June 15, 2026
Dear Northport Bay Yacht Club members and friends,
Welcome to the 2026 boating/racing season! We are looking forward to a summer full of great boating and sailboat racing, as well as great fun spent with friends.In preparation for the racing season, I have attached a document that outlines the plans for both the Tuesday night (Sutton Series) and Saturday afternoon (Applebee/Collins) racing programs.Please review this in preparation for the first Tuesday race (June 23), and the first Saturday race (June 27). These dates are fast approaching!If you are interested in being a part of the club this year, the membership/dues information is listed here. From my perspective as treasurer of NBYC, “Thank you” for considering being part of this great group of boaters.
Club Dues: Annual membership dues for NBYC club are $25/year per family. New members are asked to pay $50/boat and will be provided a beautiful NBYC burgee (see below).
Racing Dues: Annual racing dues are an additional $175/year, for participation in all race series.
Dues can be paid as follows:
1) Venmo: “@Glenn-VanOtteren” (last four 3674)
2) PayPal: “@lungdocgvo”, or
3) Personal check addressed to “NBYC”; mailed to Glenn VanOtteren at 1600 Beard Drive, SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Contact info: Glenn VanOtteren, lungdocgvo@aol.com, 616-450-3674
Please welcome our new members for 2026, the Honorable Judge Marc Roy and his wife Diane! Looking forward to meeting them in the upcoming weeks.
There is no official commodore this year. The racing decisions and social calendar planning will be made by committee. Your input and suggestions are welcomed!
More communication to follow. Thanks for being a part of NBYC!
Sincerely, Glenn VanOtteren
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August 31, 2025 from Treasurer Glenn VanOtteren:
Ahoy NBYC Friends,
Welcome to the final log entry of the 2025 racing season; Batten down your hatches, because this tale’s got doldrums, near collisions, and a whiff of bad exhaust!
The fleet of 10 stout vessels gathered yesterday for one last battle, only to be told to heave-to for an hour while we bargained with Aeolus for a decent puff of wind. Once underway in a pursuit-style start, the fleet embarked on a counterclockwise voyage around Timber Shores and buoy #4. The first leg, however, was no glorious charge. It was more like a drifting regatta for shipwreck survivors. With only 1-2 knots of breeze from the southeast, it took nearly an hour for the fleet to creep along the 1.5 nm leg.
Grin was the first to sniff out a private breeze, sprinting ahead while the rest of us bobbed about in what felt like Neptune’s waiting room. But fortune is fickle – soon Cheerio found her stride on the right side of the course and seized the lead, while the rest of the fleet collapsed into a raft-up worthy of docktails at the first mark. Dicey driving indeed (For the full spectacle of that nautical traffic jam, see Webb’s video on his facebook page).
Mercifully, the wind gods relented on leg two, delivering a fresh northwesterly at 6-7 knots. Suddenly there was sailing to be had. Cheerio, Exit Strategy, and Paradox led the parade, while Asylum launched a bold raid on Paradox’s wind. Their prize? A fine serving of secondhand air. Not to be deterred, Asylum footed away, gathered some speed, and was able to round the mark barely ahead – a victory in the game of “who can stink up who”.
The final leg was picture-perfect (at least from my helm): flat seas, a steady breeze, and a fleet surging homeward beneath blue skies. In the end, Paradox, claiming six valuable points, clawed her way back to cross first, with Asylum and Pegasus close behind. Cheerio’s mighty multihull wings, though swift, couldn’t match the upwind bit of the monohulls in that last stretch.
And so mates, we close the logbook on another glorious season. From drifting in a glassy calm to charging home on full sails, it’s been a year of fine racing and even finer camaraderie. Thank you to all who rigged, raced, and roared wiht laughter on our little piece of Grand Traverse Bay paradise.
Until the 2026 sails are hoisted, I bid you fair winds, following seas, and may your air always be fresh, not stinky.
GVO
Congratulations to the 2026 after-guard:
Commodore: Stryk Thomas
Vice Commodore: Dustin Webb
Secretary: John Woomer
Treasurer: Glenn VanOtteren
One closing thought: During the off season we hope make preparations for another successful year of sailboat racing. Skippers, please keep your eyes out for a survey where we will ask some questions about what has worked and what has not worked this year, as we strategize for another great year to come. Your input will be greatly appreciated! As always, suggestions from any of you on this email are always welcomed!