DSC_5798, originally uploaded by hergan family.

The story from the crew: John was encouraging them to hike harder and while demostrating he missed the hiking strap and flipped off the boat.  John was not wearing a life jacket but did have a hold of the mainsheet and was dragged along behind the boat.

Based on the time codes on the photographs, it took 1min and 12 seconds to get John in the boat and sailing again from the time the above shot was taken.

We were able to rescue his favorite Lightning hat but not his glasses.

Here is the sequence…

DSC_3789, originally uploaded by hergan family.

Unfortunetly, we had to get our middle to BWI airport and could only sail the first two races on Sunday. So, we sailed back to Tidewater after sailing to two 5th places, tied the Lightning up and dropped Steve off so he could deliver a boat to the Chesapeake from Portland Maine. Dominic picked us up at the lift with the Grady White, up until that point Dominic had camera duty.

Dominic, Ruben and myself then proceeded to document the days races on film and video. Dominic drove the Grady White, Ruben shot video on my new Flip video camera and I used the Nikon with the 500mm lens. We shot over 2700 photographs and 30 minutes of video.

The best 900 photo from day 2 are posted on Flickr at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hergan_family/sets/72157606937054395/

The best photos from Day one are posted on Flickr at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hergan_family/sets/72157606915616191/

As always the images are posted with the hope you share them with your friends and family. If you sign-up for a free flickr account, you can even get them printed and delivered to your house.

The video from the day will be posted over the next day or two.

Enjoy.

DSC_6266, originally uploaded by hergan family.

At 8am it looked like a repeat of Saturday in the Wind department but, at 9:30 the wind began to fill. The first race was sailing in light and shifty conditions but by the 4th leg the wind settled in from the south at a steady 8 to 10 mph.

DSC_3101, originally uploaded by hergan family.

We Love the Duck Regatta, originally uploaded by hergan family.

DSC_2910, originally uploaded by hergan family.

Boats have arrived from Washington DC, Long Level, York, North East, Riverton and Annapolis this morning. Expectation are high for a great regatta and wind began to fill-in around 10am.

As many of you now know, Toronto East General Hospital is embarking on a $200 million capital redevelopment campaign to improve the health care that this community currently receives. Of that $200 million, the hospital aims to raise $50 million at the “grassroots level.” Along with the unprecedented percentage of support from the hospital’s staff, the people at TEGH’s Foundation are relying on you—the greater East York community—to help them reach their goal. So, if you are not a philanthropist or someone with a lot of free time, what can you do to help the hospital?

• This summer, TEGH will be hosting a great community fundraiser: a duck regatta! From Easter until mid-August, you can purchase a rubber duck for $5. The ducks will be released on the waterfront near the end of the summer (don’t worry, they’re collected later). All proceeds go towards the hospital’s campaign and, with $5 such an affordable contribution, everyone can participate in this fun event. Check out this video from a duck regatta in Cincinnati in 2007:

• The hospital is always looking for volunteers. TEGH currently has over 500 volunteers who log more than 70,000 hours a year. Even if you only have a couple of hours to give a week, every little bit can help. And, as TEGH serves one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse catchment areas in the world, volunteers of all races, religions, and educational backgrounds are needed.

• If you own a local business you might consider donating prizes for silent auctions or events with door prize giveaways. Your business could also sponsor a fundraising initiative and broadcast your business’ involvement in and dedication to this community.

• A gala in honour of the late Steve Stavro (the hospital’s emergency department is named for the Stavro family) is planned for October 17^th, 2008. It is to be held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto. Tickets are $400 per person, and if you were considering donating a sum of money outright to the hospital’s campaign, you might consider donating the money via the purchase of a ticket to this grand event.

• Get a group of friends, relatives, or co-workers together and register for TEGH’s annual charity golf tournament at Angus Glen (the Canadian Open was held at this course in July 2007). On June 17^th, 2008 the East York Old Boys (the founders of the event) will tee off and they would love to see you there. $2000 for a foursome is the green fee. Watch this video in which Davis Love III talks about the course:

• If none of these options suit you, you can also make outright monetary donations to the hospital’s Foundation. You can also call the Foundation’s president, Teresa Vasilopoulos, at 416.469.6237 for ideas on other ways you can help the hospital’s cause.

Can you think of any other ways to help the hospital raise $50 million? Have you already been an integral part of the fundraising process? Post your story here and help inspire others to help put the community back into “community hospital.”