November 19, 2025
by Earl Thomas #5121
Commodore & Fleet 62 Captain
Commodore & Fleet 62 Captain
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Ahoy Sailors,
It was a family affair at this year’s very successful 2025 Bailer’s Ball with wives, significant others, partners and kids in attendance. The dinner is a 56 year old tradition at the club that was resurrected this year after Covid and our search for a new sailing venue. We dined at the Shoreline Lake Bistro Cafe and it was catered by Shoreline. The good food was a catalyst for great conversations at dinner. Many of the sailors had not seen each other in a long time and had to catch up, as well as spouses showing up to see who are all these people we go sailing with on every other Sunday. The conversation was busy all night with discussions about the year and the many connections we had in the area from, Stanford University, to Turkey and Apple Computers.
The dining room was nicely decorated, by Shoreline, with deep sea blue tablecloths and floral centerpieces. The buffet dinner including bruschetta appetizers, Caesar salad, roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, chicken piccata, pork shoulder roast and followed with locally made apple pie. With soda, beer and wine included. All the food was great and it was a nice change and upgrade from from our usual Sunday afternoon eclectic, al carte, parking lot, open air, smorgasbord.
We had 28 people join us. Harold, Maria, Oliver and Fiona, Yossi and Glynn, Steven and Pinar, Art and Susie Lang, Jill and John Christman, Earl and Lynn, Tony and his wife, Ralf Pieper, Simon Booth, Russ Klein, Ann Hepenstal, Adrian and his wife, Suli Yang, Stephen and Wendy Lord, Don Jedlovec, Roy Jordan, and Sidney Lee.
I spoke in the beginning after a loud whistle from my wife Lynn to get everyone’s attention. I thanked everyone and reminisced about this last year’s activities, 40 plus races, and the accomplishments and the improvements the club had completed. Such as new discounts available for our members at Shoreline, a new race committee rowboat with flags, a new first aid kit and a few new members joining this year.
Some of the highlights and plans for next year, include a couple more practice sailing days, elections for club officers, our continuing Zoom meetings, establishing a crew list for Lido and Capri skippers, encouraging new members to join and getting them to Shoreline’s sailing school, have the Sail-A-Dinghy-Day again, and generally try to grow the club with more new sailors and boats.
We thanked some key people who have helped the club this year, like Ann Hepenstal who helped with organizing the Bailer’s Ball and and initiated the Zest Fest, Don Jedlovec's photographic work and his display of photos and videos at this dinner, Chris Nicol the Shoreline Boat Manager and of course the club's board members, Jill Christman, John Christman, Roy Jordan, Sidney Lee, Steven Maulick and Stephen Lord. Thank you to all for your efforts that made this year a success.
The awards ceremony after dinner was fun with some very surprised recipients. Some people thought they were there for just a nice dinner and conversation. Whether it was because either someone else in their fleet was going to take it all or that they had been passed too many times on the water all year, as to have any chance. The results were as follows,
El Toro Summer Series 1st place, Steven Maulick
El Toro Spring and Fall Series 1st places and Fleet Champion, Tony Su.
Open Class Spring Series 1st Place, Roy Jordan
Open Class Summer Series 1st Place, Ann Hepenstal
Open Class Fall Series 1st Place, Russ Klein
Open Class Fleet Champion, Yossi Zinger
Lido 14 Summer Series 2nd place Stephen Lord
Lido 14 Spring Series 2nd Place, Fall Series 1st Place, and 2nd Place overall, Harold Ho
Lido 14 Fall Series 2nd Place, Spring and Summer Series 1st Place and Fleet Champion, Earl Thomas
The Combined Handicap Award (highest finishing boats in all classes in the club with Portsmouth rating time adjustments)
3rd Place Combined Handicap Steven Maulick
2nd Place Combined Handicap Tony Su
1st Place Combined Handicap Earl Thomas
Special Awards were given to:
Oliver and Fiona Ho were acknowledged as our best youngest crew members in a Lido with special FSC patches.
Ralf Pieper was awarded the Outstanding Crew Award for the Lido 14 Class.
Simon Booth was awarded the Michel Achievement Award for special accomplishment in the Lido 14 Fleet.
Earl Thomas was awarded the Coffey Cup, an award acknowledging special efforts to help the club in general. (Jill Christman presented this award with some very nice comments, including comments from other club members.)
It was a family affair at this year’s very successful 2025 Bailer’s Ball with wives, significant others, partners and kids in attendance. The dinner is a 56 year old tradition at the club that was resurrected this year after Covid and our search for a new sailing venue. We dined at the Shoreline Lake Bistro Cafe and it was catered by Shoreline. The good food was a catalyst for great conversations at dinner. Many of the sailors had not seen each other in a long time and had to catch up, as well as spouses showing up to see who are all these people we go sailing with on every other Sunday. The conversation was busy all night with discussions about the year and the many connections we had in the area from, Stanford University, to Turkey and Apple Computers.
The dining room was nicely decorated, by Shoreline, with deep sea blue tablecloths and floral centerpieces. The buffet dinner including bruschetta appetizers, Caesar salad, roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, chicken piccata, pork shoulder roast and followed with locally made apple pie. With soda, beer and wine included. All the food was great and it was a nice change and upgrade from from our usual Sunday afternoon eclectic, al carte, parking lot, open air, smorgasbord.
We had 28 people join us. Harold, Maria, Oliver and Fiona, Yossi and Glynn, Steven and Pinar, Art and Susie Lang, Jill and John Christman, Earl and Lynn, Tony and his wife, Ralf Pieper, Simon Booth, Russ Klein, Ann Hepenstal, Adrian and his wife, Suli Yang, Stephen and Wendy Lord, Don Jedlovec, Roy Jordan, and Sidney Lee.
I spoke in the beginning after a loud whistle from my wife Lynn to get everyone’s attention. I thanked everyone and reminisced about this last year’s activities, 40 plus races, and the accomplishments and the improvements the club had completed. Such as new discounts available for our members at Shoreline, a new race committee rowboat with flags, a new first aid kit and a few new members joining this year.
Some of the highlights and plans for next year, include a couple more practice sailing days, elections for club officers, our continuing Zoom meetings, establishing a crew list for Lido and Capri skippers, encouraging new members to join and getting them to Shoreline’s sailing school, have the Sail-A-Dinghy-Day again, and generally try to grow the club with more new sailors and boats.
We thanked some key people who have helped the club this year, like Ann Hepenstal who helped with organizing the Bailer’s Ball and and initiated the Zest Fest, Don Jedlovec's photographic work and his display of photos and videos at this dinner, Chris Nicol the Shoreline Boat Manager and of course the club's board members, Jill Christman, John Christman, Roy Jordan, Sidney Lee, Steven Maulick and Stephen Lord. Thank you to all for your efforts that made this year a success.
The awards ceremony after dinner was fun with some very surprised recipients. Some people thought they were there for just a nice dinner and conversation. Whether it was because either someone else in their fleet was going to take it all or that they had been passed too many times on the water all year, as to have any chance. The results were as follows,
El Toro Summer Series 1st place, Steven Maulick
El Toro Spring and Fall Series 1st places and Fleet Champion, Tony Su.
Open Class Spring Series 1st Place, Roy Jordan
Open Class Summer Series 1st Place, Ann Hepenstal
Open Class Fall Series 1st Place, Russ Klein
Open Class Fleet Champion, Yossi Zinger
Lido 14 Summer Series 2nd place Stephen Lord
Lido 14 Spring Series 2nd Place, Fall Series 1st Place, and 2nd Place overall, Harold Ho
Lido 14 Fall Series 2nd Place, Spring and Summer Series 1st Place and Fleet Champion, Earl Thomas
The Combined Handicap Award (highest finishing boats in all classes in the club with Portsmouth rating time adjustments)
3rd Place Combined Handicap Steven Maulick
2nd Place Combined Handicap Tony Su
1st Place Combined Handicap Earl Thomas
Special Awards were given to:
Oliver and Fiona Ho were acknowledged as our best youngest crew members in a Lido with special FSC patches.
Ralf Pieper was awarded the Outstanding Crew Award for the Lido 14 Class.
Simon Booth was awarded the Michel Achievement Award for special accomplishment in the Lido 14 Fleet.
Earl Thomas was awarded the Coffey Cup, an award acknowledging special efforts to help the club in general. (Jill Christman presented this award with some very nice comments, including comments from other club members.)