This column first started as weekly diatribe of sailboat racing at Sagamore Yacht Club, which is located next to the town marina at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. After about two months it became monotonous writing about the same 5-10 boats that often vied for finishing first, with an occasional development of some other boats in the fleet. There was a break in the local racing scene around the 4th of July timeframe and I tested writing about some other activities that still related to the water.

I started getting positive feedback and quotes from people outside of Sagamore Yacht Club. People who were not even into boating were telling me that they were reading my column. A former resident who lives up in Buffalo got word back to me through a mutual friend that she missed the water views in Oyster Bay and that my column helped remind her of it. It was at that point that I decided to expand the column into explaining the lure of sailing and other local water-related activities to the novice as well as to those familiar with such pastimes.

Over the next few months I began introducing more local activities and organizations that are connected to the Oyster Bay waterfront. Our local Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla, the Waterfront Center, and other groups have been very appreciative for the publicity. I also received some feedback from former Sagamore Yacht Club members who have retired to Florida and other southern states that they look forward to reminiscing through the column and also learning about how the waterfront seems to be blossoming again. Eric Biagi, who has been skeet shooting for 20 years, contacted me about skeet shooting at Sagamore. A few weeks ago, he was shooting at the Brookhaven range with three of Sagamore's current members and also had read my column about Sagamore's shooting range.

Most recently, I was contacted by a former area resident, Ray Wulff, who works in the US House of Representatives. He had read some of my articles through the Anton Newspapers' online website where a few articles in each of its papers are highlighted every week. The website is www.antonnews.com. Ray grew up sailing Blue Jays and Lasers out of Sagamore Yacht Club through its junior sailing program in the mid-80s. He thanked me for the trip down memory lane. He said, "I didn't realize it at the time, but my summers spent there sailing Blue Jays sparked an interest that has guided me in everything that I do. Since then I have traveled the country and world following my passion of sailboat racing. I currently sail in Annapolis out of Annapolis Yacht Club, but there will always be a special place in my heart for that little club in Oyster Bay. It was fun to hear about another person thanking Horst Ankermann in getting into sailing. I used to sail on his C&C 35 Zoom as a teenager. It used to be called Gipsy Girl and can remember his thick German accent even now."

Regrettably, in my reply to Ray, I had to let him know that Horst Ankermann passed away last weekend. Horst and his wife Barbara of Bayville helped run the racing program at Sagamore for about 20 years. Last year, Horst suffered a stroke and never fully recovered. On Nov. 5 he was well enough to attend the annual sailing awards dinner at Sagamore. He was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award, a touching tribute from some of those he touched so dearly, and a standing ovation. Horst could not speak, but his eyes were beaming and his face was flushed with emotion.

With all of this feedback and the connecting that I have done with out-of-towners, I realize even more how special Oyster Bay is to so many people. While it is impossible to cover all the lures of boating in my little column, or even give a complete picture of the greatness of the recreation opportunities in Oyster Bay, I am attempting to supply enough information to whet your appetite to go out on the water. Believe it or not I have met people who have lived in the Oyster Bay area for years, but have never taken a walk in Theodore Roosevelt Park, sat on the beach, or have ever been out on a boat.

There really are many marine activities to try here. One could go out on a sailboat through the Waterfront Center, crew at the Sagamore Rowing Association, take a boating class through the Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron, rent a kayak at the Waterfront center or Bridge Marine, and stop by Sagamore Yacht Club to experience its social scene. Nearly every resident should consider taking a quick sail on the Christeen Oyster Sloop located at the Western Waterfront. You do not need to know anything about boating to do this. There are several pre-established open public sails throughout the boating season. Most trips average about 2-3 hours depending upon the wind and what type of activity is tied to the trip. About a year ago a friend of mine rented the Christeen for his wife's birthday and sent her out with her closest gal pals for a sunset cruise with hors d'oeuvres. Many schools and groups such as the girl scouts also arrange educational outings on the Christeen too.

I hope to inspire people to support our boating community and open up new vistas of pleasure for many local residents. I am also trying to remain loyal to the core boating community while reaching a broader audience. Please let me know if there is a specific program or place of interest that you want to know more about. It could be anything from an update on the work being down at the town marina and the western waterfront, how to get permits for a boat mooring, a tip on how to fix something on the boat, or any other issue that highlights waterfront recreation in the Oyster Bay area. I can be reached at 922-0555 or JaimeVanDyke@gmail.com. Please also visit www.sagamoreyc.com or look up SagamoreRacing on Yahoo!Groups on the web.