Commodre Judy Reeves
Bay-Waveland Yacht Club and BWYC Commodore Michael J. Carron will be hosting the Gulf Yachting Association Opening Regatta at its beautiful new yacht club facility on the weekend of May 2nd and 3rd, 2009.
Malin Chamberlain (Mrs. Walter G. Chamberlain) is the General Regatta Chairman for this prestigious sailing event. Yacht Clubs and individuals from throughout the 5 state, 33 member yacht club Gulf Yachting Association (GYA) will be competing in sailboats on race courses all over the Bay of St. Louis on that Saturday and Sunday. Please see the attached flyer and the schedule of events.
It should be a spectacular sailing event. One of the highlights of the regatta is that former two term BWYC Commodore and the newly elected GYA Commodore Judy Reeves is being honored as the new Commodore of the Gulf Yachting Association. Judy is a second generation commodore of BWYC and her father the late Dr. Richard E. Reeves served two consecutive terms as commodore of BWYC in the years 1964 and 1965.
Judy is a very accomplished sailing competitor and a national sailing champion having won the Mrs. Francis D. Adams Cup for the United States Women’s Sailing Championship title at Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans in 1980. It should be obvious that she knows how to run a first class yacht club too and from all perspectives. As well as at Bay-Waveland Yacht Club, Judy has been active for some years in the administrative activities of the Gulf Yachting Association having served on committees, the board of directors and in the flag officer line up positions as Rear Commodore and as Vice Commodore.
There will be 4 race courses under the overall direction and supervision of BWYC Principal Race Officer Clinton T. Edwards. One Flying Scot entry from every GYA yacht club is eligible and expected to compete in the Commodore Auguste Capdevielle event. Eligibility will be open for the GYA Masters (50 years of age and older) event which will be sailed in Flying Scots and the winner will be awarded the Commodore John Dane Trophy. A fleet of Lightnings will compete in their Class District event. Other fleets expected to compete are Fish Class, Sunfish, Laser Radial, 420s, Laser, Finn, Optimists, Open Bics, Triamataran and PHRF. The first race Warning Signals are scheduled for 1330 hours on Saturday and at 1000 hours on Sunday. There will be a team racing demonstration on Saturday at the end of the days’ racing.
It should be noted that eight other members or former members of Bay- Waveland Yacht Club have previously served as Commodore of the Gulf Yachting Association. Judy will be our 9th GYA Commodore since the beginning in 1901. Those gentlemen are as follows: Commodore Walter G. Chamberlain 2002, Commodore Frank C. Alien, Jr.1997, Commodore Basil T. Kennedy 1992, Commodore Henry G. Chapman 1982, Commodore Henry B. Chapman 1967, Commodore J. Alvin Weinfurter 1957, Commodore E. J. Bowers 1909 and Commodore John A. Rawlins 1904.
