Cruiser-Racers 1973-1978

CRUISER - RACERS: CCA CLASS RACING 1973-1977

COMMODOREs 1973 Peter Hornby, 1974 Wayne Hostetter, 1975 David B. McDowell, 1976 Wayne Twining, 1977 Bill Empsall

CRUISER-RACERS VERSUS DAYSAILER ONE-DESIGNS

The Ensigns and Bluejackets were essentially daysailers with only two bunks in a crowded cuddy cabin. The Bluejacket came in two models described as a "Daysailer" and a "MORCEE" said to comply with the Midget Ocean Racing Club Rule (MORC) by virtue of its self-bailing cockpit and enclosed cabin. Most of the Bluejackets in the VSC were daysailers with the exception of Dave McDowell's Valcour V and one other.

It seemed inevitable that, with increased participation in the LCRC races with a preponderance of larger Vermont boats, many skippers in the VSC would want to move up to larger cabin sloops which are generally described as "cruiser-racers." One example of a cruiser- racer was David McDowell's Tartan 26, Valcour VI, in which he campaigned from 1973 to 1979. Another boat which was popular in the VSC in 1973 was the Canadian built Tanzer 22 which would become one of the most successful designs in North America. By 1974 there were six Tanzer 22's in the Club.

In 1974, Harry Walcoff's Ranger 26, WIKI-WIKI [renamed FreeSpirit in 1988], was a very competitive cruiser-racer as was Ric Schneider's BAREFOOT. In 1973, Harry Walcoff campaigned a Pearson 26, CELERITY, which remains a competitive cruiser-racer in the LCRC today. Peter Hornby started campaigning his NIMUE' III, an elegant Mariner 28, in 1979.

Under the CCA measurement rule, all of these cruiser-racers could race in fleets which could be conveniently divided into Classes according to the number of boats showing up on the starting line on a regular basis. And in the process of moving up to these larger boats, family cruising on Lake Champlain became more popular in the Valcour Sailing Club.

EVOLUTION OF THE RACING FLEET IN 1973

The single Cruising Class of 1972 had included boats which varied in rating (CCA) from 21.7 ft. to 30.5 ft. and the one-design boats were racing in a single Ensign-Bluejacket Class made up mostly of Ensigns. The change in the 1973 racing fleet in the Club was not revolutionary as it had been in 1970. But there was a definite evolution that is reflected in subtle accommodations to the increasing numbers of cruiser-racers in the fleet and to the flexibility of the CCA measurement rule for handicapping the variety of boats wanting to race together. Taking a cue from the LCRC, the Valcour Sailing Club initiated racing by lettered classes: Class A for boats rating over 22 ft. and Class B for those rating 22 ft. or less. Continuing as a class were the Ensigns and Bluejackets but this was more a "class within a class" as they started with the Class B boats in most cases. Added in 1973 was a Tanzer 22 one-design class which also raced as a part of Class B. Also, the board boat class was established in June but there are records of only two races being held that summer.

The final results for the 1973 racing schedule, consisting of two series of eight races each in the Spring and Fall, indicate that the practice of breaking out the two one-design classes from the B Class results was abandoned by the end of the season. The records do not indicate that separate awards were given in the Ensign/B'jacket or the Tanzer 22 Class and the practice of those boats starting with all the other B Class seems to have effectively integrated these boats into essentially a one class fleet. Even though there were still five Ensigns, four Tanzer 22's, three Cal 21's, and two Bluejackets actively racing in Class B, one-design boat-for-boat racing was clearly fading from the scene in the Valcour Sailing Club. As shown in the results of that year, the Ensigns dominated the Spring Class B series but the Cal 21s and Tanzer 22s came charging back in the Fall series.

THE VSC RACING FLEET OF 1973

CLASS A - CCA rated over 22 ft.

Wayne Clark, MOLLY STARK, Yankee Sail Nr 32

Bill Rowe, CRISIS, Tartan 30T #10670

David McDowell, VALCOUR VI, Tartan 26 #11497

Wayne Twining, MISTEE, Pearson 26 #280

Harry Walcoff, CELERITY, Pearson 26 #10632

Peter Covert, TURTLE IV, Tanzer 28 #40

Bill Empsall, FEELING FREE, Morgan 25 #2543

George Dietrick, Helms 25 #11

Brown/Grant, COMBINE, Cal 25 #11013

CLASS B - CCA rated 22 ft. or less

Bob McCracken, ESCAPE, Paceship 23 #40

Robert Hohman, Cal 21 #509

Peter Hornby, NIMUE', Cal 21 #550

Ric Schneider, Cal 21 #574

Joe Garcia, DAVE'S OLD BOAT, Bluejacket #61

Herb Koerner, Bluejacket #76

Jim Connors, AMARANTH, Olympic Dolphin #153

Wayne Hostetter, SHATZI, Tanzer 22 #45

Paul Laramie, REMEDY II, Tanzer 22 #178

Robert Post, FIFTY BUCKS, Tanzer 22 #162

Ralph Stevenson, Tanzer 22 #187

L. Pollack, FOLLY, Electra #177

Skip Barnett, NEPIDAE, Ensign #1379

Derek Allan, GRUINARD II, Ensign #1172

Bob Sutherland, DARCY, Ensign #369

Herman Doh, PUNKY ANNE, Ensign #111

Harold Klein, DADDY, Ensign #23

HIGHLIGHTS OF 1973

Minutes of Meeting 3/21/73

"Barnett made a motion that all boats rated 22 ft. and under (CCA) start at the same time and be designated as Class B with all larger boats starting at a different time as Class A boats. Individual class racing can still be held within Class A or B. Motion was seconded by McDowell and passed.

The Clubhouse will be available again this year. Peter Covert has announced that the Swinging Turtle will offer meals and drinks at reduced prices to Club members and their families during race days. All boats must be properly weighed and measured before a race in order to have that race count. The exception is a class boat in which a boat of that class has been weighed and measured. In such cases a standard rating will be used for all boats in that class with an adjustment for sail area."

Minutes of Meeting 5/2/73

"May 19 will be the date of the spring workday to put the dock in, launch the committeee boat and clean up the club house. The Clinton County Youth Bureau has again approached the Club to have a group of underprivileged children sail on a number of member's boats on June 23. Harry Walcoff is to investigate the various insurance aspects and report at the next meeting. If the insurance can be worked out then there will be a need for volunteers who will take 2 or 3 children on their boats".

[RdF Note — On June 23rd, as scheduled, members of the VSC provided sailboat rides for approximately twenty children of Upward Bound. A photo subsequently appeared in the Press Republican showing Joe and Joann Garcia with three children well secured in life preservers and wearing broad smiles. The photo caption was: "Wind in their faces - Joe Garcia of the Valcour Sailing Club guides his sailboat through waters of Lake Champlain while youngsters enjoy their first boat ride. The Clinton County Youth Commission sponsored the project which allowed area Clinton County youngsters a chance to sail on Lake Champlain. Members of the Valcour Sailing Club helped in the project."]

VSC Bulletin June 1973

"The Valcour Race was a big success. We had 45 boats starting on Saturday and approximately the same number on Sunday. This is the largest turnout in history for the Valcour Race as well as for any LCRC Race. Despite rain and light shifty winds on Saturday, we managed to complete a 11 mile race in under five hours with Skip Barnett coming out a clear winner against all classes by finishing 24 minutes ahead of the next boat and having the shortest elapsed time of any boat in the race.

"On Sunday, conditions were greatly improved as it blew 20 from the North. In this race, Phil Davis of MBBC managed to sail his PJ 43 around the 15 mile triangle in under three hours establishing the lowest elapsed time. Although the official results for the two day event have not yet been computed, it looks as though VSC managed to snag four of the eight trophies. Rick Davis sailing his Pearson 30 took 2nd in B Class, Dave McDowell took 2nd in C Class with his Tartan 26, and Skip Barnett and Peter Hornby took 1st and 2nd respectively in D Class."

"I am sure that all members of the club will be saddened to learn of the death of Mr. Harry Walcoff's wife, Pearl. Mrs. Walcoff died early Monday morning ..."

THE PEARL WALCOFF MEMORIAL BOOK COLLECTION

In June, 1973, the members of the Valcour Sailing Club were saddened to learn of the death of Pearl Walcoff, wife of founding member Harry Walcoff. Commodore Hornby, in a letter to the members on July 3rd, indicated that the Executive committeee had suggested the purchase of a collection of sailing books in memory of Mrs. Walcoff.

"Dear Valcour Sailing Club Member:

The executive committeee has given much thought to the subject of an appropriate gift to be given in memory of Pearl Walcoff. Among the several suggestions made, was the possibility of purchasing a collection of books on sailing to be given to the Plattsburgh Public Library in her memory. This idea seemed to the committeee to be most appropriate since Mrs. Walcoff was actively interested in our local library and, of course, in sailing. At present the library holdings on this topic are quite meager, and therefor such a gift would be of benefit to our local community as well as being an appropriate memorial. ............ We hope that by this endeavor we will be able to provide a fitting and lasting memorial to someone who meant a great deal to all who knew her and were saddened by her death."

The members responded and in September of that year, Claudia Hornby wrote to Miss Pungitore, Director of the Plattsburgh Public Library, giving the details of the intention of the Valcour Sailing Club.

"Some time ago we spoke with you regarding the establishment of a collection of books on sailing to be donated to the library in the memory of Mrs. Pearl Walcoff, by members of the Valcour Sailing Club...... and that an appropriate book plate would be placed in each book of the collection. ... "The members of the Valcour Sailing Club have contributed $175.00 to the Memorial Collection Fund. ........"

Claudia A. Horby, Memorial Fund Chairman"

CONTRIBUTORS - The Pearl Walcoff Memorial Collection

Mr. & Mrs. J. Derek Allan, Dr. & Mrs. David B. McDowell. Dr. & Mrs. Stockton G. Barnett, Dr. Lawrance C. Pollak, Dr. & Mrs. Thomas F. Brown, Dr. & Mrs. Jerome H. Resnick, Mr. & Mrs. Roderick C. Giltz, Mr. & Mrs. William L. Rowe III, Mr. & Mrs. John A. Grant, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Schneider, Mr. & Mrs. Peter A. Hornby, Mr. & Mrs. Bernard J. Seawell, Mr. & Mrs. Donald A. Ireland, Mr. & Mrs. Richard S. Sowers, Dr. & Mrs. Harold G. Klein, Mr. Wayne N. Twining, Mr. Paul D. Laramie Jr., Dr. & Mr.s. H. Alan Walker

MEMBERS FROM PLATTSBURGH AIR FORCE BASE

Anyone who has lived in Plattsburgh most of their life will not now recognize many names of Valcour Sailing Club members appearing in the twenty year list (Appendix A). But over the years, the Club has had many active members who flew USAF SAC bombers all over the world as well as sloops on Lake Champlain. The records are replete with reference like "Dick {Richard Sowers} is in Thailand on assignment and I will be staying in Plattsburgh." These members, with their strong values of team effort, camaraderie, and social grace have added much to the success of Club activities down through the years and were some of the most active members while stationed in Plattsburgh. A few served their final tours here and subsequently chose the Lake Champlain Valley area as a retirement home. Typical of the many references to our members who also served the national defense of our country was this item in 1974.

"BAD NEWS: One bit of bad news and that is the departure of our Vice Commodore, Bob McCracken and his charming wife Kay. The McCrackens are being assigned in England where Bob will fly F-111Es. We will remember the contributions that Bob and Kay have made to our club, especially last year as the social chairman. Also the gentleman like sportsmanship Robert had on the water as well as his competitive spirit. Have a safe trip, good flying, and tremendous sailing." (VSC Bulletin #2, May 27, 1974)

MANY VERMONTERS JOIN THE VSC

A review of the membership list down through the years reveals the names of many Vermont based skippers/boats. Because the waiting list for membership in the Lake Champlain Yacht Club and the Mallett's Bay Boat Club was quite long, many Vermonters wishing to enter Lake Champlain Racing Conference, many Vermonters joined the VSC. This, from an LCRC letter of March, 1974:

"Some boats raced with us last year and in previous years even though they did not belong to a club on Lake Champlain. The two Vermont clubs have had waiting lists, but it is possible for those of you who do not now have membership in either of the three clubs to join Valcour Sailing Club. If you want to compete and be eligible for trophies you must belong to one of our clubs on the lake."

ADDITIONS TO THE FLEET OF 1974

WIKI-WIKI, Ranger 26 #12792, Harry Walcoff

BAREFOOT, Ranger 26 #12803, Ric Schneider

DAGNY'S DREAM, Cal 21, Paul Davis

Cal 21, Don Buhr

Tanzer 22, Lou Baxter

CRISIS, Paceship 23 #13544, Bill Rowe

SERENDIPITY, O'Day 22 #12228, Richard Bernardi

NIMBLE TOES, Ensign #1450, Dave Pilcher

THE VALCOUR SAILING CLUB BURGEE

"NAYRU {NORTH AMERICAN YACHT RACING UNION} MEMBERSHIP AND THE CLUB BURGEE -- Bill Florich presented the burgee to the club for approval. It was approved and it and the VSC will be registered with Lloyds. Bill has also been seeking NAYRU membership for the VSC and should have both tasks completed by the next club meeting." (Minutes of Meeting, June 6, 1974)

Lloyd's Register of American Yachts

17 Battery Place

New York, N. Y. 10004

25 November 1974

Gentlemen:

Enclosed please find 2 copies of "Particulars of Club", 2 descriptions and drawings of burgee, and my check for $37.45. Kindly include Valcour Sailing Club in your 1975 issue. Please mail 1 copy of the Yacht Register to Valcour Sailing Club, c/o David B. McDowell at the above address, when published.

Very truly yours,

David B. McDowell, Commodore, Valcour Sailing Club

THE VSC COMMITTEE BOAT ca. 1970s

The records in the 1970s are filled with references to the VSC power boat used by the racing committeee and Officers of the Day. Stock was sold to members of the Club to raise revenue to purchase the boat and motor and log entries show annual dates to launch and haul it. Most of the old time members of the Club can easily come up with a story or two about the committeee boat over the years. One recurring problem seemed to be that the boat, unattended on its mooring, would fill with water from a rain storm and subsequently sink or capsize. Peter Hornby and Dave McDowell filled the void of the hull of the committee boat with styrofoam so that it would not turn over. These entries, typical of many, were included in the VSC Bulletin #3, June 10, and Bulletin #4, late June, 1974.

"DISASTER -- Our committeee boat overturned during the night of June 6th. Thanks to Peter Hornby, Skip Barnett and Joe Garcia for helping me with the salvage operation. Thanks also to Dave McDowell for the use of his power boat and dock. Wayne K. Hostetter, Commodore VSC".

"COMMITTEE BOAT - The committeee boat almost sank again. Thanks to Don Ireland, who bailed it out, the tragedy was prevented. The committeee boat is the responsibility of all club members, so if you see that it is about to sink please take five minutes of your time and bail it out. It has been brought to my attention that the committeee boat is being used for pleasure, therefore I would like to approve or disapprove the use of the boat for other than scheduled VSC races and emergencies. Wayne K. Hostetter, Commodore."

The fact that the committeee boat was not to be used for pleasure must have perplexed those of the race committeee and the OD staff who tried to find some joy in running a race. It is also interesting to note that the Club members had to be entreated to bail out the boat if it were on the brink of sinking. One member remarked that a cover for the boat, which would shed rain water, might have alleviated the accidental sinkings. Students of organizational behavior are familiar with the dangers of giving unspecified people the responsibility for getting anything done on a continuing basis. It is a tribute to concerned members of the Club that the committeee boat survived a single season.

THE PERFORMANCE CUP

Every once in a while some member of the Club would throw out an idea which seemed simple on first blush. Inevitably, the idea would be added to the racing schedule in some innocent way which did not fully explain the exact intent of the writer, and which did not realistically anticipate all of the probable scenarios that could happen out on the water. From time to time, races had to be thrown out or emergency executive committeee meetings held to address problems of misunderstanding that left skippers less than fully satisfied with the goings-on in the club. {RdF - I have generally not included these hot and heavy letters of protest, often characterized as "sour grapes" by the person that had to deal with the matter. Some of these dead horses are best left lying in the musty old records.} But one example, which seems innocent enough, is included here as an illustration of traps that can easily wreck the best of ideas not precisely stated in the yearbook or sailing instruction. Now this, from the minutes of the Executive committeee Meeting of August 12, 1974.

"THE PERFORMANCE CUP - There was considerable discussion about this item. For the benefit of those who do not recall, the Performance Cup was a trophy which the VSC executive committeee voted to award to the individual class winner in the Valcour Race, held June 15th and 16th, who won by the greatest margin over the second place boat. The discussion centered about the fact that there seemed to be a great deal of confusion on the part of the members of the executive committeee as to what was meant by 'greatest margin'. This confusion was heightened by the fact that, in addition to the obvious ambiguity in the stated criteria for awarding the trophy, there seemed to be no clearly outstanding performer in the race and no mechanism was established for determining to whom it would be awarded. That which follows is the award criteria which evolved after much heated debate:

1. The candidates for the Performance Trophy are individual class winners.

2. The Performance Trophy shall be awarded to the individual class winner who has the greatest algebraic sum of the corrected time differentials for the two legs between that class winner and the skipper of the boat which performed best in that class exclusive of him in each leg.

The Race committeee chairman was directed to make the necessary calculations which are to be presented at the next executive committeee meeting."

It is supposed that that explanation cleared everything up and no further misunderstanding could occur. Each crew could include a lawyer and mathematician to keep the skipper straight on the rules. And the Race committeee could include a Justice of the New York Appellate Court to rule on any further sticky problems.

{RdF - The Yearbooks tend to be longer and more carefully written as the years go by. In 1986, the yearbook dealt with a similar problem by stating: "... is awarded to the class winner that beats the average of the second and third place boat in her class by the greatest margin in corrected time." Even this was suspected of being ambiguous until a club mathematician proved by algebraic equation that the average of the corrected differentials between the class winner and the next two boats in that class was identical to the corrected time differential between the class winner and the average of corrected times of the next two boats in that class. One cannot be too careful in these matters.}

WRAP-UP OF THE 1974 SEASON

In an article in the Press Republican of November 22, 1974, coverage of the Club's annual fall banquet on November 17th summarized the sailing season as well as projected plans for 1975. Extracts of that article are:

SPRING SERIES

Class A: 1st, D. McDowell; 2nd, Schneider; 3rd, T. Brown/J. Grant

Class B: 1st, Hornby; 2nd, P. Laramie; 3rd, McCracken/Garcia (tie)

FALL SERIES

Class A: 1st, Ric Schneider; 2nd, McDowell; 3rd, Twining

Class B: 1st, Paul Laramie; 2nd, Garcia; 3rd, McCracken

"In addition to the results of the local club races, it was announced that several members of the Valcour Sailing Club finished high in the Lake Champlain Racing Conference during 1974. Harry Walcoff, sailing his Ranger 26 {Wiki-Wiki} captured first place overall as well as first in Class C. Peter Hornby came out on top in Class D." {RdF - other records of 1974 LCRC races show that BODACIOUS took 6th place out of 21 boats competing in Class B; VALCOUR VI 3rd, BAREFOOT 4th, and MISTEE 7th in 14 boats competing in Class C; NIMBLE TOES 5th, TURTLE II 6th of 19 boats competing in Class D. Clearly, members of the VSC were having greater success in the LCRC competition for smaller boat classes. 1974 was also the first year that a VSC skipper placed first overall in LCRC although that was also the first year, since 1968, when there were no overall season winners awarded for all classes.}

"Negotiations are currently taking place to acquire a waterfront facility for the Valcour Sailing Club, according to club officials. Plans were discussed at the club's annual fall banquet to offer picnicking and swimming facilities along with a center for regular sailing and social activities. Also announced at the banquet is the expansion of race classes. A special class will be added to accommodate those wishing to compete in racing but not wanting to buy expensive sails and equipment for their boats."

EXPANSION OF ACTIVITIES IN THE CLUB

The Fall of 1974 marked the beginning of a period of adjustment in the Valcour Sailing Club as it approached its tenth anniversary since founding in 1966. Although the Club had a small facility for storage of marks and other equipment at Janco's, which has been alluded to as "the club house," post-race social activities were held in the Swinging Turtle, a restaurant at Peter Covert's marina. The Club did not own or lease an on-shore facility that could provide a focus for family activities as well as a place for racers to meet for their post-mortems of on-water events. Also, there was no convenient facility from which a junior sailing program could be organized. Wayne Hostetter, out-going commodore, alluded to the mood of the times in his letter to the members regarding the fall banquet; part is given below.

"The annual election of officers will follow the meal along with a business meeting in which some very important issues will be discussed and voted upon. These issues will determine the direction that our club will follow for 1975. I would briefly like to give you some insight into the discussion topics, so that you can do some serious thinking about them prior to the meeting. First of all, the club did not meet the expectations or needs of the majority of VSC members, therefore I will have proposals to offer for 1975 that will be of interest to everyone. The most important issue pertains to the club renting some water front property for the 1975 season. Three possibilities exist at the present time.

1. The 5th Hole Cottage at the Bluff Point Golf Club.

2. The Valcour Lodge.

3. The Valcour View Campsite.

Each of these possibilities will be discussed in detail and all questions will be answered. A general membership vote will be taken on this issue. "Since the 1974 VSC agenda did not fill the needs of the majority of our members, I would like to task each one of the membership to seriously consider what type of club he or she would like to see for 1975 and present these ideas at this meeting. These inputs will aid the new officers in their planning of the 1975 club activities. The future of our Valcour Sailing Club depends on YOU, the membership."

The records indicate a flurry of activity by the executive committeee over the winter of 1974-75. The needs of the members of the Club apparently were broader than just sailboat racing or even other on-water sailing activities. There appeared to be a broadly based desire for more social activities that could include families, and this need was seen as being addressed primarily with the introduction of an on-shore facility. Along with this came higher dues, sixty dollars in 1975, but even this amount was much less than dues at the yachts clubs in Vermont. In late January 1975, a lease for the Fifth-Hole Cottage at the Bluff Point Golf Course was drawn up by the law firm of Fitzpatrick, Bennet and Trombley for the Valcour Sailing Club. David B. McDowell had been elected Commodore in November 1974 and he signed that least on February 1st. On February 26th, he reported to the membership in a letter:

"In accordance with the instructions of the membership, the executive committeee has proceeded with arrangements to lease the Fifth Hole cottage from Bluff Point Country Club. ....... By terms of the lease we will pay $300.00 a month for five months beginning in May. We will be unable to have moorings at the club other than on a transient basis but will have storage available for board boats and a landing space available for dinghies. The grounds will be open for picnicking and the beach for swimming.

"The proposed schedule for next summer has six sailing weekends, two of which are LCRC events. We anticipate an active season for Lasers. We also anticipate a 'Working Sails Only' class on three of the weekends. The modified quarter-ton event is also scheduled.

"We are now registered with Lloyds and NAYRU. The new burgees are here and available from Peter Hornby for paid members at a price of $3.00. ....."

MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Incorporation - Bill Empsall and Pat McGill are writing the articles of incorporation to be submitted for approval by April 16, 1975.

THE FIFTH HOLE COTTAGE

The clubhouse at the Fifth Hole Cottage at Bluff Point was the focal point for on-shore activities of the Valcour Sailing Club in the summer of 1975. The clubhouse was to be open every weekend through May 31st. After that, it was to be open daily for the use of members and guests. Club stewards, who lived in the Cottage, were to be available throughout the summer to maintain the general upkeep of the building. As it turned out, there were no takers for the job which offered housing but no pay.

A set of detailed house rules appeared in the 1975 Yearbook which generally entreated the members to maintain the clubhouse in a neat condition and also "conduct themselves with decorum" while using the club facilities. Mooring of boats was limited to temporary visits but a club dingy was provided "for use of all members as an alternative transportation to and from boats...." The accessibility problem - the cottage was just adjacent to an active fairway - is revealed in these rules:

"All club members and guests will refrain from trespassing on the greens and fairways of the Bluff Point Country Club. In fairness to the golfers, VEHICULAR TRAVEL on the Bluff Point Country Club grounds must always be UNDER 10 MILES PER HOUR. Club members and guests will please respect the golfers while they are playing."

While the members of the Club were asked to respect the golfers, the converse apparently did not always exist. On July 17th, Bill Empsall, Club secretary, wrote to Don Terry, President of the Country Club:

"The membership of the VSC has asked me to write you concerning an incident at the Fifth Hole Cottage ........ several golfers entered the building and consumed about $20 worth of beer owned by the VSC. In addition, they tracked in a considerable amount of mud and left empty beer bottles throughout the building. ....... restitution should be made to the VSC and accordingly we will withhold $20 from our next rent check."

ONE OF MANY VSC QUESTIONNAIRES

In May of that year, a questionnaire was sent to all paid and potential members regarding what kind of interest there was in racing and social activities. In the former category, several potential classes were proposed: Class A (CCA over 22.0 ft.), Class B (CCA 22.0 ft. and under), Working Sails Class using some "simplified handicapping system," Boardboat Class (Laser, Sunfish, Force Five etc.), and one design dingy classes. Other on-water activities suggested were a day cruise with a rendezvous for a picnic lunch, overnight cruises, and a cruise combined with a race to a rendezvous point. Also questioned was the possible interest in Saturday and week day racing and whether anyone was interested in teaching or receiving instruction in basic sailing, racing rules and techniques, and navigation.

LOOKING BACK ON THE FIRST TEN YEARS

Two brief assessments of the first ten years of activity in the Valcour Sailing Club are found in the records for 1976. The following, by David McDowell, is taken from the 1976 Yearbook.

"The Valcour Sailing Club was formed in 1966 to promote the sport of sailboat racing in the Plattsburgh area. Races at that time were conducted for classes of Cape Cod Knockabouts and Snipes. As the club membership increased, so did the different classes of boats. Mixed classes were originally handicapped using the Portsmouth Yardstick and later, the CCA Rule. Larger daysailers, Ensigns and Bluejackets, gradually replaced the smaller centerboard boats in the late 60's and early 70's. By 1971, several members had purchased cruising type boats in the 24 - 30 foot range. A separate racing class was formed for these boats which participated in local races and Lake Champlain Racing Conference events. In 1975, the club decided to expand its activities by promoting more cruising and social events. A lakeshore clubhouse was leased and the club became registered with Lloyd's. The Valcour Sailing Club now operates as a full fledged yacht club and provides varied activities for its members."

A second summary, a brief historical sketch of the early years of sailing in the Valcour Sailing Club, was handwritten by David McDowell, probably in that same year although it was undated. Inasmuch as parts of the text were difficult to read, Dr. McDowell was asked to read his remarks to a recorder in 1986. While doing so, he added some comments to the text and those are included here parenthetically. Additional clarifying remarks, shown in braces, are those of the author. Because this type of narration is so rare in the records of the VSC, it is included in its entirety with the hope that it may encourage readers, who may in future be responsible for VSC records, to be more prolific in their anecdotal efforts.

"Competitive sailing first came to the Plattsburgh area under the auspices of the Plattsburgh Yacht Club about 1960. Regattas were organized there on several occasions, involving boat owners from the Plattsburgh area and the Essex area. There was also an Essex Regatta sponsored by the town (or village) of Essex which included sail and power events. The split Rock Yacht Club at the Crater Club south of Essex had conducted sailing events for a number of years. Their members participated in the Plattsburgh Yacht Club events and in the Essex Regatta.

"I believe I am the only local sailor to sail in the Essex Regatta and sailed there in my Cape Cod Knockabout, Valcour III, (for) two years. These regattas were discontinued (in) about 1962.

"Early sailors in this area were Harry Walcoff, with initially a Pennant, then an Electra. Dr. Leonard Schlensinger had an Ariel, Bob Glenn had an Archer-like double ender, George Copeland had a Star, Ed Redcay a Corsaire, and John Washbourne a Raven. Having taught sailing in Cape Cod Knockabouts at Ecole Champlain over on the Vermont side, I was impressed by them {Knockabouts} as a daysailer on Lake Champlain. I was overjoyed to find one on the Sibley estate - now the Education Center {Plattsburgh State University College Education Center at Valcour}. Jim Morse, in Essex, had also built the Champlainer which really - despite his denials - was a modified Knockabout.

"John Grant turned up a Champlainer in Port Henry and John Tanner turned up a Knockabout in Shelburne - and the stage was set. In the interim Derek Allan appeared with his Winabout." With a fleet of Champlainers in Essex, it looked like we could one-design sail on this side of the lake.

"Dr. Joe Rudmin had a Snipe. The relative ease of kit construction tempted us into a Snipe fleet as well. Tom Sweeney from Keeseville built a Snipe and Major Strang from the air base bought a Snipe. About five men ordered Snipe kits in the biggest swindle of 1966 - the company folded.

"Plank owners of VSC include George Copeland, John Grant, John Tanner, Derek Allan, Ed Redcay, Scott Worrall, Bud Seawell, Dave McDowell, Tom Sweeney, Joe Rudmin. We organized in 1966 with Knockabouts, Snipes, and a cruising class.

"The first President, subsequently to become 'Commodore', was John Grant. George Copeland was the Secretary-Treasurer.

"There was greater success with the Knockabout acquisition than with the Snipe fleet. John Tanner bought a plastic Knockabout, followed by Scott Worrall, John Grant, John Washbourne, Tom Brown, Dave McDowell, George Boolukos, and

Paul Agnew.

"To back track a moment, Scott Worrall had a ---- (North Haven) sloop with a red sail that was a classic. Hal Klein and Frank Schumacher were combined in a Champlainer - with an original set of sails that went back to the thirties.

"I will never forget commissioning Scott's Knockabout "Savage" in a wild north wind - and when Scott ruined his foul weather gear. {1987 footnote - Dave McDowell recalled that Scott was wearing what Dave characterized as a set of "El Cheapo" foul weather gear costing about ten dollars; they apparently lasted about ten minutes under the considerable strain of that launching.}

"The cover photo on the 1969 brochure {it first appeared in the 1968 brochure}, and subsequently a cherished water color by Derek Allan, epitomized the best of Knockabout sailing.

"There were some great days - the Knockabouts descending upon the Split Rock Yacht Club, devastating them under sail, and surviving the tea following - always suspecting that the locals had secreted some booze someplace.

"The end of the Knockabout fleet came in the fall of 1969 - in a North-Wester with gusts to fifty knots - on a spinnaker run, McDowell was over {into the water} first - to Grant's glee - despiteMimi's accusation 'you told me they wouldn't tip over!' Grant, Brown, and Worrall followed suit shortly. With an assist from our power {boat} friends all was well -- with only butts and pride bruised.

"The center boards of the Snipe and Knockabouts gave way to the keels of Ensigns and Blue Jackets. There was a brief dalliance with the French connection with Corsaires by Ed Redcay, Bud Seawell, Robin Hood, and Sherwood Keyser.

"About this time Electra 177 with Skip & Lucy Barnett became the unbeatable trio and VSC went big-time with the Valcour Races (1969). (This, I might add, was the first race we sponsored for LCRC.) {Listed in the 1969 schedule as the "Lake Champlain Racing Conference Invitational Race" although it was called the "Valcour" race in the LCRC yearbook and subsequently retained that name. Latter, it became the Valcour I race with the Valcour II race being the original name of the Isle St. Michel race.}

"Harry Walcoff was pushing Ensigns and I was pushing Blue Jackets and the fleets were great! Grant, Brown, Bob Moore, Herb Koerner, Al Walker, Sherwood Keyser, and Dave McDowell in Blue Jackets, with Harry Walcoff, Herman Doh, Derek Allan, Skip Barnett, Bud Seawell, Jerry Resnick, Adam Krakowski, and Hal Klein (in the Ensigns). {Also in an Ensign at that time was Bob Sutherland.} Good competitive sailing! Picnics and parties. No quarter given or expected. The Tanzer 22 came along and D Class (in the LCRC) was born.

"The LCRC came along and some of us went up. {i.e. in boat size} Pearson 26s, Tartan 26s. Rum punch parties at Bill Rowe's, walking through a stream, generations of 'Crisis' (Crisis was always the name of Bill's boat in those days.)

"The constant search for identity - what do people want, what is the thrust of a sailing population (don't ask a gynecologist)? Do we play the Series race and upstage cruising? Do we become subservient to and work around LCRC? Why can't they really understand measurement on the Vermont side? (I might add at this point {1986} that we were sailing under the measurement rule of the CCA at that time which required weighing the boats; no one on the Vermont side would weigh their boats, they would just get an estimated weight from the manufacturer.)

"By this time {1975} Harry Walcoff was wining everything with "Wiki Wiki". Skip (Barnett) had a brief affair with "Folly II" and was back with "Nepidae" and cleaning up. (Folly II was a 1/4 tonner which never really moved and Nepidae was his old Electra. {The record shows that the Electra was Folly and Nepidae an Ensign.} Pete Hornby had pushed the Cal 21 to its limits and subsequently reverted to cruising. Paul Laramie had pushed "Remedy" to the results that Pete Cover and "Turtle" had approached. Joe Garcia had learned to make "Dave's Old Boat" hump. Ric Schneider walked "Barefoot" through the fleet ("Barefoot" was the name of his boat and that was a Ranger 26 as was Wiki Wiki). "Valcour VI" and "Mistee" were in the van - bridesmaids but not brides. The gauntlet was well flung in Classes C & D of the LCRC and the VSC was always in the running. {RdF - See Appendix D for LCRC results 1968-1986}

"The great experiment of 1975 - a clubhouse - beautiful locale - tremendous parties as always - but at a cost - a rallying point that was cut off but never really made the grade.

"Physical facilities are fine - interest, dedication and ability {to sail well} are better! (This is when we rented the old cottage at the Bluff Point golf course.)

"1976 - ten years of VSC - the arms race has accelerated but the purpose is the same - SAIL - new faces - old friends lost - memories of a Halloween party in Willsboro Bay - It is all woven with the same thread. Sail and Lake Champlain - show in the ...... {illegible even to Dave}. Cruising and racing are not mutually exclusive."

MEASUREMENT RULE HANDICAPPING - THE WEIGHT FACTOR

Reference has been made to the difficulty of properly weighing sailboats under the CCA Measurement Rule {or any measurement rule requiring boat displacement for that matter}. The measurement rule of the Cruising Club of America was a formula for correcting the waterline length of a boat to obtain a rated length. It took into consideration the principle factors which affect the potential speed of a sailboat - waterline length, sail area, type and depth of keel, and its displacement or weight, for example. In 1975 there was concern in the VSC regarding how boat weights were being done in the LCRC as is revealed in this letter to Steele Griswold of the LCRC.

"Dear Steele,

It has been reported to us that two irregularities in weighing systems for ratings have occurred. One concerns the use of a non-sealed scale which apparently has a wide scattering of results and the other has to do with a hydraulic scale which has reproduceable results but apparently is not calibrated.

This was discussed at a regular meeting of the Valcour Sailing Club on the 28th of May and the following decisions were made:

1. The use of conventional scales shall be limited to sealed scales and no weight obtained on a non-sealed scale shall be considered valid for rating purposes.

2. No weighting system shall be used for rating other than a sealed scale unless it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of all measurers that this system has been calibrated over a range of weights, that the results over this range are comparable with the results on sealed scales, and that these results are reproduceable.

The Valcour Sailing Club is most concerned, inasmuch as no single source of weight information is available, that weights obtained for rating purposes are, in fact, true weights. The use of uncalibrated weighing systems and unsealed scales presents an error factor which will completely ruin the rating structure and totally invalidate all certificates.

It is the opinion of this Club that any rating certificates issued on uncalibrated weighing system results or on weights on unsealed scales should be invalidated and the practice os using uncalibrated weighing systems and unsealed scales should cease immediately.

Our representatives on the LCRC have been instructed to insist upon these provisions at the next meeting of the LCRC committeee.

Sincerely yours,

David B. McDowell, M.D., Commodore"

Several observations, which are of historical importance in the sense of some institutional memory, are reflected in this concern for accuracy of boat weight. First is the fact that any measurement rule, whether it be CCA, Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC), or International Offshore Rating (IOR), or several others used from time to time, involves some expense to the boat owner if the boat's physical characteristics are to be determined with a reasonable degree of accuracy. In order to achieve some confidence in the measurement rule, all skippers must be convinced that all competitors are fairly rated in terms of the data being used to "crank out" the ratings. The ultimate test of that confidence is for a skipper, who has lost a race by a few seconds over a lengthy course, to feel that he or she was beaten by superior sailing and not by an unfair rating. Second is the idea that a measurement rule rates the boat and not the boat/skipper combination as in the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) system. This fact can lead to complications induced by "designed to rule" boat design and rapid obsolescence of boats not designed to that rule. Finally, racing committeees need to be aware of the effect the rating method can have on the enthusiasm of its racing members.

There can be within the Club's racing fleet a divergence of interests in the type of competition as is reflected on the national scale between quasi-professional "hot shots" and the more laid back club racer who cannot or will not afford the latest technology in boats and gear. There seems to be no reason why the Club cannot provide both categories of racing - as well as that third category variously referred to as "working sails" or "cruising class."

THE VALCOUR RULE

While the CCA measurement rule was being used in the racing fleet, there was a need for a less demanding rule for the "Working Sails" or Cruising Class in the Club. Since the CCA rule, as we have seen, required careful weighing and measuring of the boat, there were many skippers who did not want to go to that much trouble for a few informal club races. To answer this need, the "Valcour Rule" was devised in the mid-seventies to allow quick handicapping of boats in the working sails class. The following appeared in the 1976 Yearbook.

"Working Sails - A class organized for boats lacking spinnakers and full race gear. Working-sails classes will be handicapped according to the Valcour Rule as follows. Under this rule, rated length equals one-half the sum of L.O.A. [length overall] and L.W.L. [length at waterline]. One foot is subtracted from the rating for a solid propeller. There is no penalty for jibs up to 120% There is a 0.5 foot penalty for jibs over 120% but not more than 150% of the foretriangle. For jibs over 150%, the penalty is 0.7%" {RdF - a check with the 1975 Yearbook would indicate that the penalty for jibs over 150% of J was 0.7 ft and not .7% as indicated. Also, the headsail penalty was not cumulative.}

The simplicity of the "Valcour Rule" is obvious. A boat rated the average of its two lengths: length overall and length at waterline. Generally, this data were available from most boat manufacturer's pamphlet or other listings. Since working jibs rarely exceeded 120 per cent of "J" (foretriangle base), the only other question was whether or not the boat had an exposed propeller - folding props on cruisers of that time must have been rare. The only handicapping rule that is more simple is that of the one-design class as given in the VSC yearbook for 1976: "If there are three or more boats of the same class, they may elect to race as a one-design class without handicap."

CRUSING ACTIVITIES OF THE VSC

With the expansion of social activities in the Club made possible by the leasing of the clubhouse, there was an expansion of the scheduled cruises in the mid-seventies. A separate cruise committeee was established to coordinate these formally scheduled cruises. From the 1976 yearbook, this: "In addition to the two long cruises, there will be shorter overnight and day cruises with raft-ups in the Valcour-Plattsburgh area. These will be scheduled on non-racing weekends as desired by the membership." Scheduled that year was the "Willsboro Bay Cruise" of June 26th & 27th and the "Labor Day Cruise to Westport." Apparently the longest cruise ever scheduled for members of the Valcour Sailing Club was the 1977 cruise to Whitehall. First mentioned at an executive meeting on December 16, 1976, "Norm Lawrance announced a cruise to Whitehall to leave June 25th and return before July 4th (1977). Three boats are going so far." From the Club's 1977 records is this listing:

VSC 1977 Cruise to Whitehall

Norm Lawrance, ISLENO; David & Katie White, NOMAD

Peter Hornby, NIMUE'; Bill Empsall, STARFINDER

Jim & Alice Connors, ESPERANCE; Garry Webber, GALADRIEL

[RdF — Hearing that that cruise was an eventful one, I asked Alice Connors in 1986 if she could provide a brief anecdote from memory. She obliged with the following.]

"The Valcour Sailing Club is not much into cruising these days, but during the last week of June in 1977, several members participated in a memorable one. The cruise began for some of us late on Friday afternoon in a wild southerly beat to Sloop Cove on Valcour from Dock & Coal (leaving Dock & Coal in a big south wind is an adventure in itself). The anchors had just hit the bottom when a whopper of a thunderstorm hit. After it passed, a quiet night was spent in a dead calm.

"The next morning we formed a loose caravan with the new arrivals and motored south toward Partridge Harbor. It was so calm that it was easy to see a strange shape in the water crossing our path at a right angle when we were about one-half mile east of Pumpkin Reef. Most members of the crews (Jim still scoffs) of Esperance and Starfinder say it had to be Chaousarou (not the McDowell's boat but Champy).

"We arrived in Partridge late in the afternoon after we had finally had a chance to sail. Partridge may be the best anchorage on the lake. It has such a narrow entrance, it is quite hard to find. Once in, one finds a smallish harbor with room for very few boats unless the boats are tied stern to the trees with anchors off the bow. We did this and rafted to each other; it is a great arrangement.

"We spent two nights at Partridge. On Sunday most people went on an unusual ride up to Otter Creek to Vergennes. The rest of us spent the day swimming and fishing. There was a walleye dinner on Esperance that night. (Peter cleaned the fish and Alice cooked).

"On Monday we cruised to Buoy 39 Marina, passing Ft. Ticonderoga in the process. It is a great sight from the Lake.

"On Tuesday we motored to Whitehall. The southernmost part of the lake is reminiscent of the river in the film "The African Queen." It is quite an adventure to come bow-to-bow, as we did, with a barge in such a narrow, shallow waterway in the pouring rain. On Tuesday night we tied our boats to the dock of Whitehall and went to the Skene Manor for dinner. They claim there is a person buried behind the bar in this place. It was a terrific time.

"The next day we headed home. Some of us stayed at Crown Point while others opted to sail with the full moon all the way back to Valcour or Dock & Coal. Most of us still think the Whitehall Cruise was one of the best events the club has ever organized. It would be great to try it again. Who knows? Champy might put in an appearance for some new members. Alice Connors"

About the same time of the Whitehall Cruise, there appeared to be growing interest in this activity in the Valcour Sailing Club. In a bulletin dated June 24, 1977, a provision was made for giving "Cruising Awards" which stated that in order "to make our cruising events more interesting, awards will be given to each skipper who participates in a club sponsored cruise covering a distance of 100 or more miles and in which at least three boats participate. An award for each cruise will also be given for the best logbook and the best photograph taken."

THE NAUTICAL WHITE ELEPHANT GRAB BAG

One reference is made, in the records of the VSC for 1976, of a "nautical white elephant grab bag" which was held in conjunction with a combination cocktail hour and general membership meeting. In this announcement, Commodore Wayne Twining said that "our comradeship should be evident twelve months of the year, not merely during the sailing season." This vignette of Club activity is an illustration of some of the creative thinking that went into making Club activities in the off season more interesting for the members.

"Every member and guest is requested to dig into their closet of Nautical Misfits and extract one item of little or no value and bring said item with them for deposit into a grab bag. Each item should be of nautical significance and gift wrapped neatly in a brown paper bag (one item per couple). Only those who bring a gift are eligible to take a gift in return. We are out to prove that it is really better to give than receive."

SERIES RACING 1976

Social and cruising activities appeared to have an impact on the Club's series racing in 1976. Since the active core of the Valcour Sailing Club changes very little from year to year, memories of a "burn-out" racing schedule can be followed by a shift of emphasis in the following year to less emphasis on racing and more activity in socializing and cruising. The mood of the Club at the end of the 1976 season is reflected in these minutes of a December meeting.

"Discussed awarding of club trophies: Two of the 5-race series were cancelled. George Stump is the only member of the racing class to race the 3-race minimum. However, since he didn't submit a racing certificate, he is disqualified from contention. Twining moved we waive the original rules and judge by participation only. (Passed) "Since Dave McDowell and Bill Rowe were tied on points for 2nd place, the tie was broken by using the lowest corrected time for Race #4, in which they both sailed.

Racing: 1st, Joe Garcia; 2nd, Dave McDowell; 3rd, Bill Rowe; 4th, Peter Eisinger

Working Sails: 1st, Jim Connors; 2nd, Dave Ford; 3rd. Hilton Dana

"Organization for club races was discussed. There is discontent with the present division for boats into racing and working sails classes. Boats in working sails cannot fly spinnakers even though they have them, yet they cannot compete with sleeker boats in racing class. After considerable discussion, everyone agreed to the proposals made by Peter Hornby that all boats race in a single class and that the club develop a single club rule on which all boats would be handicapped. Although it would not be perfectly fair, it would allow all boats to race together.

"Factors to be considered in the handicap rule were brought up - Length Over All, Length Water Line, weight to length (ratio), main luff (size), solid prop vs. folding prop. A committeee will be appointed to develop the rule. {RdF - note that this discussion occurred after the Valcour Rule had been used for the Working Sail Class as outlined in the 1976 Yearbook. In the next section, we will see the MORC rule initially adopted by the VSC, but the Club would yield to the LCRC's choice of PHRF in that same year.}

"Members also agreed to have a Wednesday night series for all club boats. In order to free captains from the task of finding a crew, it was agreed that boats carry only a main and headsail, with no sail changes allowed. Races could start off Crab Island, halfway between the Turtle and Dock & Coal."

"The cost of running the club was discussed. Last year (1976) we spent $200 on the committeee boat. The consensus was that we get rid of it, since it is seldom used, and presents costly headaches. At the general meeting in January, we'll vote on whether to sell it (or not). Bill Empsall suggested we write to each of the stockholders and ask them to donate their share in the boat to the Club."

"Bill Empsall suggested we put less emphasis on the search for a clubhouse and concentrate on other activities. However, he suggested that the club have a committeee to investigate likely properties. Sites mentioned were the Yacht Club, Valcour Campsite, Prays, an old warehouse near Dock & Coal.

HANDICAPPING FOCUS OF DISCUSSIONS

Among many of the active racers the subject of handicapping was becoming a major focus in the late 1970's. At a January, 1977 LCRC meeting, it was observed that "because the USYRU is working on a new club race handicapping system to be available for 1978, possibilities for the 1977 LCRC handicapping system were discussed. Should the LCRC 1. continue with CCA, 2. change to MORC, or 3. use MORC time tables with CCA ratings?" It was decided to continue use of a modified CCA rating system for one more year. In January of 1978, the Valcour Sailing Club voted to adopt the MORC rule as its primary rule for handicapping and recommended to the LCRC that they also race under MORC, with boats over thirty feet using the IOR rule. A month later it was learned that the "Lake Champlain Yacht Club and the Mallets Bay Boat Club may attempt to unite insofar as their handicap system (is concerned) and that this system might well be Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF). In this case there would be sufficient votes in the LCRC to have LCRC race PHRF. It was the opinion of the Executive committeee that Valcour Sailing Club should continue to race MORC as originally planned but would have no objection to scoring LCRC races under PHRF."

In March, 1978, it was noted that the "MBBC and LCYC have both voted to use PHRF for their clubs and presumably will want to use this for LCRC competition as well. A Lake Champlain PHRF will be organized with one handicapper from each club. This organization will supply PHRF handicaps to the individual clubs and to the LCRC. ... While VSC will run its races under MORC the figures for PHRF will be calculated as well to help Lake Champlain PHRF." In October of 1978, "after lengthy discussion as to the pros and cons for MORC vs PHRF, a decision was made on the basis of what would be best for our Club. A motion was made by Dave Gorman that for next year we race under PHRF. The motion passed with the majority present voting in favor of the motion. Briefly, the pros for using PHRF were the simplicity of the system, the cost factor, and the ease (in) obtaining information ratings for new boats. The cons against MORC were the fact that boats would have to be weighed and measured and the great expense this would be both for the club and the individual members."

PARTING SHOTS ON CCA CLASS RACING

The middle seventies in the Valcour Sailing Club were years of experimentation and diversification, both in boats sailed and programs added on and off the water. With more club members opting for cruiser-racer yachts in the 24 to 30 foot size, cruising activities, involving families, were enjoyed. This led to the 'great clubhouse experiment' of 1975 with its on-shore social activities centered about the Fifth Hole Cottage. Racing activity, judging from the records, seemed to decline somewhat in 1976 and 1977. Certainly the intensity of racing, as exemplified at the height of one-design competition in 1971, is not reflected in the race schedule or in minutes of the meetings. Much of the effort of the members was diffused into a variety of on-shore activities and more laid back offshore racing and cruising.

The influence of the Lake Champlain Racing Conference remained, however. A few of the VSC club racers were also very active in the LCRC despite the distractions of other Club events and trends. In 1974, Harry Walcoff dominated the LCRC Class C in Wiki Wiki followed by Valcour VI and Barefoot. In Class D, Nimue' was the overall winner. In the following year, Barefoot was the Class C overall winner with no other VSC boats showing. In 1976, Valcour VI, Impulsive, and Wiki Wiki ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in class C while Dave's Old Boat and Williwaw II ranked 2nd and 4th in Class D. In 1977, Impulsive was the overall Class C champion while Williwaw, Wildfire, and Dave's Old Boat ranked 2nd, 4th, and 5th in Class D. In Class A & B during those years, the Vermont clubs were dominating the races with little or no participation by VSC club boats except for Crisis which finished 4th overall in Class B in 1976 and 1977. For the committeed racers, the lure of competition was often in the more challenging LCRC races.

The late 1970's was a time of much technical innovation in sailing on the national scene. The striving for higher performance in a class of boats to be dubbed the "racer-cruiser" was reflected in new low-stretch fibers in the making of sails and cordage, generally lighter displacement of hulls, and a simplification of cabin appointments below deck. At about the same time, the development of the Pacific Handicap Racing Fleet rule in southern California, which sought to rate actual performance of competing boats, provided a more egalitarian approach to yacht racing than had been the case with the measurement rules, and its resulting "designed-to-rule" boats, which often led to quick obsolescence of older boat designs. Clearly, the PHRF handicapping system was more suitable for club racing in that it permitted a greater variety of designs, both old and new, to race as a single club fleet. The Valcour Sailing Club, in the late seventies, reflected an adjustment to this national trend. In the process, the distinction between LCRC racing, particularly in Class A & B, and Club racing, would be more pronounced in the eighties than it had ever been in the past.

The Valcour Sailing Club, which had begun as a group of "spray in the face" centerboard boats in the sixties, moved up to small keel boats in the early seventies, was now again moving up from the small cruiser-racers of the middle seventies to the newer, exciting, higher-tech higher-performance racer-cruiser. But there remained a core of cruiser/club racers in the Club who enjoyed the local competition and camaraderie that could be found in the Club without a need to strive for the "cutting edge" of performance which the latest technology could provide - at a cost. The Club was maturing in its ability to serve both the "club" racer and the "flat-out" racer.

René du Fort June 1986, revised 6/2001