Fleet # 163 wins the Flying Scot Sailing Association competition for “Fleet of the Year” in 2009

Flying Scot Fleet # 163 at Lake Nockamixon won the prestigious “Fleet of the Year” Award for 2009 from the Flying Scot Sailing Association. The Award was presented before an audience of over 200 sailors at the FSSA Annual Meeting during the 2009 North American Championships at Ephraim YC, Wisconsin. Fleet Secretary, Mike Noone, accepted the Award on behalf of the Fleet. The FSSA “Fleet of the Year” is awarded in a hotly-contested competition between Flying Scot Fleets from all parts of the country. There are over 120 active Flying Scot Fleets in the US and Canada, and the competition is a quantitative assessment of the performance of each Fleet against specific benchmarks. These benchmarks include, the number of active Fleet Members, the Fleet growth in 2009, the number of Fleet races and average participation, the number of special Fleet events, the Fleet participation in National events, articles by Fleet Members in the Class magazine, frequency of Fleet communications, creative ideas to encourage Flying Scot sailing, etc, etc. Fleet # 163 had the highest score for 2009, and, in fact, had the highest score that has been seen in the competition in recent years.

Fleet # 163 at Lake Nockamixon was Chartered by the FSSA in 1987 with 7 initial Members – 3 of whom are still associated with the Fleet. As a result of the enthusiasm of the local Scot sailors, the great strength of the Flying Scot Class, and the strong construction of this comfortable family sailboat/one-design racer, the Fleet has grown to be the largest One-Design Fleet in the Club. The Flying Scot is also the most popular sailboat at Lake Nockamixon and can be seen sailing on almost every day in the sailing season. The Flying Scot has been in continuous production since 1957 and is still produced from the original molds in the factory that the designer, Sandy Douglass, operated. The oldest boat in Fleet # 163 is boat # 520 built in the early 1960’s and owned by the same family for over 40 years. A great testimony to the success of the Flying Scot is reflected in the fact that boat # 520 is still competitive with boats built in 2009 with numbers approaching # 6000

Fleet of the Year plaque

Fleet 163 Fleet of the Year

The Fleet celebrated their “big win” during the Annual Fleet Picnic at the Evelev’s place on the Delaware River which was held on the weekend that the Trophy was traveling from Wisconsin !! The fun celebrations, wearing of commemorative polo shirts, and other party activities will continue for some time. The Fleet has experienced a great year at Nockamixon with 3 brand new boats participating in Fleet races, and the formation of a Cruising Fleet for those sailors who prefer not to race. Flying Scot Fleet # 163 is now the largest One-Design Fleet in the Nockamixon Sail Club with 26 Racing Members and 8 Cruising Members. The Fleet has nearly 50 Members on its local Roster.

A significant highlight of Fleet # 163 activities in 2009 was the participation of 5 Fleet boats in the FSSA Wife-Husband National Championships in Massachusetts in July. This was a new record for Fleet # 163 participation at this National event; previously we had 4 boats at the 2005 Regatta at West River on the Chesapeake Bay. In 2009, Fleet # 163 crews finished in 3rd, 4th and 5th places in the Challenger Regatta.

Fleet # 163 Wife-Husband Teams with their Awards at the 2009 Championships in Massachusetts in July.

Another highlight of 2009 was the great competition within the “Challenge of the Lakes” Racing Series between Flying Scot Fleets # 163 at Nockamixon and # 184 at Hunterdon Sailing Club, Spruce Run, NJ. This 7th Annual Series had its Grand Finale at NSC on Halloween, October 31 !! 26 Flying Scot teams competed in the 2009 Series, and 11 boats earned “Top 3” Scores. As in previous years, the Series Winners were not determined until the final day of racing – a Treat for Halloween !!

“Challenge of the Lakes” Winners and their Awards at the Regatta at Spruce Run, New Jersey, in August.

Written by Mike Noone 10/27/2009