Budd Bay Star Fleet - Sailing Society

1. 2000The South Sound Sailing Society had no Star FleetThere was PHRF racing all year and Portsmouth Racing in the summerThere was no one design racing at all. The J 24 fleet was 15 years gone

2. SSSS Star Fleet Forms from the September 2001 Ship-to-Shore The newsletter of the South Sound Sailing Society I am pleased to announce the formation of the Budd Bay Star Fleet. At present we have six Stars in the water and a seventh will be sailing this spring. It is a woody now being restored. I am on the hunt for more boats to be bought. We have had several races so far, most with five boats racing. Sean Trew ran races for us this summer. ... You can see from the results that no one has really dominated. We will hold more Star races. We also plan on participating as a class in the Fall and Spring Series, the Spring Regatta, the under 30 regattas, and Wednesday and/or Thursday night racing. Our boats have hull numbers in the 5000 series. Our intent is to limit the fleet to the older boats, those with hull numbers below 6000. We want boats winning because of the skill of her crew. We do not care to find out who can buy the newest fastest boat. ... Does this seem like something you would enjoy? If interested in crewing, borrowing a boat, or buying one contact me for more information. All the present owners have allowed others to use their boat, if they can not make a race. Other present owners, besides myself, are Gary Pedigo, Ann Heming, Ginny Stern, John & Steve Ridgeway, and Steve Worcester Bill Brosius, Star Duster, Fleet Captain Photo by Cecilia Greenberger

3. There were only six boats, but we were off to the races. Photos of the first night of Racingby Cecilia Greenberger

4. The fleet grew as Bill found boats found boats to buy.Bill over came set backs, like the temporary loss ofa crane Launch photo by Cary Throrogood, boats at the dock by Jim Findley, Stars crossing by Ron Vander Lugt, other photos by Sean Trew

5. Building a Star Fleet with Old Boats May 11, 2005from the International Star Class Yacht Racing Associationweb site The racing season for the venerable 17 boats of the Star class in Olympia on southern Puget Sound in Washington State, USA begins in early May. Docked at the private Westbay Marina, the fleet of 1974-1985 Stars (with epoxied bottoms) stay on buoys from launch until haul out in the fall. Bill Brosius of Olympia, Washington is the sparkplug behind these boats based at the South Sound Sailing Society. A few years ago, Brosius started encouraging others to buy old Star boats, ... Brosius worked at finding reasonable priced old Stars and mating them with potential one design sailors. He went looking for used boats, lining up local buyers to build a fleet. The most expensive boat in the fleet to date was $3000 with trailer with most costing $1500-$2500. The design of Stars has changed some over the years and newer boats are faster so local racers concentrate on getting older boats with hull numbers under 7,000 to keep the fleet competitive (the latest number for Stars is above 8200) ... Sails (usually costing fleet members about $300 for a main and jib) are castoffs from newer Star boats and Brosius tries to keep the various mains and jibs in roughly comparable condition. Brosius also keeps a stock of masts available. … “It wouldn't be together if it weren't for him,” said Mary Campbell, who bought a wooden Star about 50 years old for $1000. As with most old boats it was in reasonable shape but still needed work before it was race ready. She got help from Brosius. Bill outside his shop, which he built to have a place to refurbish old Stars Photo by Andris Kleinbergs

6. Inside Bill’s Star shopto the left, Bill demonstrates flipping a Star at a Fleet meeting, photos by Jim Findleybottom left and center, top center, and to the right wood Stars needing work, photos by Andris Kleinbergstop right corner, two Stars ready for sanding and bottom paint, photo by Bill Brosiusbottom right, newly painted Stars,photo by David Roe

7. Building a Star Fleet with Old Boats May 11, 2005from the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association web site Woodies sailing again Photos above and below by Andris Kleinbergs Photo by Ron Vander Lugt, Photo Derek DeCouteau The oldest are 5 woodies and the lowest hull number is 3337. Brosius used to have #927 from 1927 but sold it after refurbishing it. He’s now on the track of #23 that was owned by Seattle’s Sunny Vynne. Most of the rest of the fleet are glass boats built from 1974 to 1985, including three formerly owned by Olympic Gold Medallist Bill Buchan. Photo by Ron Vander Lugt,

8. By 2006 it was time for our fleet to join the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association Thirteen of us became dues paying members. In 2007 sixteen of us were members, making us one of the larger Fleets on the coast. Photos by Chuck Lantz We sent one boat to the Worlds in 2006. Bill went to repair the hull deck seam so they could race it. Then he volunteered to help others, including the race committee. We sent a boat to the North Americans in 2007. Bill went as crew on an east coast boat. He came back with a boat to work on for a Kiwi sailor. After painting it, Bill trailed it to the east coast for him.

9. Our parent club, the South Sound Sailing Society, put together a program to introduce kids to sailing. Bill organized the Star Fleet to supply the boats. Photos by Katie Goeres

10. April 2007There were 19 Stars on the starting line 29 different skippers raced with us this year.

11. The Fleet recognized Bill’s contributions in front of the whole Club. A Proclamation by the Budd Inlet Star Fleet In recognition of invaluable service to the Budd Inlet Star Fleet including the following major contributions: Bringing one design racing to Olympia. Choosing a boat design with age and equipment limitations to control costs and thereby making the sport of sailboat racing open to all. Traveling far and wide to acquire Stars and their equipment and returning them safely to the Olympia area for the use of others. Constructing and equipping a large work shop on his property to refurbish boats in need of repair. Rebuilding, repairing, painting and equipping said boats to a race ready condition. Making his workshop and equipment available for others to repair their Stars. Arranging for inexpensive moorage during the summer racing season at Westbay Marina. Arranging for the use of a crane to transfer the boats onto the waters at Westbay Marina. Providing the use of his runabout as race committee boat. Continuing to assist in the ongoing maintenance and repair of boats damaged by the improper sailing technique of their wayward skippers. So let it be known far and wide that we the sailors of the Olympia Star Fleet do hereby recognize William Brosius as LORD of the Olympia STARS and that all rights and privileges of that high office be granted to Lord Bill up to and including one free beer. In addition it has been noted that Lord Bill has many times expressed his annoyance at the unfortunate positioning of roof support posts in the center of his royal workshop. These offending posts impede Lord Bill’s ability to move his beloved Stars about the shop causing him to become annoyed. This condition is unacceptable to his loyal subjects. Therefore these posts will be removed and replaced with a steel beam transversing said shop aloft from wall to wall. This construction will occur sometime this winter while Lord Bill is resting from his afore mentioned labors. Thanks Bill. Budd Inlet Star Fleet Presented to Bill at the September 2007 South Sound Sailing Society Meeting. Photo by Thera Black

12. Photos by Sean Trew; Thera Black, and Ron Vander Lugt Bill is not done. While putting together this presentation, I received the following e-mail from Bill. It was not meant to be made public and is typical of some e-mails he has sent me for years now. I have almost finished the repairs needed on Linda’s boat and have finished glassing the deck and gunnels, I just need to fair and sand and it will be ready to paint the deck and start installing the hardware. Ron should just about have his finished this weekend also. I will move my wood boat into the shop as soon as Ron’s is gone and Linda's should be finished before Christmas. Peter and I will start working on his boat after Ron’s is gone also. I still expect to have at least 30 boats in the water by April. Bill The fleet is still growing

13. For the reasons shown here, and those listed in my nomination letter, we feel Bill Brosius deserves more than local recognition of his support of our sport.That is why we are nominating him for the Award. Photo by Ron Vander Lugt,