Groton Long Point Yacht Club

Groton Long Point, CT 06340  860-536-0242

Blue Jay Fleet No. 84

The opportunity to write this article on the Blue Jay Fleet of the Groton Long Point Yacht Club brings to mind many wonderful memories of my father, Wilbur F. Young 111. His Yacht Club program of sailing instruction inspired a tradition of stewardship, seamanship, and friendly competition which has been passed along to generations of Groton Long Point sailors. Each year, the Yacht Club pays tribute to him with the Wilbur F. Young Award, which is presented to the student from each Sea Shell and Blue Jay class who best exemplifies this worthy tradition of sportsmanship.

In 1950, Sparkman and Stephens, Inc., built the first Blue Jay. Six years later, Rear Commodore Wilbur Purrington saw this One-Design class as the most desirable class between the smaller Sea Shells and the larger Lightnings. In his November, 1956, report to the Yacht Club he wrote: "We have picked the Blue Jay for the following reasons: reasonable costs, size 13'611, similar to a Lightning for future experience, availability of outside competition, and apparently it is the fastest growing class of small boats. The Blue Jay offers big performance with ease of handling. Youngsters find her rig short enough for them to sail, yet her ability delights Dad. The cockpit is large and comfortable to prevent leg cramps. Her remarkable stability makes her wonderful for the whole family yet she responds beautifully. Two people can easily load her on a trailer." Arrangements were made to acquire the boats in either kit form, semi-finished form, or completely finished form, from Robert's Kit Kraft, Inc. of Branford, Connecticut.

In 1957, six Blue Jay owners organized and petitioned the International Blue Jay Class Association for a charter. Charter No. 84 was granted to Rick Crolius, Jack Egan, Sandy Shaw, Rick Staff, Brooks Young and Connie Young. Weekly races were held and Commodore Wilbur F. Young instituted a comprehensive program of sailing instruction known as the Junior Sailing Program.

My father would instruct us from his own boat, the ketch "Chantey." My mother recalls that it looked like a mother hen with her chicks sailing around off Main Beach. My sister recently reflected on those days on the Blue Jay built for her by my father, sail number 1644: "We never quit a race. Everyone finished no matter how long it took unless we got a tow from the "Me Too" (the committee boat bequeathed to the Yacht Club by Jerry Duryea). Marcia Hall, always loyal, would help me clean up the boat and stow the sails. Exhausted, we trudged home to Club House Point. Marcia lived next door. Especially, and most importantly, I remember my introduction to friendship and that, if it's strong enough, it can survive the rigors and tensions of Blue Jay racing. I remembered that we seemed to be in the way of a lot of the "A" boats' start, bobbing about on the line as Ted Knowlton on the "Duck" and the rest of the "A" fleet barreled down on us. It was terrifying!"

I'll always remember the day my Blue Jay arrived in Groton Long Point. I was 10 years old and my mother arrived with a boat. I asked her what it was and she informed me it was a Blue Jay. Mind you at that point in my life nobody in our family ever knew how to tie a knot, let alone rig a Blue Jay.

We promptly headed to Van Zantz loft in Noank to buy a set of sails and to the Mystic Library to buy a book on "How to Sail." The first two years I spent at the mercy of the elements being towed in and out of the Lagoon by fellow yachtsmen feeling the responsibility to rescue a fellow boater in need.

My first crewman was John Holstein who raced with me for less than half of a season before purchasing his own Blue Jay and eventually dominating the fleet.

It was a humble beginning but I managed to survive the Blue Jay class and move on to the Lightning Class.

By 1964, some of the sailors had graduated in the Lightnings and new members had joined the Blue Jay fleet (Debbie Steigerwalt, John Holstein, Tom and Lea Doran, and JoAnn Reed.) I think that it is a great tribute to the Junior Sailing Program that some of its graduates have gone on to serve the Yacht Club as sailing instructors (Brooks Young, John Holstein, Rick Berggren, Connie Young, Brick Fisher, Sarah Steere, Gail Wiley and others.)

By 1978, the Blue Jay fleet had grown to twenty-two boats. The fleet showed an interest not only in racing at Groton Long Point, but also in racing at other clubs. A Blue Jay petition signed by all of its captains was presented to Vice Commodore Bud Colson requesting that those who wished to race at other club-sponsored regattas be allowed two "throw outs" for both July and August, rather than being penalized with a "did not start." Yacht Club approval of the new scoring system (the fleet eventually adopted the CoxSprague system of scoring ) opened up a new chapter of invitational regattas and inter-club racing sponsored by the Fishers Island Sound Yacht Racing Association.

The sailing instructors remained in the Yacht Club program until their vocational pursuits took precedence. One exception in this trend was the untimely death of Brick Fisher. I know that I speak for the twenty-two captains and their crews when I say that Brick was greatly admired and respected. His spirited enthusiasm for the sport and his gentle yet challenging manner of teaching set a style of leadership that the Yacht Club continues to encourage in its instructors. The Brick Fisher Award is awarded annually to the person deemed to have been the Yacht Club's best instructor for that year.

The Blue Jay Fleet didn't just race and have sailing instruction. The sailors also enjoyed day picnics and overnight excursions. Brooks Young remembers one of the first trips in the early 60's: "Dad had this idea to take two Blue Jays to Ram Island for an overnight. He would be there on "Chantey." We were so excited we told Sarah Purrington and somehow she became included in the plan. This meant three on a boat built for two, and one soggy skipper sleeping on the foredeck."

Some twenty years later, as Sailing Master, I took the fleet to Napatree Point for an overnight. With Dudley and Janet Cotton's "Red Eye" as convoy, we safely reached our destination, but the real adventure happened after dark. I shall not mention names so that the fiction of innocence may be maintained, but all I could think of when I saw the bonfire on the beach at midnight was "Lord of the Flies." I don't think anyone got much sleep, except the bemused captain of the "Red Eye." The following day, with winds in excess of fifteen knots, Captain Cotton managed to tow everyone clear of the channel so that they could sail home. As the fleet sailed past Groton Long Point, I remember seeing several anxious parents waiting for us on East Shore. I am proud to say that many of these Blue Jay sailors are now blue water sailors.

One of the benefits of interclub racing is the exposure it provides to other club's sailing instruction facilities. The Coast Guard Academy's floating dock, for example, provided for a centralized program. Students with their boats could congregate for a demonstration and then be quickly launched for practice. At the December 1982 meeting of the Board of Governors of the Groton Long Point Yacht Club, pictures of some Association floats, which Paul Twing had moved near his house in order to observe the effect of the tide, were discussed. A plan to relieve congestion in the Lagoon and provide mooring space for larger craft was prepared for presentation to the Club. It was decided that floating docks would be placed opposite the Casino on the West Shore side. They would be 60 feet long and would hold eight Blue Jays. Thanks to Jim Egan's persistent efforts, the An-ny Corps of Engineers granted a permit the following year. Rusty Sergeant drew up the plans, the Quinn brothers constructed the float, and Wilbur F. Young III engineered its actual operation. This facility continues to be the hub of the Junior Sailing Program to this day.

There are so many Blue Jay sailors that to list them all would make this article look too much like the phone book. One event comes to mind, however, because so many of the fleet performed so well. It was the President's Cup Race of 1983. Of the thirty-one boats entered, Peter McDonnell and Woody Bergendahl placed 15th overall. Peb Bergendahl and Kingo Twing finished 10th. Peter Podurgiel and Ian Gallagher placed fifth and Amanda Gallagherand Michael Byme came home with a third place trophy. This was one of the Junior Sailing Program's finest hours.

The combination of talented instructors and a comprehensive sailing instruction program has continued to produce champions. In 1995, Jamie Rodgers and Graham Roth finished 4th in the Blue Jay President's Cup Division and Tammy Passano received the Allegra K. Mertz Perpetual for the highest placing female skipper at the Blue Jay Nationals.

After finding out that I was asked to write this article on the Blue Jay Fleet, Sailing Master Trina Passano sent me a 1994 Team GLP tee-shirt that I think captures the spirit of the present Fleet No. 84:

The Ten Top Reasons to Sail for G.L.P.Y.C.

10. We hosted the biggest regatta of the season

                9. We have a "Radio Shack" model TV-69 megaphone that plays 99 songs

8. The "Privateer" is no "Salle"

7. Norwegian Wood is right up the sound

6. It's always blowing hard off Main Beach

5. Ganga Burgers with ketchup, mustard, and an extra long Kosher dill

4. Kateri always comes on time

3. Trina's Head ... enough. said

2. Our drinking team has a sailing program

1. It's not whether you win or lose, it's what yacht club you sail for !

A successful Junior Sailing Program takes the active support of parents like Dick and Gracia Wiley who instituted the Parent Committee in 1976; the guiding wisdom of Yacht Club officials like Wilbur Puffington, Bud Colson, Bruce Small, Bill Newell, Frank Murphy, and others; assistant sailing instructors and the sailing staff of boat handlers like Bob Jennings, Tim Conti, Ed Starzec, and others; and Groton Long Point people like Leo McDonnell, Dick and Alice Butler, Jack Egan, Dick Washburn, Jim Godbout, and others, who have been willing to provide convoy to ensure the safety of the sailors while out on the high seas.

Only a few go home with the trophies, but the real winners are all of the Blue Jay skippers who never quit the race, and all of the crew members who remained a friend in spite of the rigors and tensions of racing.