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| OHCC LIVING | APRIL 2024 | 43 Finally! We are sailing! The days are getting longer and a bit warmer. Our club's membership as of March 1 was up to 264 of which more than 65 were new members. Wow! How the word has spread. We could hit 300 or more by the time we get to the club's Autumn "Speakeasy" gala. We know this thanks to Membership Chair, Julie Pashkowsky, who diligently tracks our membership and member interests. It is exciting that more than 60 members have indicated interest in completing a basic sailing course with 28 expressing interests in becoming Mates and Captains. The enthusiasm is well received. The more member involvement the club has, the better our club becomes. We presently have 31 members serving as officers, committee chairpersons, and Captains and Mates. Of course, other members heave-to when special needs arise. And, we can't mention the big Speakeasy event coming in the fall without expressing our thanks to our dedicated Social Chair, Laura Carlson. As always, behind the scenes is our Treasurer, Donna Ryan, who keeps all of us on the straight and narrow when it comes to spending club monies. Donna puts together our annual budget and she has introduced a "payment by credit card" program so members can now pay for their sails and other club activities by credit card. OHSC is one of the first clubs in OHCC to offer this. One of the wonderful resources our club boasts is our Training Coordinator, Dave Ramgren. Last year Dave started with some classes designed to test member interest. This year, based on people's interests he launched a 2nd Mates training program. This program was conceived to give members a road map to becoming Mates who will work directly with our Captains to sail the boats. Working with Fleet Captain Charlie Cappello, Dave developed a curriculum that parallels the ASA and USA Sailing keelboat classes available at various locations around the County. Utilizing his curriculum, he convened three 1.5-hour classes. The first gave a broad overview of sailing and what to expect, i.e., the road ahead to becoming a Mate. The second class focused on getting to know San Diego Harbor, wind and sea conditions, buoys and channel markers and navigational aids. The third class took an in-depth look at the Club's boats with a thorough examination of the many operational parts of the boat, their functions and how they are used under sail. The fourth class consisted of the class participants going to sea for hands-on execution of their classroom training. Two boats went out – one captained by Fleet Captain Charlie Cappello, assisted by Captain Chris Butler, and the other boat captained by Captain Dave Ramgren, assisted by Captain Vicki Foster. Needless to say, we can look forward to other learning events during the year from our esteemed Training Coordinator. As always, we wish all our club members and OHCC residents fair winds and following seas. Written by: Skip Maniscalco, Commodore; Edited by: Kathy C. Maniscalco Sailing Club If you are looking for a way to reduce stress and anxiety, and a way to increase flexibility and balance, then Tai Chi exercise may be just what the doctor ordered. Originally, Tai Chi was developed for self-defense, but has evolved into a graceful form of exercise. Some describe it as meditation in motion because it promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements. Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that, today, is practiced as a graceful form of exercise. It involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing. Tai Chi is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion. Tai Chi is low impact and puts minimal stress on muscles and joints, making it generally safe for all ages and fitness levels. It is especially suitable for older adults who otherwise may not exercise. The benefits of Tai Chi may include: decreased stress, improved mood, increased energy, improved flexibility, balance, and agility, and improved muscle strength. OHCC offers a free Tai Chi class each Tuesday and Thursday, 9 to 10 am, in the Abravenal Hall. Each class is led by a video presentation that lasts about 45 minutes. For more information, please contact Mary Ross at (760) 295-9979 or mk1ross@cox.net. Tai Chi

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