By Ying Suo
October 2019
Thanks to Gary Miltimore for coming to our meeting in September to speak to us about some of the amazing sailing experiences he’s done over the years and some of his artwork showcasing sailing and sailboats.
Don’t forget we have fun sailing opportunities for everyone coming up in November with the Lido Halloween Sail on November 3rd and the Harbor 20/Shields Fleet Sail on Sun, Nov 10. We will also have a BBQ on Nov 10, so join us for a quick lunch followed by a nice Sunday afternoon Sail.
Pre-registration appreciated for Lido Halloween Sail and Harbor 20/Shields Fleet Sail.
As a reminder to all new members, all general meetings of the OCCSA are held the last Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the upstairs classroom at the School of Sailing and Seamanship. Come by and see what all the excitement is about.
October Guest Speaker
This month, we are very fortunate to have Dr. Peter Bryant , a Research Professer at UCI will be our guest speaker to talk about the Bay and one of the most exciting and tiny group of organisms we have in our waters – “Plankton: the Microscopic Wildlife of the Ocean”
Dr. Peter Bryan
t’s interest and passion are in documenting, monitoring and preserving local biodiversity and ecosystems. He has been teaching Biodiversity and Conservation for 20 years at UCI, and now participates in the First-year Integrated Program in Environmental Science. Peter specializes in photographing invertebrates, especially the more difficult ones including the smallest insects as well as various marine and aquatic species. He has a Masters’ degree in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Genetics, and he is now participating in an international effort to catalog biodiversity using DNA-based methods. Besides serving as NBC’s President for the previous two years, he also established a Research Committee which has organized an Annual World Wetlands Day Symposium.
The mostly single-celled plant-like organisms in the plankton (the phytoplankton) are responsible for producing, by photosynthesis, at least half of the oxygen that we breathe, and they also absorb carbon dioxide. But Dr. Bryant will talk about his recent work on the diversity and life cycles of the microscopic animals in the plankton (the 
zooplankton). Some animals (for example, copepods) spend their entire life cycles in the plankton, whereas many other animals found in the zooplankton are different life-cycle stages of species that otherwise live on the seabed or attached to other solid substrates. Many of the animals in the plankton, like this medusa of Obelia, have a beautiful radial (“wheel-like”) symmetry that reveals their primitive nature compared to the worms, snails, crustaceans and other more advanced creatures that are also found in the plankton and have bilateral (right vs left) symmetry, like us.
The beautiful seashells are waiting for you at our Monday meeting.
by Ying Suo
September 2019
Summer is coming to an end, and I too have some bittersweet news to share with the group. Our amazing Commodore Wes Gary has announced his retirement from the position as Commodore this fall as he is getting ready for a long voyage at sea later this year. Commodore Wes Gary grew up on the peninsula and has been a sailor since he was a child. He and his father built their family boat Good News, the Islander 55 hull and deck were designed by Bruce King while Wes and his family custom designed the interior and the cabin. She’s been a longstanding beauty of Lido Island.
Wes has been a longtime member of the OCC SA, he has been the corner store of the association for many years and will continue to be. Please join me in saying thank you to Commodore Wes Gary for his service and wishing him a safe and unforgettable journey to where the wind will take him to on his upcoming voyage.
As a reminder to our new members, all general meetings of the OCCSA are held the last Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the upstairs classroom at the School of Sailing and Seamanship. Come by and see what all the excitement is about.
Thanks to Lieutenant Chris Corn, Harbormaster for coming to our meeting in August to speak to us about The Harbor Patrol Bureau and all the services they provide to our community.
Here are some upcoming events and our August Seashell winners.
Join the 2019 Coastal Cleanup Day!
Be part of the state’s largest annual volunteer event. California Coastal Cleanup Day takes place on the third Saturday of each September, along more than 2,000 miles of coastal and inland shoreline. Check the map to find a cleanup location near you, along with all the information you’ll need to volunteer this upcoming September 21st (9 AM to 12 PM). If you are unable to find the site you’re looking for please contact your county coordinator.
The event isn’t limited to the coastal region. There are cleanups taking place all over California – from coastal areas to Lake Tahoe and from San Diego up to Del Norte County.
September Meeting Guest Speaker – Gary Miltimore
Gary will be speaking about some of the amazing sailing experiences he’s had over the years and some of his artwork showcasing sailing and sailboats.
A California native, Miltimore grew up spending summers on Catalina Island where he spent his days on the water and acquired his love for the endlessly fascinating shapes of the boats that surrounded him. In his teens, Miltimore started racing in local events and by 1972 had become a part of the intense world of the offshore racing circuit sailing aboard such famous racers as Kialoa II and III, Baruna, Sirius II, Blackfin, Windward Passage, Cheetah, Ragtime and Merlin. Miltimore chalked up thousands of bluewater miles including six Transpacs, two Transatlantic races, the Newport to Bermuda Classic, Florida’s Southern Ocean Racing Conference, Hawaii’s Clipper Cup and the China Sea Race from Hong Kong to Manila, among others. His Yacht paintings are widely recognized as the product of an artist who knows his subject well. http://garymiltimore.com/
OCC SA Winning Beautiful Seashells During Our August Meeting
Commodores Corner by Wes Gary
June 2019
Get ready for an exciting summer season. Sign up for Summer Sailstice this weekend. Check out those sailing classes you have always wanted to take. We look forward to celebrating another fun summer of sailing with all of you.
On behalf of the Sailing Association, I welcome you and your friends to attend our monthly meetings on the last Monday of each month. Come enjoy the social atmosphere, refreshments and fascinating speakers overlooking the water at the OCC School of Sailing and Seamanship on Coast Highway. Enter our raffle for two spectacular shell and coral displays this month.
At this month’s meeting we are pleased to have Brian O’Rourke, the Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief. He is the Lifeguard Battalion Chief with the City of Newport Beach Fire Department/Lifeguard Operations. He has been an Ocean Lifeguard with the City of Newport Beach for 32 years. He has worked the lifeguard towers, trucks, dispatch and boats. He was the rescue boat supervisor for 19 years. He trained officers for twenty-five years including as Training Captain and Junior Guard Coordinator for five years. He was promoted to Lifeguard Battalion Chief on April 27, 2019. His experience as NB Lifeguard will give us many stories and will include water safety for boaters.
Please join us next Monday night June 24, 2019 at 7:00pm at the OCC Sailing School.
April 2019
After all the rain this year it sure is nice to have some sun and wind to welcome us into the sailing season. It’s time to get out on the water!
Thanks to Duffy for coming to speak of his sailing adventures last month. It was unfortunate he had to leave early but we look forward to having him continue sharing his stories with us soon.
Saturday turned out to be a great day for a sail and 18 sailors enjoyed a nice sail and a BBQ. We have room for more, so please join us on Saturday, May 25 for our Memorial Day Fleet Sail. We will gather at 11 am, be on the water by noon and return to the dock around 4 pm for a BBQ. All are welcome so bring a friend that would like to learn the joy of sailing – Register today.
We are looking forward to a great weekend at the Newport Boat Show. Thank you to everyone who have volunteered. We can’t wait to share this weekend with you aboard Nordic Star. We will use Nordic Star as a platform for sharing information about our programs and passing out brochures.
Look forward to seeing you out on the water soon or at our April meeting on Mon, April 29 at 7 pm at The School.
March 2019
Separately there was only wind, water, sail, and hull, but at my hand the four had been given purpose and direction.
Lowell Thomas
Thank you to our January speaker, Barbara Keeler, spoke about the Non-Profit organization, Mountain and Sea Educational Adventures ~ mountainandsea.org. They conduct marine life science camps on and around Catalina Island. She is the Master and Ship Operations Director of their 112′ flagship vessel ENHYDRA. We want to thank her for informative and inspiring work with children, creating a passion for the outdoors and environment.
Thank you also to S/C Wes Gary to stepping in last minute to share his favorite sailing stories from here and abroad. Also, thank you for reminding of us all The OCC School of Sailing and Seamanship has to offer for all levels of sailors.
Our speaker this month is Marshall “Duffy” Duffield. A great story teller of his adventures growing up as a local in Newport Beach.
Duffy will share stories from the time he spent in the back of his fathers shop in Costa Mesa inventing the wildly popular electric boats commonly known as “Duffy’s”, to his accomplishments as a sailor and racer. He built the first electric Duffy boat in 1968 and has delivered over 20,000.
A prolific racer, he has participated in the Transpac Race (LA to Hawaii) 15 time. In 1991 he was awarded with a “Clean sweep” – first to finish in class, first in fleet and best corrected time in the fleet. He has won the Don Vaughn Memorial Trophy for Best Crew member, and he has been on board the winning boat at the prestigious Congressional Cup three times as crew.
Other racing accomplishments include participation in races to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta, the St,. Francis YC big boat series, and many local races. He has sailed all kinds of boats from Sabots to Solings, Etchells and 12 meters and a lot of big boats, too.
Duffy will share stories of his many boat design and boat building endeavors from the Sabot to the Duffy, and the first ultralights in 1977 to the NM 65 “Pandemonium” built for the 1985 Transpac. You will hear about the first solar powered electric production boat, and the first hydrogen powered passenger boat, the Duffy 30. Duffy also builds the 24 knot all electric rowing coaches boats and his latest production boat is the Duffield 58, launched in 2017
He currently is our Newport Beach city councilman and has also been Mayor.
Come join us as we enjoy his stories of his love of sailing.