February 2025 | Issue #50

Inside:

Midwinters 2025

From our President

From our Sec-Treas

Nationals 2025

Regatta Schedule

50 and 25 years ago

Atlanta Yacht Club - 2025 Y-Flyer MidwYnters

2025 Y-Flyer Midwinter Championship

Everyone is cordially invited to the 2025 Y-Flyer Midwinter Championship Regatta. Mark your calendar for March 14-16 at the Atlanta Yacht Club. Even if you can’t sail, come join us for meals and spectating. We have a great viewing pavilion right in front of the sailing area.

This is a sanctioned regatta, so both skipper and crew must be members of the AYFYRA. If you haven’t already, you can pay your dues online at https://www.yflyerclass.org/membership.

Payment can also be made at registration. As part of your registration, we will have a character artist available to capture the moment for both the skipper and crew so you will always remember celebrating the 75th anniversary of Y-Flyer sailing at Atlanta Yacht Club.

Lavon is cooking and Troy has the racecourse, so we are set. We are only missing you! You can register at https://atlantayachtclub.org/page-1860388.

Short sleeved and long sleeved t-shirts in both 100 percent cotton and a poly/cotton blend are available. We also have sweatshirts available. To guarantee your size, style and material, you must preregister no later than February 23.

Cabins are also available on a first come, first served basis and are not guaranteed, but we will do our best. Cabins must be requested before March 1.

We have available crew, so don’t let that be your excuse. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at this great event.

See you at the lake,

Nile and Lavon

From our President

I am really looking forward to the 2025 Y-Flyer sailing season and am honored to serve as your class president. The Y-Flyer class has been a big part of my life since Drew Daugherty talked me into buying a boat in 2007. The Y Fleet has a long history at my local club, Grande Maumelle Sailing Club. My mom and dad sailed #1178 in the 60’s. So I guess it was inevitable! I love the fact that our races are usually tight competitions, the boat can handle a variety of crew sizes, and the cost of entry to our class is very reasonable. I enjoyed seeing top notch sailors at the Championship of Champions in our boats. The Y-Flyer was a perfect boat for that type of competition and I think the competitors agreed.

I am excited about Nile’s new role as Secretary-Treasurer and am very thankful that Terry Fraser will continue to create The Flyer newsletter. He has done an excellent job and his work is vital to keeping our class connected. Also a big thank you to Mark Buchanan for our website support. If you want to see something on the website – send us the content and we will get it there. We need your pictures and articles for both the website and the Flyer.

This year started out with snow in Atlanta, Little Rock, Dallas, and Florida! So I am looking for warmer weather next month at the Midwinters at Atlanta Yacht Club. Look at this great logo! 75 years is a big reason to celebrate and I hope to see you there. While we can never guarantee wind or weather, we do know that the venue, food, and fellowship will be wonderful.

My main goal for this year is to increase our class visibility. We got a great start with CofCs and we need to build on that. How can we promote our class more in your local clubs? Our boats are perfect for new sailors. At GMSC we don’t always get the younger new sailors. They tend to think a Hobie Cat is cooler. But often times a ride on a YFlyer is all it takes to turn them our way. We just need to get them out on the water in our boats!

Please continue to take pictures and post updates of fleet activities on our Facebook site. I would love to have a couple of persons volunteer to keep our social media presence active.

Regards,

Tracy Sykes

Cell: 501.765.8115

Notes from Nile From our Secretary-Treasurer

The transition process is in full swing with everything running smoothly! Paul rocks! Here are a

couple of items completed and what we are tackling next.

Banking. We have moved the bank accounts to Bank of America. So, with that move, we are

able to send and receive Zelle payments. Please update your banking records with the new

class address and new Zelle payment ID. (and while you are at it, do not forget to pay your

dues)

AYFYRA

C/O Nile Hatcher

2101 Mountain Cove Court

Woodstock, GA 30188

sec@yflyerclass.org

2025 Budget. The 2025 Budget has been developed and will be reviewed with the executive

committee for approval. Once approved, this will be the basis for our expenditures and will be

shared with the class at the 2025 General Meeting.

Fiscal Year Change. As a class we voted to change the fiscal year from October 1 –

September 30 to January 1 – December 31. This has proven to be very challenging as the IRS

is full of bureaucrats and a lot of rules and regulations. So, for now, the fiscal year has not

changed to the calendar year. If we have anyone who enjoys working with the IRS, we would

love your assistance with the process.

Boat History. I have combined Paul’s database of boat history with the old card file so that we

now have a more complete history of boat ownership, manufacturers, and materials. Please

remember if you buy or sell a boat, or know of a transaction, please let me know so I can update

the records accordingly. The records are only as good as we are informed.

Did you know there were 19 wooden Y-Flyers built in Boise, ID?

The Flyer. Terry Fraser does a wonderful job collecting materials and ensuring everyone is

informed. Standing ovation to Terry!

Over the next few weeks, we will also be posting the digitized versions of the Flyers since they

were first published in 1952. The files are large, so we will need to ensure the data is transferred

accordingly and works in conjunction with the web site.

We are also looking at moving the Flyer distribution to be a simple link to the website as

opposed to a .PDF file.

That’s all for now! If you have any ideas or suggestions on how we can be better, let me know.

Think out loud, the bear just might be able to shake the power lines.

Nile Hatcher, Secretary/Treasurer

2025 Nationals

50 Years ago

25 years ago

For Sale: A project boat

The hull is bare. It needs to be finished. The interior is supposed to be finished already. The trailer had new tires 15 years ago and never really used. They may be dry rotted.

My Nephew, Craig Kaibel, has this boat. It is the boat Bob built back in the 60s. Y-2116, a woodie, was built by Robert Arnzen, 9916 Zenith Dr St Louis. It was assigned 2116 in 1969 and was measured 5-11-1974. Craig Kaibel became owner 2-15-2004. Craig needs to find it a good home. The hull has been partially reconditioned. It still needs to be faired after Craig fiberglassed the entire outside of the hull. There are no fittings on the deck but he has all of them. The mast is still good. There are sails but I am sure they are quite old. Not sure of the condition of the rudder, tiller, and centerboard but they are all included. We would like to find someone who would be interested in finishing the work needed and then want to sail it.

Dan Haile dhaile2784@yahoo.com

Link to membership on the Y-Website: Y-Store | Y-Flyer Sailing

From the Editor:

Across Y-Flyer Nation, fleets and clubs are making preparations for the 2025 sailing season. The sounds of chainsaws and sledge hammers can be heard as modifications are being made to out boats. The Midwinters are in just 4 weeks. Pack up the boat and get this season started on the warm waters of Lake Allatoona!

Capt Terryble

Editor, The Flyer

Elfraser51@gmail.com