CSYC will be holding an Eight Bells Ceremony to remember Robert Kline. It wille be on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 before the scheduled race.
The Robert Kline Eight Bells ceremony will proceed as follows:
4:30 pm to 5:30 pm: Boat skippers or their representatives can pick up flowers which will be cast into the water at the stern of Bullwinkle as your boat sails by on a starboard tack. One stem for each crew member is appropriate. There will be buckets of flowers in front of the Marina building and at the top south boat ramp for our trailer sailors.
5:00 pm – The race committee will leave the dock earlier than usual to set up the start line at buoy “0”.
5:30 pm – Bullwinkle and the pontoon boat will leave the Marina and anchor 100 yards to windward of the start line. Bullwinkle will be flying an American flag from their masthead.
All participating racers should plan to be in the area of the race committee boat no later than 5:50 pm. Please maintain radio silence.
5:50 pm – Bullwinkle will lower the American flag to half mast signifying the beginning of our tribute. The crew of Bullwinkle will then broadcast on Chanel 68, four – double taps of the ships bell.
Once the eight bells have rung out, all members of the fleet should sail windward of the start line and astern of Bullwinkle and the Kline family boats on Starboard tack, and cast your flowers onto the water. Please make every attempt to sail single file, clear astern of the boat in front of you. Once you have passed astern of Bullwinkle, you should sail to the pin end of the start line, jibe around the pin and sail towards the committee boat end of the line and out behind the fleets from there. If weather permits, luff in position well to leeward of the committee and the start line until everyone has a chance to pay tribute.
Once the fleet has paid tribute, Bullwinkle will strike their colors, up anchor, and join the fleet. The Kline family pontoon will motor back to the docks. As this event promises to be highly emotional, the race committee will delay posting the ‘L’ flag until an appropriate amount of time has passed. When the ‘L’ flag is up, racers may begin checking in.
With your cooperation and attention, RC and all racers will be able to accommodate scheduled racing starts with minimal delay.
On behalf of Marsha Kline and the Kline family, thank you CSYC members for honoring Robert with this tribute.
Trey Hegstrom
CSYC Commodore