Fall Ball and Annual Awards Ceremony

The Fall Ball was a lovely evening celebrating our club and members' achievements. Since 1959, the Fall Ball has been a tradition. It celebrates our club, our members, recognizes racing season winners, and honors those who have excelled on the racecourse and in support of our club.  

I want to give a big thank you to Cait Tribett, Kim Tribett and Garrett McLaurin for their hard work in putting together such an elegant evening at a wonderful venue. It was a night filled with laughter, heartfelt speeches, and a sense of community that truly embodies the spirit of GMSC. 

2024 Overall Fleet Winners: 

• Y-Flyer Overall – Ben Guise and multiple crew members including Sherri Jo McLemore, Darin Jones, Jack Mulhollan, Mary Michaels, and Blake Byrd  

• Flying Scot Overall - Derrick and Gwynn Van Valkenburg 

• Hobie Overall – David Nigus 

• Centerboard Champion – Drew Daugherty and Nicole Class Moore 

• A-Fleet Overall – Nicole Class Moore and crew Yates Phillips, Jack Mulhollan 

• B-Fleet Overall – James Corriveau and crew Neil Zeman and Alex Davidson

Congratulations to GMSC Club Award Winners  

GMSC honors the 5 individuals annually with our special club awards including:  

• Rookie of the Year - Recognizing the newest sailor to join the races, test the waters and apply themselves.  The award went to Jeremy Brooks.  
• Most valuable centerboard crew - Recognizing exceptional crew work during the 2024 Centerboard Series.  The award went to Gwynn Van Valkenburg. 
• Most valuable keelboat crew - Recognizing exceptional crew work during the 2023-24 Keelboat Series.  The award went to Jeff Olm. 
• Most improved skipper - Recognizing the skipper that made the most progress and had breakthrough moments during the season. This award went to Yates Phillips. 
• Linda Sexton Memorial Service Award - Recognizing the person that served the club to the greatest extent in terms of volunteerism over the past year.  This award went to Mary Michaels. 

GMSC Northern Star Lifetime Achievement Award

This year, a special award, the GMSC Northern Star Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented to Drew Daughtery at the Fall Ball for his significant contributions to our club over a long period of time. This award differs from the Linda Sexton Memorial Service Award, which acknowledges achievements in a specific year. Drew's dedication and long-term commitment to the club have been truly outstanding and his impact immeasurable. 

The Northern Star award is not given annually (not since 2013), rather members can submit a nomination to the Commodore at any time, which is then voted on by the board.  

Prior to Drew, this award has only been given to 5 members: Max Mehlburger, Jon Claas, Chet Hight, Chuck Blair and Fred Kittler 

 Drew was nominated based on the following significant contributions to our club:

•  Drew embodies our club mission – RACING. He encourages, helps, teaches others, and helps them obtain boats to promote racing
•  He has served as commodore, held various board positions consistently, attended all types of Club meetings, participated in work parties, and conducted teaching session. 
•  He has been the recipient of the Shirley Rush Sportsmanship Award and the Linda Sexton Service AwardHis racing achievements are impressive and include winning the Y-flyer Nationals (4X), GMSC Centerboard championship (16x), GMSC keelboat championship (4X), and numerous Y-flyer fleet championships
•  While his dedicated service to the Club and personal accomplishments are exceptional, his greatest contribution has been the impact of his decade-long leadership in US Sailing, the national governing body of sailing, and leadership in the Y-flyer national fleet, furthering the bylaws-enshrined purpose of GMSC: The promotion of sailboat competition.
•  With the support of club members, he has inspired enthusiastic participation in US Sailing and class association regattas, including hosting three CoC regattas here, all raising national awareness of the excellence of our small inland lake sailing club. 

Successful and Fun (yes, fun!) Silt Fence Work Party 

We had a very successful work party on December 14 to install a silt fence around the construction site for Kiko's Corner, which is necessary for preventing soil erosion and protecting the environment. Despite the rainy day, this dedicated group of over 20 folks showed up, put on their boots and rain gear, grabbed shovels, and worked tirelessly to dig trenches and secure the silt fence around the site. The teamwork displayed was inspiring, and it was a fantastic opportunity for members to connect and contribute while getting a little muddy!

Welcome to our New Members!

We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our new members who have recently joined the club.  

Mark and Karen Hallquist joined as regular members with an Ensign 

Steven Dearing, Hunter Windle, Burt Taggart, Miam Carlisle & Joe Westfall, Robert Hoke, Asher Parvu, Alberic Le Sellier de Chezelles & family, and Lori & Chad Brown all joined as associate members.  Many after taking our Intro to Sailing course. 

Please join us in welcoming them and making them feel at home. 

 We say goodbye to Wesley Emeneker & family,  Beau Cooper, Robert Briley, and Rory McCoy.  

 At 214 members, our membership is at one of the highest levels we have seen as a club! We have 85 associate members, 129 regular members for a total of 214 members of GMSC.