Frostbite, Lasers, Frostbite

25-26 PRSA LASER FROSTBITE #3

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Happy late Thanksgiving everyone!! It was wonderful to have our first foul weather frostbite of the year. Ten sailors braved ~40-degree weather, off-and-on rain, and 10-20 mph wind. Congrats to Kaitlyn, Tom, and Tyler for winning today’s six races.

Today’s courses tended to have long starboard tacks, which was unfortunate for me – I accidentally brought two left gloves out with me and had to spend several minutes fighting to keep my mainsail sheeted in with a backwards glove on my right hand. This also meant that most of the passes took place at the marks, so boathandling during roundings was at a premium. In medium-heavy air, it’s crucial to ease the vang on approach to the windward mark and use your body weight to turn the boat. These actions relieve weather helm and help turn the boat more efficiently. Tom and Tyler seemed to a particularly good job of cleanly rounding the weather mark and getting a good jump on the downwinds. At the leeward mark, it was important to preset your controls for the upwind and doing a wide and tight rounding. I passed more than a few people today by making sure I was on the correct (port) gybe approaching the mark and going wide-and-tight around the mark to make sure I got inside position. Every time I messed this up, I got passed.

After the races, I had a brief conversation with Tyler about heavy wind downwinds. The first thing I told him is that I prefer to reach, rather than sail by the lee in breeze over 12 mph. It helps keep the boat upright, makes pumping and planing easier, and allows for more maneuverability on short notice. We also discussed body position in the cockpit. As a rule of thumb, you want to be at the front of the cockpit in a Laser any time the hull is not planing. On lighter downwinds, I try to have by center of mass even with the daggerboard. Having weight further forward in the boat lifts the largest surface on your hull (the stern) out of the water to reduce drag. In heavier breeze, I try to move back to the widest part of the hull to use my weight to more effectively prevent death rolls.

Thanks to Brian Joseph and his daughter for setting excellent courses and taking care of us on the water. They did an excellent job of setting up pin-favored lines, which made for more tactically interesting starts and fewer clumps at the boat end of the line. See y’all next week.

-Connor

25-26 PRSA FROSTBITE #2 REWORKED

Frostbite, Lasers, Frostbite, Lasers

25-26 ILCA Frostbite #2

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Welcome back to everyone who made it out Sunday!  There was some mix up on who got 3rd place today so I have the writeup from 2nd place and Laura will owe me a writeup later!  We had a good turnout with 19 boats coming out and moderate breeze and temps around 60.  Thank you to Jacob and Tyler for doing RC and getting 5 races off despite a late start and wind shift!  Kudos to Brian for getting 3 bullets, who said he learned some things at the clinic 2 weeks ago!  Also congrats to Kaitlyn on getting a bullet in race #4.
I have not sailed since the last frostbite series and was quite worried about the rust and being out of shape but I guess I was proven wrong.  Some thoughts on today.
In the first 3 races we had a nice southerly breeze that had some velocity changes but did require some hiking.  With the conditions of the day and sailing on that part of the river I have found that during a southerly with an outgoing tide you almost always are faster going downwind closer to the DC side of the river.  This is counter intuitive as you give up being the inside boat but something about the geography of the river makes this work.  I did that in all 3 races and it paid off (my starts were not great).  For starts, the wind and current were about even so it was fairly early to set up and wait at the line.  I did not do this well but did notice it.
Near the end of race 3 our westerly finally came so we reset the course.  The last two races were much tougher.  We had a short start line with a current running down it so there was often a pile up at the pin.  I tried to avoid that and started near the boat mostly.  With a westerly breeze it is always a bit squirrely at the windward mark and today did not disappoint.  Mostly just be ready for anything and lots of place changes.  For our races today mostly the pressure shots were coming from the left so it paid off to be further left.  The port tack tended to be lifted so you wanted to ride that as long as possible.  Also in the shifty conditions, make sure you are looking at boats ahead of you to know what is coming!
Great day out on the water and hope to see everyone out again soon!
News

PRSA Annual General Meeting & Awards Banquet: November 15, 12:00-3:00 pm, Alexandria Bier Garden

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Greetings PRSA Sailors,

Our 2025 PRSA Annual General Meeting (AGM) & Awards Ceremony will be held on November 15, 12:00-3:00 pm, at Alexandria Beer Garden (710 King Street, Alexandria VA, 22314).

PRSA will cover the German buffet (Brats, Spätzle, Vegan Wurst, Schnitzel, Potato Salad, German Chocolate Cake, Apple Pie, and more) — there is no door charge this year!  Beverages are not included in the buffet, but a nice selection of German (and other) beers as well as non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

Please RSVP using this form so we know how many people are coming!  More importantly–please attend!  We need a quorum of voting (skipper) members to approve our updated PRSA Bylaws to put PRSA on solid organizational and financial ground for the coming years.  We will also elect a new slate of PRSA Officers and, of course, celebrate the racing year with awards and lots of good cheer!

Cheers,
Aaron
News

2025 Fall Series #1 – September 7

Nabeel Alsalam, Maryann Gallagher, Eva Hogan, and Kaitlyn Lucey was your RC.   The winds were light and from the north or northwest.    Being optimistic, we set up a pretty long course for the first race, but the wind was light and it took almost an hour and a half for all the sailor to complete the course.  We pulled in the windward mark for the second race but the winds fell to almost nothing.  So we shortened the race at the 2nd windward mark.

After the racing, the sailors congregated in the grove. Lee Mullins brought chilli and hot dogs were plentiful on the grill.  It was a pleasant afternoon and, of course, the breeze seemed to pick up.

FS1-Albacore

FS1-I20

FS1-Lightning

News

Summer Update: Bylaws Revisions, Fall Series, PRSA Awards, and More!

Greetings PRSA Sailors,

We are just a few weeks away from the start of the Fall Series!  On behalf of your PRSA Executive Committee, I have some important announcements to share as well as some important reminders for the Fall Series.   

Fall Series RC Signup: please take a moment to select your RC duties as per Tyler’s 20 August email.

Fall Series #1: show up and race on Sunday, Sept. 7, to kick off the Fall Series.  Then, make sure to stick around for the BYO food/beverage BBQ afterwards.  I’m out of town on the 7th but Mike Scardaville has agreed to serve as grill master (thanks Mike!).  Invite your friends and family to join us, even if they’re not sailing, so that they can meet folks!

President’s Cup: register now for our signature Fall Regatta!

Bylaws Revisions: our current set of Bylaws mandated a review of the dues structure in 2025.  With thanks to the PRSA Executive Committee – and to Ed (current PRSA Secretary) and Melissa (prior Secretary, Social Director and Outreach Director) in particular for lots of organizational and legal sleuthing to help us restore PRSA’s official incorporation status and to modernize our bylaws – we have an updated set of PRSA Bylaws for consideration, and a vote, for the 2025 AGM.  Our revised Bylaws, which include an updated dues structure as well as revised and updated Executive Committee and ExecCom Support Roles – modernize and streamline PRSA.  We have done our best to balance the dues structure with very concrete realities – declining (but stabilized) membership levels accompanied by steady increases in costs – and to update the various roles required to run the organization to meet current and future needs.  Please review the proposed bylaws carefully and make a plan, now, to attend our 2025 Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 15 (exact time and place TBA) to consider and vote on the revised Bylaws.  Please note that at the AGM we will hold just one vote on the adoption of the revised Bylaws (we will not be entertaining motions to amend or adjust the revised Bylaws). If passed, the incoming board can amend and improve upon the bylaws later. 

Bylaws Revisions: Why We’re Updating

Our current bylaws mandated a review of the dues structure in 2025. With thanks to the PRSA Executive Committee – with extra special thanks to Ed (current PRSA Secretary) and Melissa (former Secretary, Social Chair, and Outreach Director) for their extensive organizational and legal research – we have not only reviewed dues, but also undertaken a broader modernization of PRSA’s bylaws. This process has helped us restore PRSA’s official incorporation status and align our bylaws with current best practices for member-run associations. If passed, the incoming board can amend and improve upon the bylaws later if needed.

The revised bylaws we will vote on at the 2025 AGM include:

  • Updated dues structure: Adjusted to reflect today’s economic realities, with a model that accounts for both stabilized membership levels and rising operating costs. This ensures we can sustain high-quality racing, regattas, and social activities without overburdening members.

  • Modernized officer and committee roles: Clarified responsibilities, added a Communications Director, and streamlined committee duties to reflect the way PRSA operates today (including website, outreach, regatta logistics, and social activities). These updates help distribute the workload more fairly and position us to meet future organizational needs.

  • Improved governance: Bylaws now provide more flexibility and transparency in how decisions are made (e.g., Executive Committee authority, voting rules), making PRSA more nimble and resilient.

In short: these revisions modernize and streamline PRSA, balancing fairness to members with the practical needs of running our sailing association.  We had some fun with technology in summarizing all of this, so for a non-official summary of key changes, please see below for a ChatGPT-generated summary (edited by Tyler and Aaron; note that this is neither an official version of the Bylaws nor an official record of the proposed changes, but it provides a pretty good summary).

Above all, please review the proposed bylaws carefully and plan to attend the 2025 Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 15 (exact time and place TBA) to vote on their adoption.  Note: The AGM will include a single vote on the revised bylaws as a whole. We will not be entertaining motions to amend or adjust the language at the meeting.

Potomac River Safety/Exclusion Zone: Tyler has confirmed with the DC Harbor Patrol via phone that the zone from last Spring has been removed.  Hurray!

Awards Nominations: now is a good time to start to think about nominating PRSA Sailors for our Perpetual Awards!  The nomination form (with awards descriptions) is available here and will be open through Friday, November 7.

Officer & Supporting Role Nominations: looking ahead to next year, we need some volunteers to fill some roles.  Both Tyler’s term and my term end this fall (without renewal options).  Please consider running for the Commodore and the Vice-Commodore positions!  We need a complete Executive Committee to run our day-to-day operations and, in turn, ensure safe and fun racing.  We will also be looking for a new ExecCom Officer: Communications Director (in charge of outreach, communications, social media, etc.).  Finally, we will need volunteers to serve in the Scorer role as well as Spring Regatta Regatta Chair and President’s Cup Regatta Chair for 2026.  

As always, please feel free to email us (prsaboard@gmail.com) if you have any questions.  I look forward to seeing you all out on the water soon!

PRSA Bylaws Revisions 2025 FINAL

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Summary of Changes to the PRSA Bylaws*

Things That Stay the Same

  • Name & Purpose: PRSA name, black swan pennant, and mission statement remain unchanged.
  • Membership categories: Active, Associate, Junior, Honorary, and Life memberships remain in place with the same general rights (skippering, voting, committees, etc., depending on class).
  • Race framework: PRSA continues Spring, Fall, and Frostbite Series..
  • Fleet requirement: A fleet needs 5+ members to qualify as an active one-design fleet.

Key Changes in Membership (Article III)

  • Junior membership age: changed from under 18 to under 25.
  • Associate members: previously required to perform Race Committee (RC) duties; this duty has been removed.
  • Dues:
    • Current Bylaws: Fixed dues schedule (e.g. $130 Active multi-person, $100 single, $45 Associate, $40 Junior) with periodic increases every 3 years (+$10 for Active, +$5 for Associate/Junior).
    • Proposed November 2025 Bylaws: New dues schedule for 2026 ($150 Active multi-person, $100 single, $50 Associate, $40 Junior) with annual 4% increases (rounded).

Key Changes in Officers & Governance (Article IV–VI)

  • Board Size: Increased from 5 officers to 6 officers.
  • New Officer Role: Communications Director added, responsible for public-facing outreach, social media, website, and chairing the Social Committee.
  • Secretary duties expanded: Now responsible for official filings and maintaining organization good standing.
  • Executive Committee composition:
    • Jan 2025: Officers + Fleet Representatives (all voting).
    • Nov 2025: Only officers are voting members; Fleet Representatives serve in an advisory role.
  • Voting thresholds: Most votes now explicitly require a simple majority (50%+1) at both membership and Executive Committee levels (clarified in Nov 2025).

Key Changes in Committees (Article VII)

  • Outreach Committee (Secretary-led) removed; duties reassigned to Communications Director portfolio..
  • Social Committee: Now run by Communications Director instead of appointed Social Chair.
  • Regatta Chairs: New role added — Rear Commodore appoints a Regatta Chair for each event, responsible for budget, logistics, NOR, SIs, and food/beverage.
  • Auditing Committee: Present in Jan 2025 bylaws; removed in Nov 2025 version.

Key Changes in Amendments (Article X)

  • Jan 2025: Amendments required a 2/3 vote of the membership at Annual Meeting (with 15 days’ notice).
  • Nov 2025: Amendments can be passed in two ways:
    1. By a 2/3 super-majority of the Executive Committee.
    2. By 2/3 of the membership at the Annual Meeting (with 15 days’ notice).

Summary for Members

  • Membership: Junior age expanded; dues structure shifted from flat 3-year increases to annual 4% increases.
  • Governance: Expanded Board (6 officers), new Communications Director, clarified voting rules, and Fleet Reps moved to advisory status.  
  • Committees: Outreach eliminated, Social under Communications, Race Program expanded, new Regatta Chair role, Auditing removed.
  • Amendments: Executive Committee now has the power to amend bylaws by super-majority, in addition to membership votes at AGM.

——————

* Summary generated by ChatGPT; edited by Tyler and Aaron.  Note that this is an AI/LLM-generated summary, not an official version of the Bylaws nor the official record of the revisions.

News

Register now for the 2025 PRSA President’s Cup Regatta!

Continuing the long tradition of competitive one-design racing on the Potomac that started with the President’s Cup in 1934, the 2025 PRSA President’s Cup Regatta will be held on September 20 & 21.  Register now!

The PRSA President’s Cup is open to one-design dinghies including, but not limited to, Albacores, Buccaneers, Flying Scots, I-20s, Lasers, Lightnings, Penguins, and Windmills.   All racing will be held on the “north course” between Gravelly Point and Hains Point.

News

2025 June 15 Spring Series

John Van Voorhis and team ran the races.    The day started off with challenges: 19’s battery was low, and the pee tube wasn’t producing.  And none of the inflators were working.  So initially racing was cancelled.  But then Witt came to the rescue to blow up the marks and clear the pee tube.  Racing was re-instated.

The winds were from the N and NE.

SS9-Albacore

SS9-Lightning

Albacores, Lasers, Inland-20s, Lightnings, Fleets

2025 June 1 Spring Series

Nelson Pemberton and team ran the races.  Barney Harris was running the mark boat.  It was day 2 of the Lightning Doc Gilbert Potomac Cup.

The winds were from the west and shots of breeze were coming in from both the left and right.  At one point the wind went way right but by the end of the day it had shifted way left.

The Lightning class saw a very skewed start line that was difficult to lay on starboard.  That created a mix of strategies from trying to start on port, coming down the line on starboard but tacking to port before the gun, to dip starts.  Chaos ensued at the pin.

SS8-Albacore

SS8-I20

SS8-Laser

Doc Gilbert Potomac Cup Results

News, Results

Spring Regatta Results

The 2025 PRSA Spring Regatta was held May 24-25 in some great sailing conditions.  15 Albacores, 3 Flying Scots, and a Laser participated in the racing.  Saturday saw gusty conditions with NW breezes in the hight teens, gusting into the high 20s at times.  PRO Aaron Boesenecker and his RC crew (Dana Howe, Jim Graham and Dave McCaskill on Saturday; Jim Greenley, Jim Graham, and John Hart on Sunday) were able to get the Albacores 7 T-2 races (!) on Saturday.  Sunday  saw NW breezes but warmer temps and diminished wind velocity.  The RC got the Albacores 6 more races (the Laser joined in for a few) and the Flying Scots 5 races.

2025 PRSA Spring Regatta Full Results