Shelter Island’s Menantic Yacht Club goes Up the Creek

This past Sunday the wind was really blowing for the Menantic Yacht Club’s eighth series of Sunfish races. All the sailors got a good workout in the rough and choppy water, and many probably felt pretty rough and choppy by day’s end.  

At the start of racing the wind was blowing around 11 knots, and steadily built over the afternoon gusting to around 16 or 17 knots. A number of sailors flipped, keeping the chase boat crews busy. Several sailors beached their boats to repair parts and after working the sailors pretty hard, the Race Committee ran the Annual Up West Neck Creek Race (UWNCR). Twenty hardy sailors started the day, some retired early, and only 12 competed in the UWNCR by day’s end.

Several sailors flipped in the strong winds and needed assistance righting their boats. However, our youngest sailor, 13-year-old Timothy Mitchell, at about 90 pounds, who flipped several times, including right at the finish during the last race, righted his boat singlehandedly every time. Way to go, Timothy!  

During one race, Paul Zinger started to go over, tried to stop the flip by leaning way backward, struck his head on the dagger board and wound up in the water, all of which he managed to do without injury. Maybe he should join Cirque de Soleil. 

Putting into operation the MYC’s version of the NFL’s blue tent protocol, the RC gave Paul an ice pack, after which he was able to complete the next race. 

Kudos to Jodi Sisley for testing her limits by braving the challenging winds for one race before retiring for the day.

As Bill Martens was about to cross the finish line in the last race, his sail went around his mast, his sheet got caught in his rudder and he drifted across the finish. He then beached his boat in order to fix the problem, and then gamely started the UWNCR 10 minutes late.

The UWNCR is an extremely difficult race. The creek is narrow, the wind can come from all different directions, and you have to be careful not to run aground. On Sunday, the wind was fairly steady, but very gusty, and the first leg of the race was all downwind. John Colby was first around the mark, which was near Daniel Lord Road. Unfortunately, he didn’t stay in that position for long. He flipped, but still managed to finish in seventh place. 

John Modica also flipped, which slowed him down in his perpetual race against his older brother, Charlie, although, as Betty Bishop wryly observed, the younger Modica brother was already “up the creek” even before he flipped. Many tacks were required for the upwind part of the race, but the flukiest wind was at the finish, which is just off Bill Martens’s dock. Peter Beardsley placed first, followed by Eric Ryan and Charlie Modica Sr.

Betsy Colby was our PRO as usual, assisted by Marian Thomsen, Susan Donlon, Jonathan Brush and yours truly. The RC ran six longer races and then the UWNCR. Thank you, all. Congrats to multi-talented Betsy for receiving an Honorable Mention at the 2025 iPhone Photography Awards — a competition with entrants from 140 countries — for her exquisite photography, examples of which often accompany these columns. 

With the steady wind, no marks needed moving, so the mark boat, captained by Matt Fox and crewed by Lucy Brown, Mike Donlon and Lizzy Cummings, joined the chase boat with Betty Bishop and Dave Daly, to assist sailors all afternoon. Dave had to dive in at least once and said the water felt good on a hot day. You all did a great job — thank you.

We are a very congenial family-friendly club, open to all. We may not have a clubhouse, but the sailing is great, the camaraderie is superb, and we just have tremendous fun. All sailors, novice to expert, are welcome. Just show up in West Neck Harbor at 2 p.m. on any Sunday through Labor Day, check in with the Race Committee, giving them your full name and sail number, and be sure to bring your life jacket. Non-sailors are also welcome to assist with the Race Committee boat and the stake boat. You can get more information about the MYC on Facebook at Menantic Yacht Club, or from Bob Harris at [email protected] or 505-235-5844. Steve and Melissa Shepstone have a fleet of loaner boats available on a first-to-reserve basis. Contact Melissa at [email protected] to reserve your boat. 

See you on the water! 

On another note: On behalf of the MYC, I want to thank Department of Public Works Commissioner Ken Lewis and his crew for mowing the North Silver Beach Town Landing, including going the extra mile to mow under the boats. 

Results:                       Pts    Place

Peter Beardsley 13 1

Eric Ryan 20 2

Rachel Beardsley 27 3

John Modica 30 4

Paul Zinger 39 5

Charlie Modica Sr. 43 6

Peter Due 44 7

Will Lehr 49 8

Denise Fenchel 49 9

Steve Shepstone 59 10

Susanne Hulme 68 11

Joan Butler 71 12

Linda Gibbs 75 13

John Colby 80 14

Bill Martens 88 15

Tom McMahon 92 16

Timothy Mitchell 100 17

Melissa Pumphrey 113 18

Sharon Wicks 122 19

Jodi Sisley 123 20

Up West Neck Race

                                                Place

Peter Beardsley 1

Eric Ryan 2

Charlie Modica Sr. 3

Paul Zinger 4

Joan Butler 5

John Modica 6

John Colby 7

Denise Fenchel 8

Linda Gibbs 9

Will Lehr 10

Susanne Hulme 11

Bill Martens 12