Dear RYC Members,
As we welcome the New Year, I am pleased to share that the Club is well along in its planning for 2026. Our Cruise calendar is already robust, thanks to the efforts of Dennis Jud. Race Chair Laura Shields-Haas has organized our Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association (GMORA) involvement and introduced a brand-new GMORA-sanctioned pursuit race for the upcoming season, the Race to The Graves. Our Activities Chair, Liz vonFelten, has the season laid out on the Club's calendar, which you will find on our website. All these activities will make for a fun and engaging year ahead.
Membership Chairs Julie and Russ Moser, in collaboration with ExComm, have structured the 2026 membership season and distributed dues requests to all members. While online payment remains available, submitting a check helps us avoid bank processing fees.
I encourage all members to assist in recruiting new individuals and families to RYC. Although membership fluctuates each season, recent years have underscored the impact of senior members aging out or relocating. We often encounter prospective members who were previously unaware of the Club's existence. The updated membership application and renewal form now includes volunteer interest questions —please use this opportunity to share your ideas or reach out to me directly at tim.woodworth@outlook.com.
I am delighted to announce that our new Treasurer, David Mokler, began his role in January. David, a member of the Finance Committee, has collaborated with Ken von Felten to finalize the 2026 budget and ensure operational alignment. This Club officer is central to our leadership, and we warmly welcome David to ExComm.
The Waterfront Committee, under Chair Ken von Felten, has been diligently preparing for the 2026 mooring season. If you are interested in securing an RYC mooring, please complete the updated application on our website and contact Ken promptly, as demand normally exceeds supply and all moorings are allocated to members on a first-come first-served basis.
Our Communications Committee, led by Russ Moser, maintains a significant presence and works to enhance public awareness of the Club. We value new ideas and skills in this area; please connect with Russ for further details.
The Scholarship Regatta, managed year-round by Randy Pickelmann, continues to support Youth Sailing in Rockland Harbor and has become a celebrated tradition. The event features a relaxed sailing race followed by a festive gathering. Mark your calendar for August 15th and come participate by sea, by land, or (preferably) by both.
RYC is well positioned for an outstanding 2026 season, and I look forward to seeing everyone at our Spring Fling on May 2nd, the Nautical Yard Sale on May 23rd, the Solstice Regatta on June 20th, our fun new pursuit Race to the Graves on July 19th, and at other future events.
Best Regards,
Tim Woodworth
Commodore
Golden Hour, McGlathery IslandThis time of year, with the Launch and Race Committee boats tucked away for the winter, activity for the Waterfront Committee is slow — but it does exist. We are working with the Rockland Harbormaster and Fields Dive service to optimize the Club's mooring fleet. The Club currently has 10 moorings, and we are interested in acquiring more to generate revenue. If you are aware of anyone with a mooring in Rockland Harbor who is leaving the harbor or transitioning out of boating, please ask them to consider donating their mooring to RYC.
If you are in need of a seasonal mooring, the RYC website has the updated 2026 Mooring Rental information available: https://rocklandyachtclub.org/index.php/moorings. Please reach out to me with any questions at kvonfelten@gmail.com.
The Waterfront Committee will be sending out a letter to area businesses interested in advertising on the RYC Launch. These sponsorships are real win-win propositions for the businesses and the Club. Our Launch transported over 900 transient boaters last year, and the drivers gave recommendations about area businesses and attractions. If you have contacts at a business that might be interested in this kind of advertising, please email me with their contact information.
If you have not been down to Rockland Harbor recently, there's activity about: the SafeHarbors marina to the southeast of the city docks has begun dredging as part of its expansion plans, shown on the left below.
That's all for now. Summer's coming, believe it or not!
Ken von Felten<br><strong>Waterfront Committee</strong>
SafeHarbors Rockland
SafeHarbors Rockland
Let’s Cruise!
I hope you all had a great Christmas, Hanukkah, and a fine start to the New Year! With winter fun and travel adventures upon us, I still find myself thinking about our launch date and getting Gray Lady floating again.
Save the Date – April 4, 2026
As noted before, there was some keen interest in doing a multi-day cruise up or down the coast. More than half of members interested in group cruises wanted to do some kind of extended cruise, so we’d now like to collectively put some meat on those bones at a 2026 Cruise Planning Meeting.
That meeting will take place on Saturday, April 4, in the afternoon. The exact time and location are TBD, either at the Club or someone’s home, depending on whether the Clubhouse water pipes are still frozen! There will also be presentations at the meeting about members’ experiences sailing along the coast. There is so much to see in our amazing cruising grounds, and many of those places are just a few days’ sail away. The options are many, including northeast toward Swans, Opechee, Mt. Desert, Schoodic... even Mistake and Roque Islands. Or southwest to Mussel Ridge, Muscongus, Linekin, Boothbay, Potts Harbor. How rewarding to share those magical places with friends!
As for weekend meet-ups, aside from our regular opportunities (July 4th, Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, etc.), we have two fantastic events planned:
Wooden Boat School – July 31
This will be a truly unique event at the Wooden Boat School. It includes a Friday night Lobster Bake at the School, followed by a presentation by Dudley Dix, renowned South African yacht designer of the Shearwater 39 – a fantastic boat – as well as the Shearwater 45, the Cruising World Magazine “Boat of the Year” when it came out. He’s designed many other sailboats, large and small, including the recent Naskeag 16, a beautiful little sailboat that is now being built at the Wooden Boat School. He’ll be there the last week in July to wrap up the project. I asked him, and he is willing to give us a tour/presentation about its design and construction. The cost of the lobster bake is $40/person. There is no minimum number of people; the School just needs to make sure they have enough lobsters. Tour and presentation are at no additional cost.
And the timing is perfect, as the main event of the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta is scheduled for the next day, Aug 1. You’ll be in a perfect spot! However, it might be prudent to get there on Thursday or earlier, as the anchorage will fill up with Regatta spectators.
Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership Presentation – August 22
We have arranged with Hurricane Island CS&L to give us a presentation about their initiatives, programs, etc. Kids welcome! Probably an hour or so in the afternoon. This would be followed by a self-directed walk on their trails. Happy hours/dinners to follow back on our boats off-island. No alcohol on the island, unless as part of a one of their structured events, which we will not be doing.
The fee is $25/person, which includes the cost of a mooring ($25). Rafting up is possible at their "4 strong moorings," as long as the boats aren't too big. As we get closer, they will help us organize that. And there is plenty of room for dinghies at their dock.
We will need commitments by April 10 for them to plug it into their schedule. Again, we can talk about that more at the Cruise Planning Meeting.
Dennis Jud<br><strong>Cruise Committee</strong>
“Racing a Sunfish at the 2025 World Championships in Ecuador!”
This is what supporting youth sailing is all about: encouraging local sailors, getting them out on the water, and helping them grow through opportunities like racing in our Etchells fleet and our annual Scholarship Regatta. It leads to varied sailing experience, camaraderie, leadership opportunities, and events like this one.
Please join Chris Schreiber, an up-and-coming sailor from the Rockland Yacht Club, as he shares his experiences competing this past December at the Sunfish World Championships in Salinas, Ecuador. Chris has competed in multiple one-design classes over the years, including Sunfish, Laser, Rhodes 19, Etchells, and more.
Chris will highlight what it took to qualify, prepare for a world championship, travel internationally, and compete in an outstanding global regatta.
We hope you can attend!
Sponsored by Rockland Yacht Club.
When: February 18, 2026 | 6:30–7:30 PM Eastern
Where: Via Zoom (invite to follow)
To attend, email John Majkut at jmajkut03@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link a few days before the event.
John Majkut
Sunfish at the 2025 World ChampionshipsEarly Bird Special:
GMORA and PHRF New England are open for 2026 membership and certificate renewal.
Follow this link: https://www.regattaman.com/mem_reg.php?org=70&yr=2026
Once your payment has been received, you will receive a link that will take you to your most recent certificate data:
Please do not use the CREATE NEW APPLICATION FOR PHEF NE HANDICAP CERTIFICATE. If your boat has had a PHRF certificate from PHRF NE since 2013, your changes to a previous certificate can best be accomplished following item #2 above: Select the EDIT& SUBMIT tab which will bring up the 2026 application pre-filled with your most recent data.
Please note: If you have a new (to you) boat, select the CREATE NEW APPLICATION FOR PHRF NE HANDICAP CERTIFICATE tab. If PHRF NE issued your new boat a certificate since 2013, there is a tab to easily transfer the boat data from the previous owner to your 2025 application. If you have any questions about this, please ask: dslogan39@gmail.com.
Limited Time Savings Offer: To encourage you to submit your 2026 PHRF certificate application sooner rather than later, GMORA ($10) and PHRF NE ($5) are offering you a $15 rebate on your 2026 Regular membership dues if you submit your PHRF certificate application no later than March 31, 2026. You will receive an email advising you that your rebate has been processed. The rebate will appear on your credit card statement. If you have multiple boats, this offer is good only on the first boat. The rebate applies only to the Regular membership.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Don Logan, GMORA Handicapper: dslogan39@gmail.com
NWSA/SCYA Women's Sailing Conference
March 20–22, 2026 • Long Beach Yacht Club, California
For more information, here’s the link.
New Racing Event in 2026!
RC is adding the Race to The Graves pursuit race to our 2026 calendar in mid-July to encourage sailors of all levels of experience to come out and join the fun. This race specifically targets our members who have not yet gotten their boats to the starting line of RYC’s summer season of racing events. That said, we encourage all new and experienced sailors to join us.
A pursuit race has boats starting at different times based on their PHRF NE (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet New England) rating – a staggered start. The slowest boat starts first, and the fastest boat starts last. Everyone has their own designated start time and the first boat to cross the finish line wins the race. Easy! This race will start south of the ferry channel in Rockland Harbor and round The Graves (G “13” Gong USCG buoy), northeast of Rockport Harbor – hence the name – with a return to Rockland Harbor for the finish. All are invited back to the Clubhouse to gather round the Tiki Bar and enjoy a luau-themed meal while trading race experiences. Check out all RYC’s 2026 racing events below or hop onto Regattaman.com to see what all the Maine clubs are up to this season!
Save the dates! And get these into your 2026 calendar!
RYC’s 2026 racing schedule:
Tuesday Night Racing series: 9 June – 8 September
Solstice Race: 20 June
Race to The Graves: 18 July
Scholarship Race: 15 August
Maine Rocks: 12 – 13 September
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, suggestions, or concerns.
Laura Shields-Haas<br><strong>Race Committee</strong>
Finn can’t wait for boating season to start!
Why the sign? He gets a biscuit every time someone renews their membership in the Rockland Yacht Club at rocklandyachtclub.org. Details are in your email inbox dated January 16th.
Tell your friends and encourage them to join the fun at RYC!
If you have questions, please reach out to us. Julie Moser Russ Moser
Julie & Russ Moser<br><strong>Membership Committee</strong>
The books are closed for 2025, and we are looking forward to 2026 on a solid financial footing as well as with new leadership coming aboard. I'm extremely pleased that Finance Committee member David Mokler has recently joined the ExComm as part of assuming the Treasurer's position. Join me in welcoming David to this role and thanking him for stepping up to take on an important task on RYC's behalf. David and I will work together on the Treasurer's duties for a few months, then he will take over completely.
The Finance Committee is developing a template in conjunction with the Club's 2025 Annual Financial Report to use as a recurring organizational method that will add transparency to our finances. We expect to release the report prior to submission of RYC's IRS 990EZ tax documents in May.
If you have an interest or aptitude in finance, please consider joining the Club's Finance Committee. It's a happening place!
Ken von Felten<br><strong>Finance Committee</strong>
Last year’s Scholarship Race was a huge success, raising over $7,000 for youth sailing programs and education in Rockland, but we aren’t satisfied! As it continues to grow, we need your help. Please consider joining the team. Help us improve this great event and have fun at the same time! Email me at rwp_48@yahoo.com.
Randy Pickelmann<br><strong>Scholarship Steering Committee</strong>
Starting up a New Year! The statement, “Many hands make light work” definitely applies here. If anyone has interest in helping with Club communications please email me at russellmoser@gmail.com. I will also reach out to those who indicate they are interested in communications on the signup form.
Getting involved could include:
Even small contributions help keep everyone informed and connected throughout the year.
Russ Moser<br><strong>Communications Committee</strong>
Brian Guck
The 2026 RYC Calendars are still available for only $20/each. Coordinate with Caroline Stetler to get one. You can meet up with her, or she can leave one for you at the Clubhouse. Caroline can mail a calendar to you, although the price will include postage and materials. Email Caroline at carolineknopf@me.com
To see the 78 submitted photos that were voted on to choose the ones used in the calendar, in no particular order click here. We have some amazing photographers in the Club!
Russ Moser
🧹 April 25 (Sat) — Spring Cleanup
🕘 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Help get the Club ready for the season. Many hands make light work!
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🎉 April 17 & 24 (Fridays) — Member Season Kickoff
Celebrate the start of another great boating season with fellow members.
Details to follow.
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🌸 May 2 (Sat) — Spring Fling
🕓 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Join us for food, drinks, and good company at the Clubhouse.
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💸 May 23 (Sat) — RYC Nautical Yard Sale
🕘 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Donate, shop, and support the Club. Proceeds benefit RYC programs.
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🍻 Social Wednesdays — June through August
A relaxed mid-week gathering with friends at the Clubhouse.
Dates include: June 17 & 24; July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; August 5, 12, 19 & 26.
More details to come.
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️ Men’s Lunch — Monthly (May–September)
A standing tradition and a great excuse to gather.
Meet at Trackside Station at Noon.
Held on the 4th Wednesday each month: May 27 • Jun 24 • Jul 29 • Aug 26 • Sep 30 • Oct 28
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⛵ June 9 — September 8
Tuesday Night Sail Racing series
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🌞 June 20 (Sat) — Summer Solstice Race
Celebrate the longest day of the year with friendly competition on the water.
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⛵ July 18 (Sat) — The Race to The Graves (pursuit race)
Come out and try our new, simple, and fun race, then partake of the Tiki Bar and luau-themed meal in the Clubhouse.
More details to come.
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⛵ August 7–9 (Fri–Sun) — Maine Boats & Homes Show (Harbor Park & City Docks)
Stop by and represent RYC at this popular regional event.
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🎓 August 15 (Sat) — Scholarship Regatta
Race for a great cause, supporting youth sailing and education in Rockland.
Festivities at the Clubhouse to follow.
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🪨 September 12–13 (Sat–Sun) — Maine Rocks Race
RYC's premier offshore race weekend.
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️ September 19 (Sat) — Annual Meeting and Lobster Bake
Join us for important Club updates and election of next year's flag officers.
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🥘 October 15 (Thu) — Harvest Potluck
Celebrate the season with great food and excellent company.
More details to come.
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📋 Executive Committee Meetings — Monthly
Held online the third Thursday of the month 17:15 to 19:00 to support Club planning and operations.
Dates include February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and November.
Open to all members. Email the Commodore two days before for a link.
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