Scotty is somewhere in Canada as we write this column but he saw the report of the nominating committee before he left. Neil Newton will stand for election to Commodore with Lee Krow to be his Vice Commodore and Greg Muzzy the Rear Commodore. Bob McCann, who was in the flag chair procession, has withdrawn due to the pressures of business and an unswerving desire to be an available father to his teenaged son. It’s impossible to attend flag meetings in Boothbay Harbor at the same time school events in Massachusetts demand a father's presence. We salute Bob for the decision he made and thank an experienced Lee Krow, who has served as Commodore of another yacht club, for stepping in.

Back from the future to the present… Last week saw a dramatic Jr. Program event with the BHYC hosting of the Maine State Opti Championships. We “won” the right to conduct these races when Ian MacDiarmid took the top honors at last year's event. Well we won the right to do it next year as well because Junior Sailor Jax ( Jacqueline) Van der Veen , daughter of members Mike and Marion, came home in first place overall. A complete story of the event and pictures appears elsewhere in the Register. Congratulations to RC Bob McCann for a fabulous job in masterminding this event. It hardly seems possible that this week marks the last week of the Jr. Program for 2012. Tomorrow night ( Friday) is their Awards Banquet which is a family event but members without family participating are welcome to attend.

Sunday night a good crowd gathered to welcome Scot Kraus of the New England Aquarium and his lecture on Urban Whales. We learned about the NEA program to study, conserve, and protect the critically endangered Right Whale.

Last Monday, many old friends from the Beverly, Mass. Yacht Club enjoyed dinner at the club; member Henry Norweb is a recent Past Commodore of Beverley. On Tuesday night Danny Beal entertained a large group of aficionados with his piano and vocal renditions… one more night for Danny on August 28.

Friday, August 31, is the Classic Boat race followed by a luncheon. Contact Geoff McCuskey for details and participation information. Saturday this week is the Commodore’s Cup race in the daytime and the Dance Soiree orchestrated by the Divas. A late dispatch from Canada and Fleet Captain Greg Shea, “The eight-vessel flotilla is on the Saint John River. At the moment, we are all taking advantage of lay days to explore the river individually. Tomorrow (Monday), we gather in Gagetown for dinner at the local (only) pub. Fog had its grip in Fundy Bay & light rain yesterday and today. Monday looks promising. PC John Chapman adds that there is little prospect for better weather so we live with what we have.”