Roy Woolsey has passed away

It is with great sorrow that I must tell you that Roy Woolsey has passed away. He was stricken with a stroke last Friday, and passed away early this morning at Hoag Hospital. Roy was a great friend and inspiration in my life. I will miss him greatly. We all knew him as a fine and skillful competitor when sailing the Lido 14, and as the ultimate example of the Corinthian competitor. His sailing career spanned the full fifty years of the Lido 14, from the very first Championship in 1958, until the Golden Anniversary which was held last week.


Services will be held at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, September 4 th at 4 pm. The address is: 600 St. Andrews Rd, Newport Beach, Ca 92663.

The Roy Woolsey Memorial regatta will be sailed as planned at Lido Isle Yacht Club on Sunday, September 23. You will receive more information and the NOR in the next few days. We may do something in memory of Roy at that time.

Bob Yates

Quotes from Roy Woolsey

“ I am glad to be here”

“ Hi! Roy Woolsey”

“ I am going to go home and kiss my lovely wife”

“ Gybe Ho!”

Everyone in the fleet will always want to be “ As lucky as a Woolsey”



Len-

I have known Roy (and sailed with him often as did my "mother" in twilight's) since learning to sail over forty years ago at the Lido Island Yacht Club. Roy, Marty Lockney, Chad Twichell, Ted Hinshaw and others formed the backbone of early L-14 sailing and occupy most of my early memories of the sport. They all taught me the importance of "FAIR" competition and stayed after me to learn this valuable lesson (despite my best efforts to reject it) well into my twenty's. Something few probably knew about Roy was that his "Corinthian" spirit was all the more impressive give that he was one of the leading attorneys in California for many decades (I'll bet nobody can ever remember Roy protesting anyone). Given the "debacle" that the recent L-14 nationals seemed to have become, it is something to reflect on for for all L-14 sailors who attend Roy's funeral. I will see you there on Thursday.

PS: I hope someday more of us learn from people like Roy. I also hope we all teach his lessons to our children for they often act as they have observed their parents acting. I "will" sail the regatta (to the best of my ability) in September so please keep me on the e-mail list. Thanks

Jack E. Franco


COOL Jack Very COOL. Thanks for the words. This type of sentiment is what brings strength to the sport.

Len Bose

My Roy Story
-Last winter Roy (then 89)and his 65 years young crew came out to
One of our Lido Classics races in Newport directly out from LIYC.
It was blowing about 16 knots. We had about 10 boats out.
Later in the afternoon as the winds built, Roy took a gust and
Capsized into a full turtle. By the time we got to him, Roy had fully climbed
On top of the boat and was leaning hard onto the centerboard to try and right
the boat. It was low tide and the mast was stuck in the mud. At one point Roy was Fully
Standing on the centerboard (89??) He yelled... here she comes, get the hell out of the way!
To his crew in the water. The boat righted and we were all showered with mud from the top
of the mast. Well they were both tired and dressed for winter and could not make it back into
the boat. I remember snapping a couple of Roy's belt loops as we grabbed him by the pants and dragged
Him onto the committee boat. He and his crew were a bunch of wet rats..we motored him and his Lido
To the LIYC docks and called a break before running another race. Roy got off on the dock..Grabed his crew
By the arm and pushed him back into the half swamped Lido and said
" GET BAILING..YOUR THE ONE WHO TIPPED US OVER !!.....WE CAN RUN HOME TO MY HOUSE AND GET A CHANGE OF CLOTHES
AND STILL MAKE THE LAST RACE !!!"

Another Roy quote: : What the hell is G mark ? This Gate stuff is a bunch of crap !!

Scott Porter
Lido Classics

Len,

I am so sorry to hear of Roy's passing. I was afraid of this when I saw an elderly gentleman in Topsider oxfords in the HOAG emergency room on Friday ( I was there for my brother who coincidentally also had a stroke) and then saw Roy Jr.

It was a real pleasure to have had a chance to finally meet and race with Roy last week. He is true legend.

See you tonight,

Kim McRae

Len, so sorry to hear about Roy. I am sure he will be missed by many, many people.
DOROTHY TOPP
Executive Assistant to Donald J. Crevier


Thank you for letting me know. What a great loss. Thank you as well for the great pictures of him.
Joan Burton


While this news saddens us deeply, we were very lucky to have known him and to be able to call him a friend. He was a mentor for both me and my son and we were lucky enough to sit down for lunch with Roy and his son last Tuesday, and he seemed so alive.

Our quintessential Roy moment came last year at his regatta. It was one of those blustery (Santa Ana wind) days and we were racing against Roy in the B-fleet and he worked us in the first race! In the next race, Roy was one of three boats to capsize. He righted his boat, made it back to the club and walked home to change his cloths. A short while latter he returned and went racing again. With the wind blowing even stronger and boats breaking down and capsizing, Roy was determined to give it his all. Unfortunately, he capsized again. However, in true Roy form, he righted his boat, made it back to the dock, walked home, changed his cloths again and returned to give out trophies in the regatta which bears his name.

Roy is a true legend and we will miss him.

Chris & Christophe Killian

2007 Lido Fleet Championships

8-23-07 Newport Beach, CA Lido 14 Class Championships. TEAM GAUDIO/SWAIN ARE THE 2007 LIDO 14 CHAMPIONS. This team found the bell and rung it HARD Sailing faster and smarter then the rest of the 52 boat fleet.

The competitors were relieved to find overcast skies with the breeze in the 7-10 knot range. After the two previous days of hot sun and light shifty breeze the sun was starting to wear on everyone.



Going into the last day Dina and I were in 13 place exactly in the middle of Gold Fleet. Our boat is hull #13 and our goal from the beginning of the year was to finish in the middle of the gold.“ Hey Dina, get more bananas”. Looking over the fleet the boat yard was still very quite. We had four teams behind us in the standing that normally beat us. Another four in front of us we had beat this season. The odds looked good for us to hold onto lucky thirteen place. With a little luck we might even make the top ten.



As the day goes on we hang and then lose our grip, start too get tired and drop down to 14 place. Eric Heim and Ryan DelPrado gets on fire and closes the day going from 10 to 4th place. Team Heim/DelPrado stayed focused with top ten finishes all day. My good friend’s John Fradkin and Ruth Schock sailed very well and moved up one place from 8th to 7th. Lisa and Bob Little sailed from 7th to 2nd place with a 3,4 2,6 place finishes. It was a very competitive day on the water with a number of items to watch and learn from.


(Roy Woolsey; " I am just glad to be here!")

If you are writing about this event you have to write about Roy Woolsey, who is 90 years old, sailing with son, who could be around 60 years of age, this would place the average age on the boat around 75 WOW! What more can be said than I only hope I am so lucky! There are many parent and child teams on the water and to me this needs more attention. The teams I know about are Christophe & Chris Killian, Sean & Mark Hunter and Jimmy and Peter Newbre. Now with the Killian family father lets son drive and Christophe is fast becoming and A fleet sailor. Sean & Mark Hunter have been one of the most consistent teams attending all the events and showing a true passion for the sport. Peter Newbre is one of the top sailors in the country and with an older crew would have placed in the top five of the championships. After congratulating all the contestants on their results the proudest competitors were those parents. To me, this one of the best features the Lido 14 fleet offers. To be as fortunate as the Freddie & Fred Stevens and sail in the top ten with your father is a good thing or even so Lucky as Woolsey and sail with your son at 90 years of age “ Lucky as a Woolsey” wonder if that saying will stick? If you listen to Roy you will hear him say " I am just glad to be here"


A big shout out has to go to Bob Yates and his crew for producing and outstanding event. WELL DONE BOB! And THANKS AGAIN. Also Thanks to everyone getting in his or her boats and joining in the fun this year. I had a great time and feel I have become a better sailor because of all of you.



More Lessons, I was the giver and taker of verbal abuse, from and to other participants who feel you are tacking on them/tacking on me. It reminds me of the drunken baseball fan yelling in the background and shows little class. From now on I might let out a little quack and figure “It sucks to be me”. To ask another competitor not to play the shifts and then throw some smack their way is weak. Therefore as long as I am not tacking just to tack I will just reply, “ It sucks to be you”.



The other lesson learned was water you can never have enough. One of the best things I heard this weekend was from my crew Dina. "We are going to sail better next year right?" Yep, and I am glad she wants to come back for another year. I have one of the best crew in the fleet. Thanks for all your hard work this year Dina! We will be at the WOOLSY regatta September 23 and I would like to get some feed back on how many boats would like to sail twilights in the month of September at 5:30 at M mark?






"In my last news letter I said "Steve Potter from the state of Washington. “Len, Thank you for the emails its what gets me going the first part of the year when we cant sail yet’ It was Jim Sterner from Washington. Steve did write and asked to be placed on our email list.



8-22-07 Newport Beach, Ca Lido 14 Class Championships. A warm southwesterly breeze of 6-8 knots greeted the competitors of the 50th Golden Anniversary. With 52 boats on the water in Newport Beach and teams made up of Junior Sailors, Senior Sailors, Family and all female teams you have covered almost every combination possible. Blend this all together and watch our sport grow stronger.

Place everyone in one room at BCYC for the Anniversary party and you have some of the best stories and laugher enjoyed by all age groups. Tom Leweck was the master of ceremonies and introduced a number of speakers, that sailed in 50’s through today, with the bottom line all leading to “ The years spent sailing Lido 14’s are some of or fondest memories" watching the husband wife teams attending and laughing at all the memories brings a big smile to your face. I look forward to those upcoming days!
OK, on the race course on this light shifty day Team Gaudio/Swain are in first with a close battle with Team Robertson. The list of talented competitors is lengthy and the competition is tough. Only one-way to get the true feeling of what I have been describing this year and that is dust off your old Lido, or go purchase one and join in our fun and or memories!

Lessons from day one. When sailing to the finish line, in the bottom end of the turning basin, you need to pick a side. Trying to sail up the middle yesterday I lost 9 boats in the last two races while sailing to the finish line.



Need to keep these short and go to the boat!







08-21-07 Newport Beach CA Lido 14 Class Championships. IT”S TIME, ITS NOW and ITS BIG. The Golden Anniversary 50 years of Lido 14 Championships started yesterday. The forecast is hot and 7-9 knots of breeze. The fleet, of 52, was split up in four groups with all groups racing each other once for a total of three long races. Vicki Sodaro is this year’s event PRO and is working hard to run a good event with fifty-two boats in a very confined area. Something like a square peg in a round hole comes to mind.

Most of the competitors were very quiet around the dock yesterday with everyone working on their boats like the start of the Indy 500. The top seed’s were walking around with confidence and smiles. While myself, wanting desperately to make it into the gold fleet was bunched up as much as walking into a gay bar. For example; my crew Dini brought our lunches onto the boat and they had BANANAS in the bag, I said “TAKE THOSE OFF THE BOAT NOW” she looks at me like “ This is going to be a long day”. Then I said wait Dina; we have the number 13 as our hull number, BRING THEM ON.

With the light breeze and the number of boat the quotes where down to a minimum.



I head John Papadopoulos give some grief to one competitor for not allowing John to finish race two. Although I sure John was frustrated with himself because he over stood the finish by a day and a half. My favorites are still the father son teams with hearing the intensity of the father and the freedom of spirit of the kid. “ Don’t push me dad, I will get the pole up. Another was Lisa Little commenting on her skipper and husband Bob Little’ I don’t know why he has to be so uptight” I must have said I was sorry to Dina 12 times yesterday after asking her “ JIB IN” she would always reply ‘IT IS”




The feel good quotes keep coming in from Stu Robertson to Kurt Wiese” Len thank for doing what your doing with the fleet” There was also a new one from Steve Potter from the state of Washington. “Len, Thank you for the emails its what gets me going the first part of the year when we cant sail yet’



Who is going to win Team Gaudio/Swain although its not over to its over and it all starts today.



Thoughts: Craig Leweck spoke Sunday night at the opening event at Lido Isle Yacht Club. “ Seeing 50+ boats show up and seeing all the familiar faces makes me want to get back into the boat” To Jim Karagan walking up to me” I still have my Lido, I think I will join you next Wednesday night”. This is what’s it all about!



SEA YA!

Lido 14 Class Championships 2007

August 15 2007, Newport Beach, CA Lido 14 Class Championships. Here I am again with a pile of work on my desk and I am writing about the upcoming event. How will I do, who can I beat, can I sail clean, is my boat ready?

I will answer the easy one first, my boat is ready and I have the perfect crew Dina Corsi. Dina and I have been sailing this season and we are ready.




I have to sail clean from start to finsh. Simple starts in the middle upper or lower should help. Along with finding someone, not as fast as me, to set up with a “marshmallow” as Dave Carol would say. Hit the shifts and get to layline a little sooner. Half way up the first beat starting playing the odds and start closing the deal. Round the first mark and watch for weather boats and the boats in front of me. Approach the leeward mark with board down sooner to avoid weather boats easier. If in a good shape hang in the bad wind until we can clear the rounding boats and keep playing the odds.



How will I do? Our goal is to finish in the top half of Gold Fleet. Can we do it? yes, but first I need to get in gold fleet. If 60 boats show up I will need to finish 15th or better in the first round. The first round will be seeded and split in half. I count 15 boats that have beaten us this year. Out of that 15 we have beaten 8 of them sometime our another this season. I have to think we can get a 7th or better in the first round leaving some room to 15th to get in gold fleet. Once in gold fleet I will have to do my best to continue to play the odds for the long haul.



Who should win? Gaudio or Stu? Odds are very good one of them will win. Although anyone can come out and sail way above their head’s and win the event. I have to go with Gaudio but I would like to see the Stevens Family win. More to come after Sunday practice races.

Sea Ya

Len Bose





08-11/12-07 Newport Beach CA Balboa Yacht Club. A 7-9 Knot westerly with hot August temperatures produced clear sky’s and a bead of sweet on most competitors brows while participating in BYC Clinic & Tune up event this weekend.



Our coach for this event was John Papadopoulos and like anything John does everything was precise, accurate and on the spot. We started Saturday with 20 people showing up for the two hour chalk talk followed three hours of on the water drills and racing. Missing most of the chalk talk, I helped remove sea lions from a customers boat, subjects of boat tuning, tactics, and the Chairman of the Championships discussing the course location. After lunch break we hit the water at M mark for a number of one minute starting drills with four or five practice races. My crew Dina Corsi had a look of concern after each start we were over early Dina commented, “ Maybe we should try to start in the middle of the line?” Me being manly and all thought what the hell does she know? I will give you one guess were we started most of the time on Sunday and it worked well, the middle of the line! Ross Nemeroff from Alamitos Bay, sailing with his son, sailed very well and showed great speed. Tracey Kenny from the Marina del Rey fleet was out practicing drills and also showing some great speed. It was looking like Sundays race was going to be good.



Seventeen boats were on the starting line, in the turning basin, with their game faces on. We had good breeze, a weather mark with an offset mark and leeward gate, just what we expect from the championships. For most of the fleet the racing was very close. For Anne and Kurt Wiese it looked easy although they had to work for it a little. Five points only separated 2nd to 8th place. Good starts and cleaning sailing is what’s going to keep you at the top of your fleet, DUH!. Some quotes from the water. Steve Mueller to me on race three at the first weather mark “ Its two circles today Len not one”. From Kim Mcrae to crew Judi Gorski after being over early on the first start and going back, then tacking to close to someone a doing TWO circles “ Well I am glad we got that over with” to Tracey Kenney letting out a loud “HaaWhooooo!” after finshing third in the last race.




After the racing was over everyone headed back to BYC for post race reflections, refreshments, Pu pus and trophies. The best quotes came from the table of Kurt Wiese and Chris Nesbit going over some rule incidents using popcorn trays for boats. “OK, I am this tray and I have to duck this tray”. Golden DUCKS were given out as trophies along with some outstanding Belgian Beer for the top finishers. Thanks were given to Stephanie and John for the coaching and race committee work and I have to think the event was a success for everyone who participated.



Lessons leaned on my boat! Don’t get into any email banter/trash talking with another competitor before an event, keep your head up and watch were you are going while rounding the weather mark and pulling up the center board, while approaching the leeward mark in the middle of the fleet put down your center board early so its easier to avoid the leaders coming at you to weather.

Thanks again to everyone that made it out to our event and we will sea ya all soon!



Lens Lesson # 78 “ Its good luck to wear your life jacket”

BALBOA CHALLENGE 2007

August 5, 2007
Pinckney wins, but which one?

NEWPORT BEACH, Ca.- This the last day of the 2007 Balboa Challenge produced a 6-7 knot southerly breeze that kept the competitors on their toes with a south west shift coming in a couple of times during the day.

Jon Pinckney sailing for the Newport Harbor Yacht club with James Malm and Peter Wells sailed an outstanding first beat in the first race and went on to win the first race of the day. After the race, while throwing over some water to the Newport team Jon said, “ Hey Len, you know where we won that race? Because we had to!” Note to self; think about that tonight for the up coming Lido 14 Class Championship in a couple of weeks.
Jon now has a one-point lead on Ullman who finished sixth.



Race two started with the breeze starting to faze to the right on the first lap Ullman plays a right center route to the weather mark and pushes Jon past the port layline that allows Phil Thompson of the Lido Isle Yacht to round the mark just behind Ullman and in front of Jon. On the second beat Jon goes left Ullman puts a light cover on Jon Pinckney and this allows Phil Thomson with Bruce Cooper and Buddy Richley as crew to go further right and take the lead. Lido wins the race followed by BYC and NHYC. In the mean time Mike Pinckney sailing for BCYC with Peter Newbre and Erik Shampain have sailed the last two races with a forth and a fifth.



Race three the wind goes back to the left Jon Pinckney rounds in forth Ullman in sixth it looks like NHYC will take the event. On the second beat nothing has changed. One boat # 6 has found a nice left shift with good pressure and rounds in close third. Ullman gybes and goes to the right side of the course and the fleet is all on the left and going to the finish line. Ullman gets fresh breeze and crosses three boats and is now less than a half boat length from Jon. BUT WAIT! Boat # 6 is Mike Pinckney and has just taken the lead and wins the race. Jon crossing the finish a half boat length ahead of Dave taking forth while Dave takes fifth. Everyone get out their scorecards and the WINNER IS----- BCYC on a tiebreaker. WHAT A GREAT RACE! What an OUTSTANDING EVENT!




On the docks everyone is all smiles and talking about next year. Jon is talking to Ullman about the last run while Ullman is asking Jon “ Not only did you lose on a tie breaker you lost to your brother” Jon is just smiling and is saying yeah but “ What a great event”. I never have chaired an event when sailors of this caliber keep coming up to me and thanking BYC and myself for placing this event back on the map.

Of course I had a lot of help. BYC Fleet Captain Dick Pacelli made it very easy and pushed to make it a first class event, Mike Wathen brought in his crew and did and outstanding job as PRO, Bronny Joy from www.joysailing.com kept everyone at the bar watching the endless slide show. I have to think we really did something good for our sport this weekend and an event like this just has to keep getting bigger and better! Now go check at all the 1900 photos of the event and make plan on attending next year.

BALBOA YACHT CLUB
BALBOA CHALLENGE
AUGUST 4&5 2007


1. MIKE PINCKNEY, PETER NEWBRE & ERIK SHAMPAIN BCYC
5,6,2,1,4,5,1= 24

2. JON PINCKNEY, JAMES MALM& PETER WELLS NHYC
2,7,4,3,1,3,4=24

3. DAVE ULLMAN, JON BELL & CHUCK ULLMAN BYC
3,1,7,2,6,2,5=26

4. SCOTT DeCURTIS, ADAM CORPEZ-LANE&MARK SPECTOR KHYC
1,5,6,4,3,7,2=28

5. PHIL THOMPSON, BRUCE COOPER, BUDDY RICHLEY LIYC
7,4,3,6,2,1,8=31

6. DUSTIN DURANT, SCOTT DICKSON & IAN PICE LBYC
6,2,1,5,OCS,6,7=36

7. ADAM ROBERTS, RON ROBERTS & TIMDORSEY SDYC
4,3,5,8,OCS,OCS,3=41

8. ANDY WITHAM, NATHAN PRATHERT & ERIC HEIM DPYC
8,8,8,7,5,4,6=46





August 5, 2007 Newport Beach, CA- After four races its still anybody’s race in the Balboa Challenge hosted by the Balboa and San Diego Yacht Clubs. The eight-boat fleet sailed in identical Governors Cup 21 “have brought an equal playing field to all the participants and its anybody’s race” said Len Bose chairman of the event.

Mike Pinckney sailing for Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club of Newport Beach found himself over the starting line for the first start and had to work hard to get back to the line to clear himself. “Yah, I don’t want to do that again,” Mike then went on to finish fifth in that race and finish the day strong with a second and first place and that places him in second place overall.



The leader after the first day of racing is Dave Ullman sailing for the Balboa Yacht Club. You will notice that every team, has at least, a sixth place finish and staying at the top of the fleet is not an easy task. The boats are drawn between races and while checking in his boat Dave commented “ Its very close racing today”. Dave understands the effort it takes to run an event like this is always very thankful to the volunteers and said “ Thanks Len, the boats are very equal and it looks like we will have our hands full tomorrow”



Young Dustin Durant sailing for the Long Beach Yacht club is tied for second place and will give the veterans a run for the money on the final day of racing. While checking his boat in I was going over a couple of the boat handling instructions and Dustin referred that “ This is just like the Governors Cup instructions”. “Perfect” I said, “ then you have done this before”? “Yep!” It goes without saying the top three teams were the first off the dock during our practice day on Friday.

The night ended with dinner outside on the flag deck in a blue blazer event with prime rib, wine and great competitors. Its always fun to listen to the comments while everyone is watching the slide show with over four hundred pictures taken by www.joysailing.com. Comments like “ your not going to that to me again are you?” or “ look I wasn’t over early” and “ OK, this is how we are going to-do it tomorrow”. Everyone must go to joysailing.com and go through all the photos. WARNING you will spend hours going over all the photos and you will learn a lot about boat handling.

I will do my best to send the final report later this evening. If you can come out on the water today and watch you should note on the results page under boat name is the color of spinnaker your team is sailing.




TODAY...WIND VARIABLE 10 KT OR LESS IN THE MORNING...BECOMING SW
TO W 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.
8-4-07 Newport Beach, CA Balboa Yacht Club & San Diego Yacht Club presents the Balboa Challenge 2007. This years competitors are:
BYC - Dave Ullman
BCYC - Mike Pinckney
DPYC - Andy Witham
KHYC - Scott DeCurtis
LBYC - Dustin Durant
LIYC - Phil Thompson
NHYC - John Pinckney
SDYC - Adam Roberts
Yesterday was boat draw and practice with most of the teams showing up when registration opened and on the water ASAP. Checking the teams into the boats went smoothly and you could not help but notice the level of concentration these competitors bring to the dock. The fun really started at the end of the day. The Balboa Yacht Club had placed out Beer and drinks with some pu pus and yarn started to spin. Mike Pinckney sailing for BCYC to brother John sailing for NHYC Hey John, Why are you here John hearing this banter before had no comment. With talk around the group from up coming Americas Cup to what everyone had just gone through on Trans Pac while always keeping one eye on the entourage of the Dana Point Yacht the competition had already started, almost like a weigh in at a boxing match, sailing style!
It will be fun to watch Dave Ullman sailing with his son Chuck, the Pinckney brothers race within a race, Adam Roberts taking on the old guys, the teams are all very strong. This will lead to some outstanding racing today. More to come with photos from Joy Sailing at www.joysailing.com


Lens Lesson # 2 You try your best no matter what and it usually works out