Fleet Scuttlebutt
Greetings sailors and all club members! Good riddance January! While sailing is impractical, we can look forward to preparations to make this coming season as good or better this year as it’s been in the past. Accordingly, here are some suggestions and some information:
→ Spring work days are set for March 21 & 22. If you would like to become more familiar with our fleet, please plan to join us on this weekend. Seeing the sail loft and fleet in the off season will give you a good understanding of how to take advantage of the resources during the warmer months. “Many hands make light work” is an apt description of the activity, and it is not age-restricted! Elsewhere in this Telltale is Brian Beach’s email address, so let him know you’re interested in the activities (and lunch!).
→ Adult Sailing communications. I keep an “Adult Sailors” email group in my address book, and during the season (beginning in early May) will be sending bi-weekly emails to this group. If you would like to be included in these emails, please let me know at jdudley5@triad.rr.com. (Also, don’t hesitate to call me at (704) 363-0483 if you don’t receive a sufficiently prompt response.)
→ Our Member Page on the website includes a “Reserve a Boat” button. You can re-enter the same password you use to access the Member Page, and a calendar and form appear if you wish to reserve a Laser, Albacore or Tranquility Base (our keelboat). The bottom of the form includes my name and phone number if you wish to check on your reservation.
Stay healthy, warm and safe, and perhaps I’ll see you at our Valentine’s Day event on February 14th.
John Dudley, Fleet Captain
Membership News…Please Welcome
Hello WRYC Members!
Happy New Year! We are off to a great start in 2026, welcoming three new families to
WYRC!
Lauren Mastro and Clark Owen, with children, Alexandra (a 2025 junior sailor)
and Silvia. Lauren is an experienced sailor and is excited about volunteering in
our racing events. Clark, an arborist and horticulturist, envisions volunteering to
help with the club grounds and maintenance.
Ben and Kerry Leigh, with children, Ethan and Samuel, both of whom have
been junior sailors for the past two years. Ben was a member as a boy and also
participated in junior sailing as a camper and instructor for several years.
David Huber joins us after many years of racing in our Governors Cup Regatta!
He brings his expertise in racing and his extensive knowledge of Albacores to the
benefit of the club.
Please introduce yourself to our new members when you see them and welcome them
to WRYC!
Thank you!
Ray Mazzocco
Membership Chair
Making Waves: A Message from the Social Chair
Greetings, Members!
Your Social Committee has been busy behind the scenes, and we are thrilled to announce that we’re cooking up a season that goes far beyond our traditional calendar. Our goal for 2026 is to provide a diverse range of activities that ensure every member finds their perfect way to engage with the club community.
❤️ A Special Valentine’s Event
This February, we’re focusing on matters of the heart in more ways than one. We are proud to team up with the American Heart Association for a special Valentine’s Day Lunch & Learn.
We are honored to welcome guest speaker Dr. Petra Lynch, a cardiologist from Sentara, who will lead a vital discussion on women’s heart disease and cardiovascular risk.
When: February 14th at 11am
Details: Keep an eye on your inbox — a flyer with full details and RSVP instructions is coming your way shortly!
📅 Call for Volunteers: Your Club Needs You!
A few weeks ago, the 2026 Calendar of Events was emailed to the membership. First, a huge thank you to those who have already stepped up to host a social this year! You are the reason our club remains such a vibrant place to be.
However, we still have a few open dates on the calendar. Whether you’re a seasoned host or a first timer, we encourage you to grab a partner or a small group and take the helm for an evening.
Interested? Please email Josh to claim your spot or to ask any questions about what hosting entails.
🎾 More to Look Forward To
Get ready for a fun-filled season featuring:
Summer Happy Hours (back by popular demand!)
Pickleball & Tennis Round Robins
Trivia Nights and much more.
Volunteering is the lifeblood of our club—it’s what keeps us active, vital, and connected. We look forward to seeing everyone on and off the water!
Warmly,
Josh James – Social Committee Chair
Setting Sail with New Leadership: Meet Matt and Samantha Preddy!
We are thrilled to announce that Matt and Samantha Preddy will be taking the helm of our Junior Sailing Program for the 2026 season! Many thanks to Bill and Layne Brown for their years of leadership and guidance with the Junior Sailing Program.
The Preddys come to us with a deep passion for the water and a commitment to fostering the next generation of sailors. Matt grew up taking sailing lessons at WRYC and he and Samantha’s children are current students. Whether your junior sailor is just learning to rig a boat or is looking to sharpen their competitive edge, Matt and Samantha are dedicated to creating a fun, safe, and skill-building environment for all ages.
They are already hard at work preparing for a fantastic summer on the water. Please join us in giving them a warm welcome when you see them around!
CLEAN UP DAY(s)-Building & Grounds
Ahoy WRYC membership!
Exciting news for this year’s Spring Clean Up - we are going to do
a day of outside cleaning and a day of inside cleaning to ensure we are ready for what
should be a jam-packed sailing season. Please join me at 0900 on the 21 st and 22 nd of March
at the club. The weather will dictate which day we are inside and/or outside but please come
prepared with gloves, tools, and a willingness to work.
If you can’t make it both days, that’s ok, just indicate which day you can make it when you
sign up via email.
We will provide lunch both days so please send me an email at mseebeach@outlook.com to
make sure I get you on the list.
Thanks to everyone who welcomed me aboard as B&G and I look forward to seeing all of
you at the club. I will have a list of work items emailed out to participants the first week of
March.
Thanks in advance,
Brian
804-925-9780
WRYC 2026 Calendar of Events
February 14 Valentine’s Day Social Luncheon
March 14/15 St. Patrick’s Day Social (Host choice)
March 21/22 Spring Work Day
March 28/29 Daffodil Festival & Parade (WRYC has a booth & parade participation)
April 12 Alliance II Sail from WRYC
April 16 Spring Happy Hour (Host Choice) Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
April 18 Pickleball round Robin
May 2 Flag Raising / Bob James Memorial Regatta
May 16 Pickleball round Robin
May 20 Trivia Night
June 18 Summer Happ Hour (Host Choice) Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
June 15-18 Junior Sailing Session 1 Week 1
June 22-25 Junior Sailing Session 1 Week 2
June 25 Junior Sailing Banquet
June 27 Open Play Tennis/Pickleball Round Robin
June 29-July 2 Junior Sailing Session 2 Week 1
July 3/4 Independence Day Social (Host choice)
July 6-9 Junior Sailing Session 2 Week 2
July 9 Junior Sailing Banquet
July 13-16 Junior Sailing Session 3 Week 1
July 20-23 Junior Sailing Session 3 Week 2
July 23 Junior Sailing Banquet
July 31, Aug.1/2 62nd VA Governor’s Cup, Fireball Nationals & Junior Regattas & Awards
August 20 Summer Social Hour (Host Choice) Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
September 5/6 Labor Day Social (Host choice)
September 12 Pickleball Round Robin
September 16 Trivia Night
October 9-13 Oktoberfest – Albacore Nationals Regatta
November 7 Oyster Roast
December 6/7 Christmas / Holiday Social (Host choice)
*Members are encouraged to sign up to host or help organize each event. Co-hosting is
perfectly acceptable – you don’t have to host alone. Please contact Membership Chair,
Josh James, at socials@wryc.org with any questions or fill in your name and number in
the sign-up column above.
From the Helm
Welcome 2026! Thank you to all who helped with setup for the Annual Meeting, specifically Dave Brown for sponsoring dinner and leading the volunteer effort. 2025 was a strong year for WRYC. We saw numerous fun filled and energetic social events, another successful Junior Sailing Program, the inaugural Bob James Memorial Keelboat regatta (first keel boat regatta at WRYC in many decades), and the 61st Annual Virginia Governor’s Cup.
This year, along with the continuation of the events we saw in 2025, we will add a second keelboat regatta, the Harry Sindle Memorial Keelboat regatta in the fall, as well as hosting two national fleet regattas. The Fireball Nationals will be held in conjunction with the 62nd Annual Governor’s Cup Regatta and the Albacore Nationals will be held as a stand alone event in October. Our keelboat, Tranquility Base is actively undergoing offseason maintenance up at Mobjack Bay Marina on the North River and Fleet Captain John Dudley is planning for another active sailing season. The fleet committee team will be placing some new mooring tackle this year as well.
Huge thank you to Samantha and Matt Preddy who have stepped up to take on the role of Junior Sailing Camp Directors! Thank you to Bill and Layne Brown for leading the effort over the past several years. Along with taking on Junior Sailing, Samantha has agreed to serve on the Board of Directors this year as well!
Welcome to the Board as well Brian Beach who will be assuming the reigns as Buildings and Grounds Chair from Jim Woodward. Thank you Jim for your years of tireless behind the scenes efforts taking care of the grounds.
Thanks to the US Albacore Association (USAA) sailors from the Potomac River Sailing Association and the West River Sailing Association we plan to host several Albacore dinghy clinics this year. The clinics will range from rigging to basic sailing and then on to basic and advanced racing skills and tactics. We are very grateful to all the USAA members that always show such fantastic support to our fleet. There will be some world class sailors leading these events, including the 2025 Albacore World Champion, Barney Harris.
Just before the Annual Meeting a survey was sent out regarding upgrades to our playground. Thanks to all that responded both the the survey and with questions/comments. The Board will move forward with plans to upgrade the playground equipment later this year based upon the input from the membership.
Congratulations to all who received awards for the 2025 Season. We have a couple of awards yet to make their way to the recipients, so more to follow on this topic in a future Telltale.
With all the activity planned for this year, from socials to regattas to work around the grounds, we are going to need everyone’s help. Remember, WRYC runs on volunteers! Please consider where you can pitch in to lend a hand. Reach out to the Board or committee chair and help make this year the most successful WRYC season to date. If you have any quesitons or comments don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Commodore@WRYC.org
Finally, thank you to our newest Past Commodore, Harry Taylor. It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside Harry the past couple of years. His leadership and strategic vision have placed the club in a great position to continue our strong legacy of social activity and the advancement of Corinthian sailing.
Best Regards,
Scott Titus, Commodore
Fleet Scuttlebutt
Greetings sailors and all club members! You have my best wishes for a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
The annual report available at January’s Annual Meeting on the 17th will include a review of our adult sailing activities. I invite you to look it over when it becomes available and let me know if you have questions or if you would like more information.
Our keelboat Tranquility Base is resting on stands at Mobjack Bay Marina, and we are planning mostly routine maintenance during this off season. Please let me know if you have an interest in participating in any of these activities. For the most part, they are not strenuous and can contribute to overall knowledge of our specific boat as well as sailboats in general.
Stay healthy and safe, and I hope to see you at our Holiday Social on December 12th.
John Dudley, Fleet Captain