( over 50 photos follow below ! )

On my way to the Toronto '06 World Rendezvous, a few local Nonsuch crews met me at 'the Gris' in Essex Connecticut . . . BARBCAT 30C , HALCYON 30C , PRO RE NATA 30U . A few days prior, I'd sent an e-mail from Maine to about 20 local area sailors I knew expecting 1 or 2 to hopefully meet me for drinks. A bunch of others sent regrets but wanted to be kept 'in the loop' . . . WHAT loop?!? Over dinner it was discussed and I agreed that the type of event I'd organized in Fall 2000 and that the Lombards had done in Spring 2002 needed to be organized and held . . . annually. I committed to make this happen but not until Spring 2007 to allow time to do a proper job of promoting and getting organized.

I suggested at that dinner that we'd have a small organizing gathering in Essex in October as a next step. With the help of Loch Syme SISU 26C 71 , I had done this at the Essex Corinthian YC in late July 2000 for a Fall Rendezvous within Fall OSC. In the Fall of 2000, 9 boats competed and 2 boats 'sailed-in' . . .
John & Frankie Matthesen BELLE CHAT 26C , Allen & Judy Ames SESAME 26C , Loch Syme SISU 26C , Al Perrins BARBCAT 30C , Robert Rosenblum STRAY CAY 30U , ? , ? , ? , and ? plus 'sail-ins' Mike Girardo BIANKA 30U and Michel & Amy Fortin PRO RE NATA 30U . Results . . . (need info from OSC)

In '02 the Lombards organized 13 boats to participate in a Spring Rendezvous within Spring OSC. Results . . . BEARCAT 30C - 1st, LOON 30C - 2nd, SUNSHINE 36 - 3rd, STRAY CAY 30U - 4th, KINDRED SPIRIT 33 - 5th, BANSHEE 36 - 6 th plus BARBCAT 30C, PRO RE NATA 30U, SESAME 26C, SISU 26C, ? , ? , and ? . The latter boats, like many boats in that spring's OSC event, did not sail due to a storm system that came through.

So . . . after sailing the Commodore's Cruise and enjoying the Last Mast Blast in Toronto, I got back to Maine in mid-October. I started with a few 'phone calls and some e-mails to crews I knew or knew of. In just 9 days Essex became too inconvenient for the crews who wanted to attend! The Radisson Hotel in New London Connecticut lasted barely a week and was then . . . too small! The Hilton in Mystic was the next stop.

As a courtesy, I advised the the entire INA Board regularly by e-mail as things progressed and the INA Board President by a phone call in late October. All but one of the INA Board appeared wholly unenthused and offered no kind of open or demonstrative encouragement to the dinner or the Rendezvous plans for sailing in 2007. Worse though, they were actively unsupportive and dismissive. I've rarely been either so rudely ignored for weeks when promised a return call or so generally offended. However, to his great credit, INA Board Secretary Bill Spencer was very supportive and positive.

The INA Board notwithstanding . . . the more 'owners' who heard about it the more 'owners' that other owners told and so on. Our gathering outgrew two smaller function rooms in the Hilton and finally into the ballroom with over 100 registered. WOW. A little bigger than the 15-20 crew from 10-12 boats that I'd first envisioned back in July. lol

When starting in October I'd hoped, but told no one, that we might end up as 70-80 crew gathering but over 100 was a very happy surprise. We all came from 7 states and 3 provinces.

I did NOT do all this alone . . . on purpose! Nonsuch has too long suffered, top to bottom, from a total lack of new blood in leadership and poor or no delegation of duties. Steadily over the last decade plus, this has killed large and active regional and world SAILING as 'leaders' either didn't know how to lead or got burned out due to lack of help. Whichever, this has resulted in people not being brought together and too few now actually know each other . . . and so they don't get together 'to play with friends' sailing boats together. The Chesapeake, North West, Nova Scotia, and Thousand Islands Fleets . . . plus occasionally the Key Largo Florida Fleet . . . are active and do well but their absolute numbers are pretty small. There are as many boats just on West-Lake Ontario or on and near Long Island Sound as are in all these regions combined.

For many years it has been repeatedly said that INA Board members and regional Fleet leaders could get little or no interest and help plus it was oft repeated that local interest had waned too much to allow large regional activities. In spite of this, it turned out that there was LOTS of great interest and help there . . . just for the asking. I recruited and delegated as much as possible. Some who helped . . .

Bev & Dick Astles - video presentation at event
Jim Avery - phone calls to boats in local Flotilla
Henry Bakewell - phone calls to boats in local Flotilla
David Biltcliffe - phone calls to boats in local Flotilla
Ed Botterell - travelled and spoke at event, Saturday set up, VERY GENEROUS donation of 'Botts Thotts' to each attending boat crew !
Richard Codd - phone calls, Saturday set up, welcome table duty
Bob Cornell - phone calls to boats, welcome table duty
Bevan & Barbara Crighton - phone calls to boats in local Flotilla, meeting with Off Sounding Club Executive, Saturday set up, welcome table duty
Al Donaghy - calls to boats in local Flotilla
Jim Eastland - raffle prizes, spoke at event & brought some great old Nonsuch goodies (bumper stickers, etc.)
Mark Ellis - nice letter of greetings to the attendees
Michel Fortin - phone calls to boats
Tom Heald - calls to boats in local Flotilla
George Hughes & Fiona Kidd - Toronto '06 photos
Jerry Jodice - Boston '04 photos
Dana & Norma Keyes - phone calls to boats in local FLotilla & Saturday set up
Jack & Jenny Lombard - phone calls, raffle prizes, spoke at event, & committed to liaise with Off Soundings Club, welcome table duty
Bennett Lord - phone calls to boats
Joe MacLeod - welcome table duty
Addison Marsh - phone calls to boats in local Flotilla
Barbara & Ernie Melanson - phone calls to boats in local Flotilla, organized reception welcome team, loaned sail with Stack Pack to exhibit, billeted Botts, Saturday set up
Dick & Terri Nolan - VERY GENEROUS sponsorship of reception hors d�oeurvres
Holy & Stan Pastula - calls to boats & Saturday set up
Pete Peterson - Saturday set up ( after flying all the way from COLORADO ! )
Mike Quill - GENEROUS donation of name badge materials
Fritz Reilly - calls to boats in local Flotilla
Randy Repass - VERY GENEROUS donation of great gift bag goodies
Win & Martha Sanford - calls to boats in local Flotilla, welcome table duty
Bill Spencer - twice attempted to garner INA Board support for the event, one of the farthest travelled to the event, & welcome table duty
Bob Todd - calls to boats in local Flotilla
Barry Truitt & Andrea Pape - collecting videos, loaned video projector & laptop for video presentations, welcome table duty
Rob Watts - loaned video projector & laptop for video presentations
Sue Watts - made great signs & absolutely AWESOME name tags
Ed Yurowski & Ruth Callahan - welcome table duty
MANY gift bag & raffle prize donors from the sailing community
. . . a 'team' of about 8 people just pitched in to help set things up and stuffed the gift bags Saturday morning in the Hilton Ballroom!

I'm sure my memory has caused me to omit the names of several people and feel embarassed and badly that I have.

Long time friend Ed Botterell, who is rather well known in Nonsuch circles, kindly drove down from Toronto and, as usual spoke most informatively and entertainingly. I first met Ed when he and others returned from the '68 Summer Olympics. He was ( and still is ! ) a very fine sailor from Montreal and soon established Hood Canada in Kingston Ontario, between Toronto and Montreal. Today, Ed is DOYLE SAILS Toronto.

Join us next time if you can! :)

Cheers,

Arthur Langley


- unfortunately everyone did not get their portrait photos taken (portraits follow the dinner photos below)
- definitely missing 'portraits' below are Dick & Bev Astles, John & Lynn Behne, Ed Botterell, Jim Eastland & guest, Bill Spencer, Rob & Sue Watts ( and any others ? ) .

- most photos below have sub titles, just click a photo and then click 'next' and you will always see the subtitles
- subtitles don't show when viewing photos as a slideshow
- each crew is listed by their boat's homeport, which is where you'll most easily find 'em . . . ON THEIR BOAT ! :)

( more photos remain to be added 11.1.07 )

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