and to have it full by April 15. You can monitor the lake level here:
https://www.nwd-wc.usace.army.mil/nwp/teacup/willamette/frn.pdf
You can also get to this website through a link on our website. Our weather station is dead. That big windstorm last week knocked its mast down. We are shopping for a new one and hope to have it back up and going soon. The fire should be cleaned up soon. And the Trailer Committee is trying to come up with some rules that work to both prevent another fire and to limit the damage if we experience one. This will change the character of that area of the club but safety is our priority.
Almost everyone has paid their dues. If you haven't, please do so really soon. We will be billing for trailer moorage soon. We are undergoing some staff turnover but it is all good. More on that later.
I am very excited about the two racing classes we are having this Spring. The first one is an intro to sailboat racing class taught by Bill Schafer who is a long-time racer on Fern Ridge. It will be on April 9 and will be inexpensive. The second is a North U class taught by Andrew Kerr and will be for people who want more depth and sophistication. And it will be both longer and more expensive. It is on April 24. Thursday night racing is scheduled to start on April 7 and run 24 consecutive Thursdays. The Small Boat Racing on Wednesdays will start in May and the Tuesday night Fun Races will start whenever you get your boat in the water. If your racing life has taken a "Covid break", this year would be good for a restart and we have classes for that. And we will also have our usual race committee and powerboat safety classes.
In the meantime, we encourage you to go out and see the lake in the winter. Last time I was out I saw Egrets, Herons and Bald Eagles