Stop, hey, what’s that sound?!?

The ISPCRY (International Society for the Perpetuation of Cruelty to Racing Yachtsman) aka the “Moosehead Committee” is an organization dedicated to calling attention – in a good natured way – to the foibles and fumbles of various Race Committees.

At the 82nd annual awards celebration, among the many deserving Moosehead awards presented for 2023, there was one standout recipient which garnered the support of several hundred RC volunteers in attendance.

It was at an Optimist regatta where the PRO used an air horn for the starting sequence countdown, blowing multiple sounds for the countdown to the start (3 horns for 3 mins, 2 horns for 2 mins, etc.). But halfway through the regatta, the air horn ran out of air and the PRO had no refill canisters.

So the PRO improvised by screaming “BEEPS” trying to recreate the sound of an air horn for the starting sequence sounds. He’d yell three loud BEEPS for three minutes, two loud BEEPS for two, one long and three short BEEPS for 1:30, and so on.

There was little difference between long beeps and short beeps which added to the confusion, and then his voice cracked, became hoarse, and got weaker and weaker, so the kids had a tough time actually hearing the BEEPS. He also stubbornly refused to verbally identify the start time, adding more chaos for sailors.

The Mooseheads received this story and decided if “you say something, you can also sing something”. So sing along:

2023 Moosehead Awards “Winners”
• MH At-Large – American YC Fall Series – (Save me some Clam Chowder)
• Bimbo Award – Lloyd Harbor HYC (Tail Swags the Dog)
• Boot in the Butt –Black Rock YC & Fayerweather YC (Cancel Culture)
• Presidents – Cedar Pt YC – (RC= Rubics Cube)
• PreZidents – Old Greenwich YC – (Failure to Launch)
• Moose End – Larchmont YC – (Short line long, Long line short) Ideal 18 NAs
• ​Golden Mic – Douglaston Yacht Squadron (Stop, hey, what’s that sound?)
• 4th Class – American YC (Independence Day)
• 3rd Class – NYYC – (Hieroglyphics Course Board)
• 2nd Class – Riverside YC (Daily Double)
• 1st Class – Storm Trysail Club – IOR (Fustercluck)
• MH SUPREME – Larchmont YC (2023 Opti Odyssey)
• Lily St. Spirit Award – Larchmont YC