Konza Sailor, March 2004, page 1

Greetings Sailors! This is the eagerly awaited hard copy of the newsletter that contains your ever so valuable BVYC Membership Card, reciprocal with yacht clubs worldwide. Please find your enclosed card and begin enjoying the benefits of membership.

The lake continues to improve daily as far as sailing conditions go. The water temperature is now 43 degrees, the ice is gone, and after spiking up to 1083 feet on March 8, the water level is down to 1077, headed back down to 1075, the conservation pool. The unspoken race is now on to see whose sails will appear on the horizon first.

In support of this imminent sailing season, your Board of Directors has been hard at work to make this an active and safe season. Please review Bart Bartholomew's explanation of the tractor and boat lift policies. These have been instituted primarily for safety reasons, but keeping down operating expenses was another consideration. We hope that these policies do not inconvenience members.

Please join us for the Annual Spring Banquet. Bob and Jane Mullen have arranged a relaxing and informative evening. We will enjoy a fabulous Italian buffet, complete with antipasto, and the dessert will be provided compliments of the BVYC. The banquet will be held at the Manhattan Country Club due to the hospitality of Anne and John Murray. A cash bar is available starting with the social "hour" at 6 p.m., dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. We are privileged to have Greg Wurst, U S. Army Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Management Specialist at Tuttle Reservoir, speak to us on "Sailing on Kansas Lakes." There will also be a special presentation to the BVYC by Henry Otto and the Sea Scouts, so please join your fellow sailors for this inaugural event Friday, April 2.

After partying on Friday, be sure not to miss all the fun the next morning for Spring Work Day, when we tackle

all the jobs around the BVYC harbor and grounds. Jane and Bob Mullen will provide refreshments. Rather than enumerating the chores, I'll just say that there will be something for everyone to do. No member will be left idle. All the scraping, painting, weed whacking, chain inspecting, and pruning is preparation for sailing with clear consciences. And it's a great time to check on your boat.

Please note that the racing season starts early this year and that our Race Director, Randy Zelenka, has instituted what I think is a brilliant policy for holding scheduled races. Be sure to check out the enclosed 2004 Race Schedule and new policy.

And there is also an exciting new column from our Rear Commodore, Wayne Martin. I hope that his Wind from the Rear will be a regular feature in our newsletter.

I look forward to seeing you at the banquet, at workday, and on the water.