From the Helm
Spring has sprung and sailing is right around the corner. Thank you to all of those who participated in the Daffodil Festival this past weekend! The WRYC booth looked amazing! Jim Garrett and Riley Viets stole the parade (as far as I’m concerned). Thanks to Ginny Noland, John and Holly Dudley, Josh James, Samantha Preddy, Kevin Campbell, Jim and Jean Garrett, Doug and Jennifer Viets, and Jim Woodward for manning the booth. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer thanks to Ray Mazzocco for his leadership.
My next message is not a new one but bears a reminder. Ware River Yacht Club cannot operate without YOU! WRYC is a member operated volunteer operation. Please consider stepping up to volunteer to host a social or participate in a cleanup or regatta committee. Whatever it is that you consider volunteering for, please act on that thought and help us continue to provide fantastic social opportunities, sailing opportunities, and community engagement opportunities.
It took me years to get comfortable enough to volunteer to run a social. Turns out it was great fun! Wish I would have done it sooner. Please help WRYC stay active and relevant by volunteering to help out.
Thanks!
Scott Titus
Membership Corner
Hello WRYC Members!
This month we welcomed one new member to the club…Brooke Bertrand joined us along with her son, Raylan, and daughter, River. Brooke was a member of WRYC as a child and became an avid sailor. She fondly remembers her father and older brother participating as instructors in the Junior Sailing program. This summer, both Raylan and River will be on the water as campers! Please say hello to Brooke at one of our events this season.
Well, it was a beautiful March weekend for Gloucester’s annual Daffodil Festival, and our club was well represented! With our junior sailors leading our daffodil-decorated Albacore, “Tweety Bird,” in the parade and our member volunteers greeting the festivalgoers from our booth, Ware River Yacht Club garnered a lot of attention and interest!
I’d like to thank so many members for volunteering their time and enthusiasm to make it all happen:
Parade Walkers:
James Andrews, Morgan Andrews, Raylan Bertrand, Sally Ford, Riley Viets, Josephine Williams, Paul Williams
And thank you to the parents for allowing their children to participate!
Booth Volunteers:
Ginny Nolan, Holly Dudley, John Dudley, Josh James, Samantha Preddy, Kevin Campbell, Jim Garrett, Jean Garrett, Jennifer Viets, Doug Viets,
Jim Woodward
Special Thanks:
Riley Viets – for recruiting, organizing and leading the junior sailing team in the parade
Jim Garrett – for towing Tweety Bird in the parade
Layne Brown, Bill Brown, Ginny Nolan, Jim Woodward – for helping to set up and break down the booth
It was a lot of work on everyone’s part, but it’s a great opportunity to draw positive attention to our club in Gloucester’s signature event of the year. I’m confident our efforts will generate some new members as a result.
Thank you!
Ray Mazzocco
Membership Chair
Social Scene: Let’s Kick Off the Season!
Hello everyone! As the weather warms up, it’s finally time to dust off the patio furniture and get back to what we do best—gathering as a community. We have a packed calendar of traditional socials and new activities planned, and I can’t wait to see everyone back at the club.
Our First Happy Hour Social
Join us for our first official gathering of the year! This is a free event and the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet our newest members.
When: Thursday, April 23rd @ 5:00 PM
The Details: It’s BYOB and we ask that you bring an appetizer to share.
Plus-Ones: Friends are more than welcome—the more, the merrier!
On the Courts & On the Calendar
The tennis and pickleball courts are currently being prepped for the season. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming "pickle" and tennis activities coming your way very soon.
Looking a bit further ahead, sharpen your wits for Trivia Night in May! We are still finalizing the date, so stay tuned for the official announcement.
Flag Raising & Bob James Regatta will be held on Saturday, May 5th! Stay tuned for more information regarding this annual event.
Get Involved
These events are only possible thanks to our wonderful members. If you’re interested in volunteering or joining the social committee to help shape this season’s festivities, please reach out to Josh. We’d love to have your input!
Also, a quick reminder: the "Guide to Hosting" was emailed out a few weeks ago. We’re hoping it serves as a helpful roadmap to calm any of those "hosting" fears.
Here’s to an incredible season ahead!
Josh Social Chair -WRYC
Spring Cleanup Weekend – A Huge Success!
What a weekend!
Thanks to the incredible turnout and hard work of our members, the Spring Cleanup Weekend was an overwhelming success. The club is looking outstanding and ready for the season ahead.
Members showed up in force on both Saturday and Sunday, bringing energy, teamwork, and pride in our club. The amount of work accomplished in just two days was nothing short of impressive. Projects completed included:
Hedge trimming and grounds detailing
Fresh mulching across key areas
Debris pickup and site cleanup
A full tennis court makeover
Dock duckboard replacement and repairs
Interior cleaning and organization
A major sail loft overhaul
Ongoing general maintenance across the property
These improvements have made an immediate and noticeable impact, and they set the tone for a great year ahead at the club.
Just as important as the work itself was the camaraderie. It was great to see members working side by side, sharing stories, and enjoying the day together—exactly what makes this club so special.
A huge thank you to everyone who came out and contributed their time and effort. Your commitment and pride in the club do not go unnoticed.
And of course, a special shoutout for the outstanding lunch from Nuttall’s Store — well-earned and thoroughly enjoyed by all!
Outstanding job, everyone—and thank you for stepping up and making a difference.
Brian Beach
Buildings & Grounds
Thank you Brian, for your great leadership!!
2026 April Rental Report
The WRYC Rental Calendar is filling up for 2026. Here are the numbers by month:
April 2 Socials, 1 Non-Member Wedding, 2 Non-profit, 1 Member Rentals
May 2 Socials & Regatta, 3 Member Rentals
June 2 Socials, 2 Member, 2 Non-member Wedding Rentals, Jr Sailing Camp Starts 6/15
July 1 Social, Jr Sailing Camp Continues
August 1 Social Governor’s Cup & Fireball Nationals, 1 Non-profit Rental
September 3 Socials, 1 Harry Sindle Memorial Regatta
October 1 Social-Albacore Nationals & Oktoberfest, 1 Non-profit, 2 Non-member Wedding Rentals
November 1 Social Oyster Roast, 1 Non-member, 1 Member Rentals
December 1 Social Holiday, 1 Member Rental
WRYC 2026 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
April 12 Alliance II Sail from WRYC
April 2 3 Spring Happy Hour (Host Choice) Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
April 19 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.1/262nd 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.
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