Joe Hornstra
By Charles Segebrecht
Joe Hornstra has recently found he cannot not sail. Following our tempting (we don’t like to compete alone), he raced his Laser on several Sundays … and as it happens, quickly become another one of us addicts. We sailors are sympathetic to his plight, knowing personally of human frailty and how easily one can succumb to the intoxicating trappings of nautical lore, cool stainless hardware, puzzling sailing vernacular, sinewy yacht lines, unique wind & sail sounds and exquisite competition. He’s going down a wayward path leading to great expense, lost weekends, perpetual boat envy and always wanting to sheet-in to ride the edge of near-capsize yearning for just one more dopamine fix. With Joe newly indoctrinated and certainly hooked, we welcome him into the LQYC fold.
Gathering people together with a similar addiction can sometimes help an individual with his or her own plight by allowing them to more clearly see they are not alone. Personal flaws become more apparent to the individual, ramifications of their waywardness become clearer and their desire to personally heal can grow stronger as they become more honest with themselves. Interesting how it doesn’t work this way within the Yacht Club gatherings. In fact, the opposite is true. A powerful reward system–not unlike the one found with LQ golfers, or LQ equestrians, or LQ gardeners or LQ bowlers–manifests itself as we assemble by actually nurturing our common affliction. We sail and revel together, validating each other’s like imperfections while on the water and at the marina. This reward system within the Yacht Club providing us sailors/friends a strong addictive pleasure proves to be simply our community at work.
So we fragile sailors/friends will remain crippled. Joe will never recover. When a die-hard sailor like Chris Dalin, now living in San Marcos, CA, presents the Yacht Club with a significant cash gift as he recently did, he knowingly contributes to our affliction. When Colin Hayden recently donated a refrigerator to our cause, he also contributed. When Donis and Don Peck gave the Yacht Club a complete sail board setup, they fed into our reward system, thereby preserving addiction. When Jill Ferrel sailed for her first time on a recent Sunday with good friend and experienced sailor, Gene, she unknowingly validated our Club diversion as she also began to dabble with a possible new personal addiction.
The Lake and Residential Committee and Board of Directors have recently also contributed, not only to the Yacht Club, but to the entire community. Thank them, regardless of your diversion preference–golf, garden, bowling, equestrian, sailing, etc.–for seriously guarding everyone’s number one community asset, the lake, against a Zebra Mussel infestation.
After considerable research, contemplation, personal time expended and deliberation, they have come up with a temporary protocol allowing boats not requiring a trailer to enter the Lake (kayaks, canoes, sailboats) to travel off-lake and return following a 140 degree washing (at boat owner’s expense and by a defined vendor) and a ninety day quarantine period–with no exceptions. The Kansas Fish and Game recommends only a fourteen day quarantine or washing.
I applaud the Committee and Board for perhaps erring in the direction of caution, requiring both a much longer quarantine and the hot water washing. Do recognize their seriousness. The mussel issue is absolutely nothing for a Lake Quivira resident to take cavalierly.
The National’s Regatta for the Sweet 16s is scheduled for the second weekend of September and will be held this year at Twin Lakes, Iowa. A respectable group of sailors (perhaps in number only) will be representing Lake Quivira in this year’s event. Lake Quivira hosted the Nationals’ event last year with 28 participants – and we probably have hosted for the last time at our Lake venue because of the Zebra Mussel issue.
Upon our return from Twin Lakes to Lake Quivira property, all our participating boats will be placed into the ninety-day quarantine after the contracted and requisite hot water power washing. And then shortly thereafter, we afflicted sailors will begin the typical withdrawal symptoms from the season. . . and we and everyone around us will begin to hope for ice very soon.
Definition: sheet-in – a sheet on a yacht is a rope used to maneuver a sail’s surface area farther out to sometimes relieve pressure or in to sometimes increase wind pressure
Diversion: The Chicago-to-Mackinac Island Regatta is the world’s longest fresh water regatta. The 102nd race event was recently held from July 23 to July 25. Go to www.mackinacblog.com
