Manchester Sailing Association concluded the 2009 sailing season amid warm, sunny weather last week, after starting the season back in June with cool, rainy weather. Program highlights this year included a very successful season for all three race teams, a new 4 day/week format for Sea Urchins, and the launch of our new website, where you will find all regatta race results, photos from the season, and a re-cap of the 2009 awards. The website also has archives of all news items and informational e-mails from the season. The final event of the season was the Annual Awards Cookout held at Tucks Point on August 19. Thanks to sailor Adam Parrott, we had a great sound system and fascinating slide show running all evening. The slide show included photos of Misery Island Pirate Day, race team adventures both at regattas and exploring off-shore islands, and daily sailing out in Manchester Harbor. Many MSA participants received mention and awards during the evening. Five sailors particularly stood out during the season and they received MSA's major perpetual awards. Bobby Macleod received the Walt Tompkins Award for being the most improved sailor of the season. Bobby started in the intermediate Opti class, Bosuns, and moved confidently up to the afternoon advanced Bosuns II class. David's Seamanship Award went to Ben Bichet and Robby Perkins, 420 sailors in the afternoon Mariner and morning Skipper classes respectively, for exhibiting David Siljeholm's love of being on the water. This award includes tuition at a BOATWISE safe boating or basic navigation class. The Everett Morss Award, which is displayed in the Sovereign Bank in Manchester center, was presented to Walter Hunnewell, who demonstrated exemplary skill in the handling of small boats under all weather conditions. Walter is an outstanding crew on the 420 race team. The recipient of our fourth award actually already received national recognition for his actions on the water this summer. The Carl Magee Award, which is named for Manchester Yacht Club's manager of thirty years, is presented each year to "the MSA sailor who most embodies the ideals of sportsmanship, including respect for officials, fellow competitors and him or herself, and seamanship, including respect for his or her sailboat and the sea." The award went to Optimist Race Team member Andy Creighton, both for his general competency on the water, and for coming to the aid of a fellow regatta competitor at the Mass Bay Junior Olympic Regatta in Scituate earlier in August. Andy sacrificed his top five regatta finish to aid a younger racer when her boat swamped. These actions not only earned Andy the Mass Bay Sportsmanship Award, but he was also named US Sailing "Sailor of the Week" that week. Carl Magee would have been proud of Andy. Andy was not present to receive his award, because he was off on a multi-week sailing adventure in Maine with his twin brother Sam and his parents, just the way a nationally recognized sailor should be spending the final weeks of summer. As we stow the MSA craft for the winter, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all who make our sailing season successful, including but not limited to the Manchester Yacht Club, the Town of Manchester, the Hooper fund, Crocker's Boat Yard, our many financial donors, our knowledgeable and enthusiastic instructors, our supportive parents, and our fun-loving sailors who arrive with smiles everyday, rain or shine. See you next season!
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