2005

Deep Creek Lake Sailing Association

June 2005 Members of the Month--Marlene and Al Riebel
Marlene and Al Riebel have spent a considerable part of their life’s activities as members of the Turkey Neck Yacht Club. Joining in 1970 they became members of the yacht club’s "Jet Set" as the Jet 14 sailors were called. Once the children showed up Marlene would picnic on the grass at the bottom of the yacht club steps while Al would take the boat out to race. For several summers Al sailed with Leslie Hollander (Smith). At one point during a racing season, Leslie broke her arm. In order to keep racing her parents had the plaster cast changed to a new "high tech" fiberglass cast, which could take the abuse and the water.

These were the years that the Flying Scot fleet meeting generally had a talent show for the entertainment. The Jet fleet was invited on the condition that they would perform in the talent show. One year the skit (written mostly by Paul Kemp) consisted of the Jet sailors pretending to be course marks during a race. As the Scot fleet approached each mark, the ‘mark’ would provide interesting stories as what they saw and heard during the rounding. There may have been a slight exaggeration at times, but most of the funniest stories were fairly accurate. The Scot sailors took it in stride and invited the "Jet Set" back for the next year.

Eventually Marlene and Al bought a Flying Scot, and because the kids still needed supervision, Marlene continued her summer picnics on the grass. During this time Al sailed with Debbie Baron in the "B" fleet. Marlene did try to crew a time or two if she could find a babysitter for their son. She remembers one time when she sailed with Al and could hear their son on shore crying as she passed the yacht club. When she returned to the club she found Baron under the direction of a different babysitter and there may have been another one in between. The first one had given up. No names will be used since the girls are members of the club and mothers of their own children.

Al and Marlene have stayed active in the club for more than 30 years serving on numerous parties and brunches. Al served on the board and as Commodore in the summer of 1996. Marlene wore her "Commodorable" sweatshirt proudly during that time. Marlene is an office manager for a doctor in private practice. Al is an engineer with degrees from the University of South Carolina and Carnegie Mellon University. They have two children, Baron and Ashley, who grew up at the yacht club and still pay close attention to the weekly race results, the "Mainsheet" newsletter and the Dan Muss column each week.

Marlene and Al are grateful to be members of the club that has provided them with many good friends and times. The club is an excellent family oriented group where each of the generations is able to work together and to accomplish a great deal through the individual members talents and efforts.

July 2005 Members of the Month--Frank and Jo-an Wolffe –

Frank and Jo-an Wolffe discovered Deep Creek Lake on a weekend in July 1965 and by the following Thursday had purchased their lot on Pine Tree Point. By the spring of 1966 their cottage was under construction so by August they were able to spend a couple of weeks sleeping on the floor. The next summer Jo-an spent her first of the following 38 summers at the cottage. Frank had visitation rights on the weekends.

Frank and Jo-an joined the Yacht Club in 1968 thanks to Fred Thayer, their neighbor on Pine Tree. The following year Frank purchased FS-160 from Sandy Douglas and learned to sail by crewing for Don Beelar. Don had many interesting sailing theories such as you only tack when the centerboard runs aground. Thereafter for many years, Frank with crew Jo-an, children, or neighbors raced FS-160 until son Tom purchased FS-4701 and Frank became his crew. With Tom as skipper, Frank finally began to win some trophies.

During the summers, Frank and Jo-an’s children--Sue, Tom and John--joined with other kids of Yacht Club members (the Rissells, MacMillians, Hollanders, etc.) to swim, ski and learn to sail. Since then both Sue and Tom have joined the club while John day sails. Sue’s two children Joshua and Julie have also spent their summers at Deep Creek participating in the sailing school program while keeping Frank healthy by compelling frequent swimming in the lake. In 1968 Frank and Jo-an began to spend many winter weekends skiing and snowmobiling.

Over their years of club membership, Frank and Jo-an have been active hosts in the social program. Their first event was a chicken bar-b-que co-hosted with Fred and Diane Thayer. A number of pig roasts followed. Although many members recall the 1992 Filemyr voodoo roast, the most memorable pig roast to Frank was the first one that featured mai tais. The mixture was to be served over crushed ice but none was available so the concoction was cooled with large ice cubes that lacked the diluting ability of crushed ice. After a few of these powerful drinks, the guests discovered the ability of a number of members to swim. Another pig-roast had a dog-patch theme with Marshall Stacy providing a very unique outhouse entry. This event was livened with kick-a-poo joy juice. Other memorable events they hosted included Spanish Night with a flamenco dancer and musicians, Joe’s Diner, and a Commodore’s Ball.

Frank became commodore for the 1991-92 season. During his tenure the Sailing School was started under club sponsorship and the progeny were invited to join the club. This expanded the membership that had been in decline while adding younger members to the sailing fleets. Also during the year, planning was initiated for the club improvements and the Wife-Husband Regatta was held. Frank has also served on the DCYRA and Sailing School Boards.

Frank and Jo-an have been at Deep Creek Lake for 40 years and members of the club for 37 – they feel that their family has been truly fortunate.

August Members of the Month--Iris & Marty Nahemow
In 1979 Iris and I decided to move up from our old wooden Comet to a Flying Scot. We came to Garrett County in late September, tried the Scot and bought 3437, sailing/racing at Moraine State Park. By 1982 it was clear that we could use some lessons in racing. Keith McMillan was teaching for the “Go-Do-Bo-Co”. Barbara Hollander arranged for us to rent Charlie Demaree’s house on Turkey Neck and to be the Hollander’s guests at the Yacht Club.

Our introduction to racing on Deep Creek Lake was the Fourth of July Regatta. We were on a spinnaker run from mark 4 to mark 1. There was a nice wind and the sky was clear. As we passed in front of the Yacht Club a storm hit the fleet from behind. We saw it coming just in time and let our spinnaker sheets free and dropped our main, but five boats ahead never saw it and all turned over. Willie Rissell watched our spinnaker flying wildly with Iris on the floor of the boat underneath the dropped main sail and said, “Well, we’ll never see them again!” 24 years later we’re still here. That summer we camped at the Monkey Lodge Campground and continued sailing with the B fleet. From the first day we felt at home at the Club and felt we had found the right place for our family. We applied for membership that August.

Debbie came to the lake with us that first summer, but returned to college in August. Lisa had been away for the summer, but came to the lake for the first time Labor Day weekend. At 17 she was very uncertain about not knowing anyone at the Commodore’s Reception. Shortly after arriving at Deerhaven, Karen Macmillan approached Lisa saying “We all (the kids) need to stay here for a few more minutes to make our parents happy, but then we are all going out. Ask your parents if you can come – we’ll bring you back to the camp ground.” After that our children became part of the extended family of the Yacht Club Progeny.

In the spring of 1983 we bought an old Airstream trailer and spent the next couple of years at the camp ground with so many DCYC members that it seemed to have become a “club annex”. Iris and I started at the end of the B fleet and after a few years we moved up to Fleet Champions in the B Fleet and I won the Captain Bligh Award. Debbie learned to race by crewing for Al Riebel. Lisa and Kevin Rissell got the Laser fleet restarted; some days they were the only two boats, but they persisted and now there is an active Laser fleet. Iris and I chaired many club functions over the years. Two of the most memorable were a Chinese Banquet and Harry Potter Magic Night.

I chaired Docks and Moorings for several years; then in 1989 I became Commodore, and in 1990 as Rear Commodore, I became chairman of a new Long Range Planning Committee.

When the sailing school started, Iris and Big John Meredith (senior) raised the needed funds. One of Iris’ favorite fundraising stories came from this campaign. Big John approached one of his family members for his contribution. Before John could get out the whole “ask”, the person said “I’ll give you $100.” John replied, “Oh, no you won’t!” The reply was, “OK, $200!” “Oh, no you won’t.” “OK, John, how much do you want?” The person wrote a check for $500. Big John remains one of Iris’ heroes. A couple of years later, Marty and John raised money from the club grandfathers for the purchase of the pirate ship, and the expansion and improvement of the playground.

Our grandchildren have each started in the sailing school when they were six years old. This summer we will have 4 grandchildren and a grandniece in the sailing school. The DCLSA has been a great part of our life, our children’s lives and the lives of our grandchildren for the past 24 years.

Updated 09/28/05