GBSA will offer weekly Optimist racing clinics beginning Saturday June 2nd and running through June 23rd.    All opti sailors are invited to come sail with the GBSA team and learn from our coaches.

• Sailors are encouraged to sail their own boats, however if you do not have a boat available, you may use a GBSA boat at no charge
• The cost for the clinic is $25 per session. You may attend as many or as few as you like.
• The Opti Clinic is open to all Opti sailors including green fleet sailors.
• The clinics will run from 11:00am until 3:00pm. We suggest that sailors eat lunch before sailing however, you may wish to bring an appropriate on-the-water snack.
• Sailors should bring a water bottle, Life Jacket, a set of dry clothes and towel.
• To reserve your spot, please send an email to info@gbsa.info with your name, the sailors name and the date that you would like to attend.

Highlights of the season include;

1)      The first club 420 event will be at East Greenwich YC /Greenwich Bay Sailing Association on Monday July 2^nd .  This regatta will be chance to tune up for the Area A Bemis qualifier which will be part of the New Bedford Regatta July 7-8.

2)      Laser Sailors will have two regattas before their Area A Smyth qualifier which will be part of Marblehead Race Week July 23-25.  The first regatta will be Tuesday, July 10^th at Wickford and the second will be Friday, July 20^th at Conanicut.

3)      Opti Green Fleet racers will have a special Green Fleet Clinic to Edgewood SA on July 10^th, the day before the first Opti regatta on Wednesday July 11, 2011.

4)      Conanicut YC will again host the NBYA Girls championship and Clinic with the Clinic on Monday July 23 and the Regatta on Tuesday, July 24.

5)      Junior Race week returns to Colt state park and the Bristol Town Beach on Monday August 13^th with racing over 4 days.  The culmination of the week will be a dinner on Thursday, August 16^th that will also feature presentation of the Season awards.

6)      As an incentive junior sailors who have never competed in a NBYA event may opt to waive NBYA membership for their first event.  This offer includes Laser and Club 420 sailors as well as Optimist Green Fleeters.  For details see the 2012 NBYA First Race Membership Wavier.

Click here for a list of all regattas that may be of interest to junior sailors.

Registration for all regattas is now open.  Registration for weekly regattas and the Girl’s championship are discounted until July 1, 2012.  After July 1 all fees increases by $5.00. Late registration  on the morning of the event is possible but the fee increases by at least $5.00.  Registration for the 2012 Junior Race Week is discounted until August 1, 2012 and will then increase from $100.00 to $130.00.

If you sign up now and your plans change NBYA will be happy to refund your fees.  Just let us know by noon on the day before the event.   You can call 401-289-2275 or send an email to NBYAAdmin@nbya.org.

Everyone is invited!  Come celebrate the beginning of the boating season and reconnect with your summer-time friends!  There will be pancakes, crepes, omlette stations, and scrambled eggs with all the fixings!

Adults $10 / Children $5

Registration is Filling Up – Register NOW

GBSA Classes are filling up fast!  For example, the Opti Beginners class (Session I) has only 3 spots left.   If you haven’t registered yet, please do so as soon as possible.  If you have any questions about the classes or where your child should be placed, please don’t hesitate to call us at 401-484-7732 or via email to info@gbsa.info

GBSA Kids Should Be Sailing Auction!

Buy your tickets now and save $5

Saturday April 28.  6pm at EGYC.   Hot Hors D’Oeuvres , Live Music, Full Bar

Each day this week we’re going to tempt you with a small sampling of the items you will find at the GBSA Auction on Saturday night.  Todays featured items are

Live Auction Item: A high-tech sail by Dimension Polyant and Doyle Sails!   The D4 multi panel line offers a more precise draft profiling for the membrane owing to the multiple seams of the multi panel configuration.  The resulting performance and durability is reflected by winning results from world championship competitors to club racing sailirs looking for the ultimate in weight to stretch ratio.

Silent Auction Item:  Steak Lovers Basket- $100 Gift Card to Omaha Steaks, Steak Knife Set, Steak Rub, Steak Gauge, Cook Book, Serving Platter    This is a package valued at $200

Silent Auction Item: Weekend use of ski condo at Sunday River (Bethel Maine).  Enjoy a weekend of skiing at one of New Englands premiere ski resorts.

These are just two of the more than 130 items that will be auctioned off on Saturday night (6pm at EGYC).  Download our preliminary List of Auction Items to start making your shopping list now and don’t forget to save $5 per person by ordering your tickets online!

GBSA Kids Should Be Sailing Auction!

Buy your tickets now and save $5

Saturday April 28.  6pm at EGYC.   Hot Hors D’Oeuvres , Live Music, Full Bar

Each day this week we’re going to tempt you with a small sampling of the items you will find at the GBSA Auction on Saturday night.  Todays featured items are

Live Auction Item: An aerial tour for two around Rhode Island.  You and a friend will get a private aerial tour of your favorite Rhode Island locations.  A great chance to take pictures of your house or favorite spots from an incredible vantage point.  Learn a little bit about flying a private plane and if you’re up to the task, take the yoke and fly it yourself!

Silent Auction Item: Support the Greenwich Odeum – On May 11th at the EG Yacht Club, the Greenwich Odeum will be hosting an 80s Night fundraiser at EGYC featuring Fast Times –  New England’s best 80′s Party Band.   This package includes one ticket to this event as well as one seat in the Greenwich Odeum theater.  As a part of the restoration and reopening of the Greenwich Odeum, you can save one of the Odeum seats. Your purchase includes a custom engraved brass plaque for the arm of the chair.  Have your name, name of a loved one, or other message engraved on an Odeum seat for posterity.  Specify seat location as well!    This is a package valued at $225

These are just two of the more than 100 items that will be auctioned off on Saturday night (6pm at EGYC).  Download our preliminary List of Auction Items to start making your shopping list now and don’t forget to save $5 per person by ordering your tickets online!

If you’re child is planning to sail in either the Opti Green or Opti Red/White/Blue race teams you’re going to need a boat.  Luckily, GBSA will be making a limited number of boats available for the season.  While these are not brand new boats, they’re perfect for those starting in the racing program.  GBSA will not be charging any lease fees for the boats, we will however be asking that you purchase a new sail for the boat – which will stay with the boat at the end of the season.  If you’re interested, please register your child and send an email to info@gbsa.info saying that you would like to reserve one of the boats.   These boats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Mark Your Calendar – GBSA Biennial Kids Should Be Sailing Auction is only weeks away!

Saturday April 28, 6:00pm at EGYC.   The GBSA auction is our major fundraising event run every other year.  Through this auction we raise funds for scholarships and for capital expenditures such as new boats.   This year, in addition to offering scholarships,  we’re planning to purchase a new chase boat to replace the 1970′s vintage “Pointer”  and we’re adding prop-guards to our outboard motors to further improve safety on the water.  None of this will be possible without the funds raised by the auction.

As before, the auction will feature both live and silent auction items.  Highlights include

• Two anywhere / anytime tickets on Southwest Airlines
• Round of Golf at Warwick Country Club
• New headsail for a sailboat up to 36ft
• Gift certificates at all your favorite restaurants and stores throughout EG
• Many, many more!

Ask anyone who has been to our auctions and you’ll hear that it’s a great time.  We’ll have live music, hot hors d’oeuvres, a full bar.  Buy your auction tickets now – and save $5 per ticket.  CLICK Here to buy auction tickets online

Also – if you would like to donate to this years auction – please email info@gbsa.info or call us at 401-484-7732

Discount for Early Registration Ends April 1st

Just a reminder that the $25 discount for early registration ends April 1st (this Sunday).  Register and pay for your instructional division (beginners, opti-beginners, 420 beginners, sailing adventures) class before April 1st and receive a $25 discount.  Not applicable to 2 week mini-sessions.

If you have questions about registering your child, PLEASE call us at 401-484-7732!  The GBSA phone lines are now being manned during regular business hours and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.  You may also email us anytime at info@gbsa.info

With the sailing season fast approaching, we’re getting excited to get back on the water and back to GBSA!

With that said, it’s time to announce our first event of the year, the 2012 “Kids Should be Sailing” Auction!  We would like to invite you to join us on Saturday, April 28 at the East Greenwich Yacht Club at 6pm.  The auction helps raise funds for scholarships for some of our young sailors and to keep our fleet safe and fast, so come down and up those bids!  Buy your tickets in advance and save $5.00.

We would also like to ask for your help. We are always in need of items, for both our live and silent auctions. Everything from gift cards and baskets, to boat equipment and get-a-ways will help us reach our goal and set us up for another great season on the water!

Let us know if you’d like to join us that night or if you would like to help out with a donation at info@info.gbsa.

We will also hold an auction planning meeting on Monday March 19 at 6pm at the East Greenwich Yacht Club.  You’re all invited and encouraged to attend.

Sincerely,

GBSA Auction Committee
info@gbsa.info
401-484-7732

GBSA Supporting Our Community

GBSA is proud to support EG Schools by donating to the Hanaford / Meadowbrook Taste Of The World Auction.   Be sure to attend This Saturday March 10 – 7pm at the EG Armory.   There will be many great items to bid on –  including a Beginner Sailing Class from GBSA!   100% of the proceeds will fund technology projects at the two elementary schools.

Click Here for Details https://sites.google.com/site/tasteoftheworldfundraiser/

Meet Gary Jobson

Gary Jobson, ESPN Sailing Analyst, America’s Cup Veteran, current President of US Sailing and author will be speaking at the East Greenwich Yacht Club on April 19, 2012.   Space is limited so register early because it was a sold out last year! http://ri.regatta.llsevent.org/ng/index.cfm/Products?p=a515d2d0

GBSA’s Bi-Annual Auction

Mark Your Calendar – The GBSA Kids Should Be Sailing Charity Auction is only 7 weeks away!  Saturday April  28 at 6:00pm.  Funds raised at this event go to support scholarships for some of our junior sailors.

• We are looking for live and silent auction items.   Please consider making a donation!   Some ideas for auction donations include a weekend at a ski-condo, use of a mooring for a weekend, a bottle of your favorite wine.  Use your imagination – we’re always very appreciative of any donations.  If you’d like to donate or volunteer to help out – please email info@gbsa.info
• Buy your tickets online now and save $5!  Click Here to buy your tickets

We wanted to pass along some news of a new boat charter program available through Laser Performance for 2012.   Laser Performance is making some great boats available for charter for the summer season.   These boats are either brand new or in like-new condition (used for a single event).

Below are the summer season rates for charter.

• Club 420 – $1800 (boat) / $885 (sails)
• Optimist – $500 (boat) / $175 (sail)
• Laser – $1200 (boat) / $420 (sail)

Other Details

1. Book your summer season charter before May 1st and get the boat for an extra month (May).
2. Roll 100% of the boat charter fee off the purchase of the boat at the end of your charter.
3. If you charter a boat and sails and later decite to purchase the boat at the end of your charter, you can keep the “charter sails” and we’ll throw in a brand new set at the time of purchase.

This is a great option for anyone who is struggling with the decision to buy or not to buy.    You can download the charter agreement and details here.

Also – if you are looking for a boat to purchase – send an email to info@gbsa.info and we’ll be glad to help you locate a used boat.

As a reminder – Registration for GBSA’s 2012 season begins tomorrow – Feb 1st.   Register Online at www.gbsa.info