A new year and new Capdevielle season is here. Last year Fort Walton Yacht Club participated in all sixteen Gulf Yachting Association Capdevielle regattas, marking the second year in a row we managed 100% participation in this vital series that promotes competition and goodwill between Gulf Yachting Association member clubs. Team Captain Jeff Brown was the driving force behind this considerable achievement, doing everything from recruiting crew members to boat maintenance to skippering in many of the regattas. His efforts paid off with a first place at last year's Pat Gilliand regatta, hosted by Jackson Yacht Club, and a third place at the Candler regatta, hosted by Panama City Yacht Club. We finished the year in overall 7th place out of a total of 23 clubs that participated. Please give Jeff a thumbs-up when you see him around the club - he has been the heart and soul of this program for many years.
So what's new for 2007? This web site for one, which we hope will help spread the good word about FWYC's Capdevielle participation. On the right you'll find links to important information, like the 2007 Capdevielle Schedule, a Frequently Asked Questions page, and a link to the GYA's 2007 Capdevielle Results page, where you can keep abreast of how your home team is doing against the competition. You'll also find a listing of upcoming Capdevielle events.
We've also set some goals this year to improve our performance, get more people involved with the Capdevielle program, and keep FWYC members better informed of the Capdevielle team's activities. To meet the first goal we'll begin holding regular practices starting Saturday, January 13th from 1pm to 3pm. The practices will be structured - we're working on everything from basic boat handling skills to tactics to the rules of racing. Second, any club member (or friend of a club member if accompanied by the member) is welcome to join us for these practices. The more people we can involve the more boats we can put in the water and the more crew we can train for future regattas. If you do come, please remember to bring your own personal flotation device and dress appropriately for the conditions.
Finally, our third goal is keeping the club membership better informed of our activities. This web page is part of that effort, as well as monthly updates in the Letter Log where we'll tell you where we've been, who we raced against, and how we did. We want to get as many club members involved in the Capdevielle program as we can.
It's a new year and a new series - hope to see you out there!
Jim Coulter, FWYC Capdevielle Team Manager