BYC Winter 2024 BURGEE

Message from the Commodore

Greetings Fellow BYC Members,

As I write this, I have just gotten back from a weekend trip to Mackinac Island where we went to spread some BYC goodwill with the island community and to meet with Mission Point Resort staff to start planning the activities and party for this year’s Mackinac Race In attendance was Matt and Mike from the staff and Charlie Trost, Holly & myself. The folks at Mission Point were extremely hospitable and they are looking forward to having us all up there this July

BYC also joined with Mission Point to donate lockers for the fire department on the island The fire department is all volunteers and had nowhere to properly store their gear at the fire hall. This was also their fire training weekend where they simulate problems at various hotels and train on their response to the scene BYC and Mission Point presented the lockers to them after this training at a luncheon at the fire hall and they were most appreciative.

Speaking of the Mackinac Race, there are currently 318 boats registered for the race, it is shaping up to be a record-setting year! Be on the lookout for some upcoming commemorative marketing announcements tied to the 100th Mackinac Race

With the weather starting to look more spring-like, we have scheduled the seawall repair in front of Jerome’s to start at the end of March. We will be pulling up the dock, repairing the seawall, and painting the entire main dock seawall We will then be replacing the dock using new composite lumber material so we can hopefully drastically increase the period between deck replacement and repairs. Assuming the new deck material works to our expectations, we would phase in replacing the other docks as time and budgets allow

Thank You and see you at the club!

2024 Commodore Bayview Yacht Club

CONTENTS

Message from the Commodore Manager's Report

From the Dining Room

Three Takeaways from the Antiques Boatshow

People to Know on the Detroit River

Thursday Off-The-Dock Races

Bayview Mackinac Race & HH SWRD Info

From Our Archives to the World:

Meet the Detroit Historical Society expert helping curate the Bayview

Mackinac Race exhibit

Give $100 for the 100th

From the Race Chair

Team Bayview

BYC Automated Membership

Application Process

Welcome New Members

Upcoming Spring Events

From the BYC Archives

Tales from Dead Man’s Curve

Sulley Does the Loop

ON THE COVER

Photo taken by Martin Chumiecki during the Bayview One Design regatta.

Manager's Report

Matthew Prost, General Manager

It’s been a fun winter here at Bayview! The holiday parties were well attended and Santa handed out almost 120 gifts to children this year. That’s a great sign for the future of Bayview! We continued with many different events like the Halfway to Mackinac Party, Antiques Boatshow, Bayview

to Mission Point Resort Chef’s Table dinner, Happy Hours, Lions football watch parties, Trap Shooting, and more

Many members are curious what all happens at Bayview in the off season. In addition to the great number of events that we host, our team of staff and volunteers work tirelessly getting ready for spring. The Chef and his team are already working on developing our spring menus One of our biggest challenges both in the kitchen and in the dining room is staffing a very seasonal business While we are open year-round, our dining spaces nearly double and our spaces are full from spring to fall This means hiring a team early in the spring each year, training them, and being ready for our season when members and sailors return

Mike and his team are working daily booking events, planning weddings, setting up for a banquet or winter seminar He is working on updating the wine list and wine by the glass menu With a new lineup of sponsors for the 100th Mackinac Race Presented by National Fleet Services, he and Jennifer are working on updating cocktails and some offerings behind the bar and on tap We have been fortunate to keep our core team of servers and bartenders together since re-opening, however much like Chef Chris, Mike must build his team up to get ready for spring.

There has been a big focus on the harbor this year and having Steve as our Director of Sailing and Harbor Operations has been a blessing. Haul out was incredibly smooth this past fall and I anticipate launch to be equally as seamless. Steve and Rich have been putting in a lot of work getting Thor ready for the season, with a new fuel tank and are now pivoting to

work on our fleet of U20’s It’s been a few years since we’ve had someone dedicated to managing this fleet, so there’s a lot to accomplish It will be a great benefit to Bayview to have this fleet of boats ready for sailing all season

It's exciting to think we’re 3 months away from our first Spring Roundup Race. Our Thursday Night Race series kicks off May 23 followed quickly by the Sailing World Helly Hanson Regatta (formerly our BOD) Registration is open and there is a lot planned this year to improve both the on the water sailing experience and the parties on shore Entries for the Mackinac Race have already surpassed the 1985 record of 316 and continue to climb There are very few opportunities in any sport to participate in the 100th Anniversary, so please continue to spread the word and encourage your fellow sailors to join the race. The return to sailing the original course will be an experience no living participant has been part of and the experience of more than 5,000 participants and family up on Mackinac Island will make for a fun weekend.

Please look through the Burgee and mark your calendars for some of the upcoming special events. Last year we served over 400 people for Easter and had more still on the waiting list. Please book early and let us know how we can accommodate any special requests for you and your family. The Ladies’ Fashion Show planning is under way and is scheduled for April 25th. Friday April 12th is our Old Goats Roast which is open to all members and guests. Our Fitting Out Party tradition continues on May 4th as we work to get our boats ready for our first Thursday Night Race then come to the club for cocktails

Finally, Commodore Helm and his team are working hard on planning the Summer Party on June 22nd. Great food, outdoors, emphasis on putting Party back in the Summer Party are some of the leading topics. The band Our Generation has already been booked, sand has been ordered, fireworks will fly Please save the date and invite your friends to one of the two best parties of the summer

Spring is just around the corner and boats will soon be back in the water, signaling the start of the 2024 sailing season We are excited to welcome everyone back for what is expected to be a great season with the 100th running of the Mackinac Race! It has been a productive winter for the management team as we put down plans for all the special events Keep an eye out in the weekly emails for alerts and details of upcoming events

We made it through the winter with our core staff in place and now we are getting ready for this spring & summer. With the help of the dining room manager Jon Grippi, we have been evaluating our staffing needs and are preparing to begin interviews for hiring around mid-March If anyone knows of someone who would be a good candidate to come work at Bayview, please have them give us a call We had several college students who were home on break work last summer and would like to see that again We especially have need for part-time help

From the Dining Room

Mike Amore, Food & Beverage Director

Chef Chris and the culinary team are planning the new Spring menu They are also designing the Commodore’s Ball and Ladies’ Fashion Show menus to surely please As Matt alluded to, a new wine list is on its way! There will be some excellent additions from around the world and right here in the US If you’d like to have a wine paired to your meal just ask for me and I’ll be glad to help get you the perfect bottle.

Lastly, Easter is rapidly coming upon us, and I remind you to make reservations It is early this year, March 31st There is only so much space available, so to avoid being put on a waiting list reserve your table now. We look forward to seeing everyone back and wish everyone blessings in 2024.

three takeaways from the

Co-written - except where it’s not - by Your Emcees That Night

Adam Hollerbach, Todd Jones and Com. Sandi Svoboda

Old race posters, programs and results sheets. Hats. REALLY OLD foul weather gear. Backstay flags. A hiking bench. Aerial photos. A horn. Marked up charts – pre-GPS era. The Great Whisper battle flag. And a 50-year-old life raft. Moreaboutthatlater…

On a rainy Friday in late January, some 60plus BYC Members showed up for the curiouslytitledevent.

“What, exactly, is this event?” was a question we were asked more than twice in the run up to the night. And quite frankly, we didn’t quite knowwhattheeventwasgoingtobeeither. Our goals were simple: have fun; see what Mackinac memorabilia our Members would share; tell some stories about the artifacts and the race; and did we mention have fun? Oh, also to hope that Antiques Roadshow, the ACTUAL PBS program we were ripping off, wasn’t grumpy if they found out about our copycatevent.

Jones:I’msureweranthispastanattorney. Hollerbach: Given what happened, I’m sure wedidnot.

Sandi: Ignore them. The REAL purpose of the night was to be on the lookout for pieces that we can use in the “Challenge these Waters: A century of sailing from Detroit to Mackinac Island” exhibit that opens in May at the Dossin GreatLakesMuseumonBelleIsle.

Luckily Joel Stone joined our lineup that night. He’s the retired senior curator at the Detroit Historical Society and a service member at Bayview. He’s curating the exhibit at the museum and offering guidance to our historical committee as they work on scanning, cataloging, and displaying the Club’s treasures.

We needed him to tell us what was priceless, what was junk and what should go in our museum exhibit, no matter which of the first twocategoriesitfellin.

So.Whathappenedandwhatdidwelearn?

1. We have history. Oh gosh, do we have historyatBayview.

From the hand-held horn that has done an untold number of races, to charts that marked progress up the course in a pre-GPS era, to smelly foul weather gear dug out of lockers, to race programs that survived decades. Our sailors have collected the history of sailing in Detroit and the Mack race in ways you just can’t appreciate unless you holditinyourhand.

But it doesn’t always translate outside of our sailing circles. Joel was darn near harsh when someone asked him how much a collection of flags or hats or something else on the table thatnightwasworth.

“To you, they’re priceless. To me, they’re worthless,” he said, speaking as a museum administrator.

Ouch. But Joel also reminded us that the story of Bayview should be told far and wide – how this Club tucked away on the Detroit River has sailed for more than a century, sending sailors to the sport’s highest level, AND up the lake every year in the traditional Mackrace.

Weagree.Everyoneshouldhearthat.

2. We don’t livestream BYC events for good reasons.

We do appreciate that sometimes not all of us can get to Bayview for events, and streamingCANofferanoptiontoreachmore

Members. HOWEVER, the stories told at events like this one are … uh … more authentic when the people telling them trust that only the crowdinfrontofthemishearingthem.

Jones: I can’t believe Prophit told the story about…

Hollerbach: I don’t think you can go there here.Thisisafamilypublication.

Jones:IcandowhatIwant,Pal.

Sandi: Yeah, no. We are NOT telling THAT story. And then there’s the “best stolen object” story, which oddly wasn’t Prophit, but I’mnottellingthatstoryunlessIhaveadrink.

Jones: Damn commodores and politicians. Alwayslookingforahandout.

Sandi: I wasn’t suggesting that someone had tobuyit….oh,nevermind.

Hollerbach: Anyway. We gave out some prizes….

So Joel, our expert, didn’t find any priceless treasure among the artifacts people brought. But we did have major awards for the “Best Stolen Object,” “Best Story That We Can’t Tell In The Museum Exhibit,” and a few others none ofuscanrememberbecause…

3.There’snoplacelikeBayview.

When Fleet Measurer Spencer Channell arrived early with a 50-year-old packed inflatable life raft, was there anyone who didn’tknowhowthenightwouldend?

But let’s not skip ahead. First Jones gave a sermon about life rafts. We discussed the Tomahawk sinking and Old Bear rescue of the crew, complete with Com. Chuck Bayer’s framedcopyofthecommendation.

THEN we had an auction to bid on pulling the handle of the life raft. Everyone in the crowd, in a rare moment of Bayview unity, was thinkingthesamething:woulditinflate?

Sandi: I wanted to charge people to watch someone pull it. We’ve got an exhibit to pay for.Ineedsomedonationsforthisbudget.

Jones: What did I say earlier about greedy politiciansandcommodores?

Hollerbach:Hey,Icontributed… Thanks are probably due in part to the BYC BartendersasAdamhadthewinningbid.

Jones:NoonewasmoresurprisedthanI… With a countdown from Jones and Adam, assisted by the crowd, the handle was pulled, andPOOF/BOOM/PFFT!

ITINFLATED!

Sandi:Italsosmelled.

Jones:Ofcourseitdid.Whatdidyouexpect?

Hollerbach:IguessIgotmymoney’sworth.

Sandi: Remind me to get you a receipt for yourdonationtotheexhibitexpenses.

Hollerbach:You’rewelcome.

Jones:Allofyoureadingthisshoulddonate.

No word on where the life raft ultimately ended up after appearing in Adam’s driveway inthemorning.

The evening of what might well be the first Antiques Boatshow event, well, that was a treasure of a Bayview night we can’t put a priceon.

Bejankiwar, scientist with the International Joint Commission; Kathy Johnson, commercial diver, TV producer, and author of the “I Speak for the Fish” series; and Jennifer Boehme, executive director of the Great Lakes Observing System, which collects and shares dataaboutwaterandweatherconditions.

Beyond the discussion, which included lively questions from the audience, the speakers had several conversations with Members. Expect to see them return to Bayview this summer. Anyone interested in a fireboat or USCG boat tour?ContactCom.SandiSvoboda.

Check out the schedule on the right for remainingWinterSeminardates.

TTHURSDAY HURSDAY

MAY 16TH, 6PM MAY 16TH, 6PM

THURSDAY OFF-THE-DOCK SERIES & Hitchhiker Thursdays & Hitchhiker Thursdays & Hitchhiker Thursdays

RACE DATES: May 23rd

June 6th, 20th, & 27th

August 1st, 15th, & 29th

September 12th & 26th

2024 Bayview Mackinac Race Key Dates

Registration Opens for Pre-registered Boats

Registration Opens for Regular Registration

BYC Member Account Payment without Surcharge

Entry Deadline & ORC/GLMRA Rating Certificate Due

Sailing Instructions Available

Registration at BYC

Registration in Port Huron

Race Start Date

Island Awards

Bayview Awards Celebration

2024 Race Chairperson: Charlie Trost

2024 Technical Chair: Art LeVasseur

2024 Race Administrator: Melissa Wenzler

Race Safety Committee (SER Questions): safety@byc.com

2024 RACE INFO

October 1, 2023

October 8, 2023

April 30, 2024

June 1, 2024, 1700 hours

July 1, 2024

July 18, 2024

July 19, 2024

July 20, 2024

July 23, 2024

September 20, 2024

Future Race Dates

July 12, 2025

July 18, 2026

July 10, 2027

2024 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta

Registration & Skipper's Meeting

Racing

Racing & Awards

Regatta Manager: regattas@sailingworld.com

2024 Race Chair: Robbyn Morphew

2024 Race Administrator: Melissa Wenzler

May 30, 2024

June 1, 2024

June 2, 2024

From Our Archives to the World:

Meet the Detroit Historical Society expert helping curate the Bayview Mackinac Race exhibit

By the Bayview Yacht Club Bridge: Com. Mike Helm, Vice Com. Paul Falcone, & Rear Com. Sandi Svoboda

If you haven’t been to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle in a while, you’ll have a great reason to change that later this year: the exhibit about the Bayview Mackinac Race that’s opening to the public in May for 12 months.

Our own BYC Historical Committee has been working with Joel Stone, the recently retired senior curator at the Detroit Historical Society and recognized Great Lakes historian He and the committee have been organizing photos, race programs, and other artifacts into a display for the Robert M. Dossin Gallery – that’s the room to the left of the S.S. William Clay Ford Pilot House at the back of the building.

Joel has also been involved with the exhibit that will be displayed on the Island during and after the race, thanks to a partnership with the Mackinac Arts Council. Watch your Bayview email and our Facebook page for more information about the exhibits and related events. They’re coming up fast: the first one will be the Bayview Mackinac Race Foundation’s annual fundraising event at the Dossin on May 17 which will be a “sneak preview” gala the night before the public gets to see our history.

The Bayview Bridge wanted to hear more from Joel about his thinking about our Club, sailing in Detroit, and the exhibit. So, here’s an edited transcript of our conversation with him.

Com. Mike Helm: I know I speak on behalf of all of the Bayview membership when I say we ' re honored to have this opportunity to share our history and sailing culture with Dossin Museum visitors What made Bayview an attractive partner to you and the Detroit Historical Society?

Joel Stone: Being a sailor, I always embrace chances to tell sailing stories What sailor doesn’t? However, speaking for the Detroit Historical Society, this was a great addition to our Community Gallery initiative – an awardwinning effort to partner with non-profits in all sectors of our city to tell their stories Bayview was a great candidate. First because we’d worked with the Club before back in 1998, when we had the “Racing the Wind” exhibit, and second because, from our standpoint, the recreational angle is a strong way to engage the Dossin’s 75,000 visitors. Detroiters love to race everything from hydroplanes to cars so let’s show them sailing, was our thinking too.

Vice Com. Paul Falcone: How is this exhibit similar and different from others that you ' ve curated?

Joel: It is unique to me for two reasons. This is my first opportunity to work as a curatorial

adviser on an exhibition. The Community Gallery concept is designed to let the partners – in this case BYC – tell their own stories, so I’m working with several Bayview Members who also are acting as curators to make this project happen.

It is also unique for its concentration on a single event. Most exhibitions involve a broader topic, such as an entire industry, a problem like pollution, or all the facets of Prohibition. The only other major “event” exhibition I’ve worked on was about the uprising in 1967 but cause and effect was a huge component in that one. Obviously, the Mackinac Race Centennial is a completely different thing, involving sportsmanship, technology, and the unpredictability of nature.

Rear Com. Sandi Svoboda: What do you hope museum visitors learn or take away after they see the exhibit?

Joel: Primarily, I want visitors to know how challenging this race has been for a century I think many non-sailors think it is just an extended day sail. But it takes training, preparation, and endurance worthy of any extended athletic event. And Mother Nature plays a huge part – sometimes amiable, sometimes angry, and often both in the same race.

A close second, and I tout this every chance I get at my speaking engagements, I want Dossin visitors to understand that Detroit is a national sailing mecca. We’re not Newport, Rhode Island, or Annapolis, Maryland, or San Diego, California, of course, but there are no other cities on the Great Lakes, and few on saltwater, that offer the opportunities for competitive sailing that we have here in southeast Michigan.

Com. Helm: Speaking of the Great Lakes, your work has covered so many aspects of the history of the region. What do you think is one of the most unappreciated elements of our collective history on the freshwater seas?

Joel: Most of our visitors – most people in general – don’t appreciate that Detroit’s history is a very nautical history Our river used to be the busiest maritime highway in the world. None of our major industries would have been founded here without the fleet of ships that were built here, brought raw materials in, and took finished products to other markets. Detroit was also the center of passenger steamship travel for many years, and – besides being a sailing mecca – is now one of the finest recreational fishing grounds on the continent.

This is not ancient history. We are still a maritime town And the Dossin Great Lakes Museum was the first building in the region built specifically to tell that history.

Of course, the vast fleet of schooners is gone, and bulk freighters don’t pass Belle Isle in the great numbers they used to. Two generations ago, everyone in the Lakes region had a sailor in the family That’s not the case anymore, so people are not connected to the water the way they were even 50 years ago

From a museum’s standpoint, commercial maritime is no longer the “hook” it was to reach visitors. Today, we turn to the recreational maritime – powerboating, canoeing, fishing, and sailing – to get people’s attention. This is why Bayview is such a perfect partner, and the Mack Race exhibit is such a perfect fit

Vice Com. Falcone: Finally, how can Members still help out with the exhibit?

Joel: We are in the final design phase of the exhibition, prior to going to fabrication BYC members might be able to help create some engaging interactive elements We have a hiking bench and a winch demo, but there might be an opportunity we haven’t thought of. We’re open to suggestions.

Also, help us get the word out – about the exhibit, the opening gala, the partner exhibition on Mackinac Island. Additionally, once the 100th running is over, we want to develop some programing that gets real sailors into the museum to talk about the race, their experiences, and how anyone else who is interested can get involved – learning to sail, finding opportunities to crew, ways to improve skills, etc. If you have any topics or events that you think might go well with this exhibit or you’d like to donate to support production costs, please send your suggestions to Com. Svoboda at Commodore2026@byc.com.

Visit The Dossin Great Lakes Museum

Fridays & Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 1-5pm beginning May 18th to see the exhibit, Challenge these Waters: A century of sailing from Detroit to Mackinac Island

OPENS MAY 18, 2024

For a one-year run at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum 100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle, Detroit, MI 48207

As our Members well know, the Bayview Mackinac Race is a storied summer tradition, drawing thousands of sailors from around the Great Lakes for the annual friendly competition on Lake Huron with a finish at the iconic Mackinac Island. As the event celebrates its 100th consecutive running in July 2024, the Detroit Historical Society has granted Bayview a year of exhibit space at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum The 75,000 annual visitors will learn more about Bayview, the race, and how they can learn to sail.

This exhibit draws from Bayview’s archives, Members’ personal collections, and the Detroit Historical Society’s vast holdings and is being curated completely by volunteers with financial support from individual Members, the Club and the Detroit Historical Society. We’ve covered photo enlargement, signage, and other basic expenses. But we’d like to do more: video, photographic, and digital production that exceeds the planned budget

More funds mean more of Bayview’s story can be told and more people exposed to the event and our sport Corporate sponsorship available too! Contact Commodore Svoboda

From the Race Chair

In 2023, the Bayview Junior Sailing program continued to thrive, welcoming nearly 80 sailors who embraced competition and sportsmanship on the water. Our enrollment numbers remained strong and continued to increase As I stated at the annual meeting in December, we believe that we can further increase enrollment, setting a goal of reaching 100 sailors within the next three years

Last year, our organization hosted three regattas at Bayview: our annual DRYA Regatta, the Eggs & Optis Regatta, and the USODA Optimist Great Lakes Championships. Bayview had not hosted a USODA event since the mid-90s, so after a long drought, it was great to see one of these events return to our club. We extend our gratitude to our board member, Brian Schaupeter, who organized and chaired the event It was a resounding success, and it has set us up for further collaboration with USODA to host another event soon Throughout all three events, the wind and weather cooperated, and a common theme emerged out of the feedback from parents and spectators: our venue on the Detroit River is fantastic They enjoyed our bar and restaurant from our front lawn and, most importantly, watched their child sail and compete from the shoreline, all against the beautiful backdrop of Canada, Belle Isle, and the Detroit City skyline

BAYVIEW TEAM

As we look back on the season, our team experienced some remarkable accomplishments Firstly, the Crescent Sail Yacht Club Regatta, which was our third regatta of the season. Team Bayview dominated, winning 6 out of the 7 fleets we represented Additionally, we achieved several 2nd and 3rd place finishes. The smiles of achievement on our sailor’s faces at the awards ceremony were priceless, and I was filled with pride as a representative of Team Bayview. A second highlight was 420 skipper Evelyn Young (crew Addison Kimmel) winning “Girl Skipper of the Year” at the Detroit Yacht Club annual season awards ceremony. This award goes to the winningest skipper of the season (across all fleets), and it is always special when it is awarded to a Bayview sailor.

Looking ahead to our 2024 season, our program director, Mike Cowan, and our board of directors have been hard at work completing repairs to our support boat fleet and recruiting a solid coaching staff. We’ve arranged for worldrenowned sailor and U.S. Olympic coach, Dave Perry, to fly to Bayview just prior to the season for a one-day coaching clinic Dave will provide valuable insight and training for our staff, equipping them with proper teaching techniques to enhance the overall experience of our program and elevate the skills of our coaches

Additionally, we are working on arrangements for guest coaches to come in again this year, similar to what we did in 2023 with Emma and Carmen Cowles, Rolex Yachtswomen and 470 World Champions.

Registration for our upcoming summer programs opened on March 1st. New this year, we are offering a 10 percent discount on tuition to Bayview Members who register their child before May 1st Registering early not only saves you money but also ensures your child’s enrollment before classes reach maximum capacity More importantly, early registration helps us plan to ensure we have hired the correct number of coaches for our enrollment A discount code for Bayview Members will be emailed prior to registration opening, so remember to save the date and register early

Lastly, THANK YOU to all our members and supporters of the organization. In 2023, we raised over 45K from corporate sponsors, the spring fashion show, match-tending event, and member contributions. We could not have been successful without your help Your dollars directly contribute to the next generation of Bayview sailors. If you would like to make a contribution this year, please visit our web page

John VanTol | BYC Junior Sail Board President

Bayview Mackinac Race Foundation

Your GenerosityMakes a Difference

The Mackinac Race Foundation's purpose is to ensure that the annual Bayview Mackinac Race continues on forever.

The Foundation depends entirely on contributions, bequests, and endowments to accomplish its goal to guarantee the financial security of the Mackinac Race in perpetuity. Thus, it is the Foundation's investment strategy and policy to invest the net principal of all monetary contributions and donations and to use only the earning in its support of the Mackinac Race each year.

Now, more than ever, we need your support to serve as a guarantee for the future of the Mackinac Race. Please think of us now or in your future estate plans. Every single contribution of any amount is always truly appreciated.

Your donation will help us reach our goal of $1,000,000

How can I support the Foundation and pledge support to the Mackinac Race?

To make a donation to the Mackinac Race Foundation that will insure the continuation of the grand tradition of the Bayview Yacht Club Mackinac Race, visit the BYC Foundation website.

We are excited to share with you a new automated and efficient membership application process. While the steps are the same and follow the constructs and requirements laid out in the bylaws, the online process has expedited the process for the Chief Sponsor and the Prospective Member while making the office’s processes exponentially more efficient.

Because the process is completely online, every step of the process can be done from any device that has access to the internet There are a few buttons that need to be clicked by the office to keep things moving, but mostly the process is nearly instantaneous. In addition to its efficiency, it has made the application process much more accessible to prospective members while maintaining the vetting process of the Request for Membership Application from a current member.

To the left is a diagram of the workflow process that corresponds with the steps below:

All membership applications begin with the Prospective Member submitting their Sailing Background Questionnaire. A link to this form is found on the Join Us page of the BYC website. The first question asks them to name their Chief Sponsor if they have one If they do not have one, their questionnaire will be routed to the Membership Committee to pair them with a Chief Sponsor

The link to the Request for Membership Application will be emailed to the Chief Sponsor The Chief Sponsor submits the Request for Membership Application, including selecting the appropriate membership category based on the the Prospective Member’s age and sailing experience

The Prospective Member submits the Membership Application Form

The Membership Application Form is forwarded to the Membership Chairperson for review and approval to move forward as is or with an appropriate category change based on the Prospective Member’s sailing experience.

The Chief Sponsor will receive a series of emails is quick succession as each step is completed:

a) Sponsorship Questionnaire

b) Name Sponsor #2

c) Name Sponsor #3

d) Name the two Board members who will endorse the application

Sponsor #2 and Sponsor #3 will submit the Sponsorship Questionnaire Form

Signing Board Members submit their signature, completing the application file for review at the next scheduled Board Meeting

Please note that this process still requires Prospective Members be introduced to sponsors and board members before the online sponsorship questionnaires and board signatures are submitted The first Friday of each month, there will be two board members at the Club specifically to meet any prospective members who are needing board signatures.

If you have any questions or need any assistance with this process, please contact Communications & Membership Manager, Jennifer Miracle-Best or Membership Chair, Jeff Putnam.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

JUNIOR JUNIOR

Vincenzo Paliga

Mark Miller | J Greg Muliett | Stephen Beck

Alexander Kopp

Greg Hummel | Brad Kimmel | Harold Stackpoole

Angus Walton

Andrew Walton | Todd Jones | RC Paschke

Charlie Walton

Andrew Walton | Todd Jones | RC Paschke

JUNIOR SENIOR

Skylar McCrindle

Grant Veach | Jeff Putnam | Mike Dodge

INTERMEDIATE I

Victoria Armenio

Brad Kimmel | Geoff Kimmel | Travis Griswold

Ryan Polk

Stephen Polk | Bruce Burton | Michael Nampa

Paul Kuhna

Jon Shefferly | Dan Hedges | Joshua Gall

ACTIVE

Christopher Chamberlain

Mark Miller | J Greg Muliett | Stephen Beck

Robbyn Morphew

Laurie Bunn | Kevin Rossell | Jim Morphew

Megan Mull

Sandra Svoboda | Peter Feldman | Andy Groh

Keith Cameron

Bill Francis | Dan Aitken | Dan Mercier

Melissa Price

RJ Wolney | Adam Hollerbach | Geoff Kimmel

NON-RESIDENT

Martin McEnroe

Stuart W Argo, Jr | Hans Brieden | Jim Cassidy

Jake Thomas

Brad Kimmel | Bret Tigges | Michael DeLano

SUPPORTING

Jonathan Walton

Andrew Walton | Todd Jones | RC Paschke

HELPFUL INFO FOR NEW MEMBERS

Accessing the BYC Member Website

The BYC Member site is a great resource for information about all things Bayview. From coming events, to educational opportunities, to upcoming races, you'll want to make sure you ' re visiting regularly. You should have received a copy of the instructions for setting up your BYC member account with your welcome letter If you have any trouble setting up your account, reach out to our Communications & Membership Manager for assistance.

Check Out the Member Central Calendar

Once you have set up your BYC member website account, be sure to check out our Member Central calendar for details about upcoming events and registration The calendar can be found on the Member Central menu

Watch for Weekly Communication

Our first line of communication is our weekly email updates. These typically go out on Wednesday or Thursday of each week. These updates will be full of information about coming events, club news, names of people posted for membership, and more. If you are missing them, be sure to check your spam or "promotions" folder and reach out to our Communications & Membership Manager if you still need assistance. We also publish this Burgee magazine newsletter quarterly.

Join the BYC Members Only Facebook Group

In addition to our weekly updates and quarterly newsletters, the Bayview Yacht Club Members Only Forum is another great place to get BYC news as well as to interact with fellow BYC Members.

Electronic Monthly Statements

Your monthly statements will be delivered to you electronically at the email address you have on file. PS. If you are a long-time member and still receiving printed statements, contact us to go paperless! Save a tree AND maximize the reach of your monthly dues by saving on postage expenses #winwin

Adding Your Spouse to Your Account

If you have a spouse and would like for them to have access to the club, please contact the Communications & Membership Manager so that we can add them to your account. Spouses added to a member account will receive a member ID card, privileges to bill to your BYC account, and access to our email distribution list. Spouses are not automatically added to a member account when you join unless you indicate it on your application and the request to add a spouse must come from the BYC member

Host Your Next Event at Bayview

Now that you ' re a member of Bayview, you have access to our facilities for all of your special occasion needs! Contact our Food & Beverage Director to make your plans early.

EASTER SUNDAY BRUNCH

SUNDAY, MARCH 31ST

2024 OLD GOATS ROAST

FRIDAY, APRIL 12TH

FITTING OUT PARTY

SATURDAY, MAY 4TH

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH

SUNDAY, MAY 12TH

FATHER’S DAY FLEET REVIEW

SUNDAY, JUNE 16TH

SUMMER PARTY

SATURDAY, JUNE 22ND

FROM THE BYC ARCHIVES

2023 D Cup Opening Ceremony Remarks delivered by Master of Ceremonies, Gary Shoemaker

The “Shrine of Nautical Culture” was the name given The Bayview Yacht Club by George Van, a Detroit News reporter and longtime member

The actual founders of the club over 100 years ago were not a group of sailors but rather five men who loved to fish and drink, and who each parted with the sum of $14 to rent an “Old Corrugated Shack” on the Detroit River, just about a mile downstream from here. It’s prime feature I’m told, was a door in the floor, where illegal booze could be dumped into the Detroit River to avoid the negative results of a police raid during prohibition.

Bayview joined the Interlake Yachting Association in 1922, members participated in the Bermuda Race in 1924, winning Class C and 3rd Overall, and brought home the idea to start the Bayview to Mackinac Race in 1925, which is now the ‘longest continually run freshwater sailboat race in the world’, with next year being the 100th running. In fact, two long-time members who are brothers located and refurbished the 1925 winner, Bernida, and won the 2012 Bayview Mackinac Race with it.

Besides the Mackinac Race, we have run World, North American, National and Great Lakes Championships and The Canada’s Cup. We have hosted multiple United States Match Racing Championships, The Hinman Team Racing Championship, The United States Women’s Match Racing Championship, Championship of Champions, and the US Youth Triplehanded Championship for the Sears Trophy. Our members have served first as a President of the former United States Yacht Racing Union, and more recently as a President of US Sailing.

In addition, our members have competed in the America’s Cup, won World Championships in the International Etchells Class, International DN Iceboat and International Moth Classes. Our members have won multiple USMRC’s, and the D Cup. We are home to former and current International Judges, Umpires, and Race Officers.

We do not have a swimming pool, magnificent ball rooms, nor tennis and pickleball courts. But we do have a beautiful new clubhouse, right on the river with a permanent East-West tide, a fine restaurant and possibly the best bar on the Great Lakes, where the one and only Hummer was invented by Jerome Adams in 1968, and whose name adorns the street that brings you to our club. We even have a strong showing each winter for our Trap Shooting Club right out in front spraying clay pigeons over the ice on the river.

Some have said that Bayview is a way of life, and some have also said that it is an affliction. We think it is both. Afterall, there was a time many decades ago, when the primary qualification to become Commodore was to be able to sit at the bar for an entire afternoon and not fall off of your bar stool.

Excerpts reprinted from Commodore Ralph Burton’s address to the Prismatic Club at Bayview Yacht Club on April 22, 1995 with updates.

TALES FROM DEAD MAN'S CURVE

What follows is one of several articles from Bayview’s historical files about past Bayview Mackinac Races, club events, and personalities. I hope you enjoy viewing the past.

– Ralph Richards, BYC Historian

BAYVIEW ELECTS CHIEF

Source: Detroit News, 1960

Author: George E Van

Saltier members of the Bayview Yacht Club like Bob Benkert, Perce Williamson, Don Braden, Bob Kerr, Dave Sloss and Bud Birt, get red in the face when asked, how come they’ve elected a powerboat man as commodore?

Bayview, haven of the Mackinac racers, a shrine of nautical culture and 15 cent beer, hasn’t had a powerboater at its helm since Bill Mitte ruled the seagoing roost on the river at the foot of Clairpointe several decades back.

This year J. Ivan Fiscus is wearing the three gold stars on his sailing bonnet as Bayview’s commodore. He succeeded a web-footed salt, Arnold Fuchs, at the club’s annual election this week.

Another Bayview windjammer, Bobby Roadstrum, a squarehead, who is always at his best weathering a squall, could steer straight with an explanation.

“Commodore Fiscus qualifies easily. So did Bill Mitte. I remember we needed Mitte because he has a cruiser “Betty Ruth” (named after his wife) we could use for a judges’ boat. Besides Mitte was the only judge we trust … one of the few who knew the sailing rules, even though he was a powerboat man.

“Same with Fiscus. Why, we wouldn’t have been able to hold the All-Night Race if Ivan didn’t come out with his big cruiser “Rounder” to act as a judges’ boat.

“Rounder” has been the stake boat up at Port Huron for nearly 20 years. He’s brave too. Rounder has been hit by sailboats making the turn. He might have been killed.

“Anyway, he’s a sailor now or maybe just a half sailor. He owns half of Vincerre (34-foot sloop) with J. Alfred (Skip) Grow. They raced to Mackinac last year. Yah, I know they didn’t do so hot, but they didn’t get Vincerre until the night before the race. ”

Dr. Joseph (Mike) Tapert is the new vice – commodore, while Skip Grow is Bayview’s rear-commodore, Al Bortolotti, who won the National Raven championship and G. Bruce Conlan, chairman of the Mackinac Race in ‘59 are new board members.

Sunday afternoon at the Edison Boat Club, Commodore Clark Barton will preside at an open house that will honor the 40 commodores (30 living) the club has had since it was founded in 1914. Part of the afternoon’s ceremonies will be flying the commodore’s flag on the starboard yardarm.

Member Feature: Scott Wake

Lauren, Captain Sulley, and I are sitting here in Staniel Cay in the Exuma Island chain of the Bahamas looking out at the blue water and I’m soaking in the reality that we’ve just reached the single biggest goal of my life, so far The success of a dream that I plotted out in my head many years ago

27 years ago, I bought my first cruising boat. She was a 1979 Catalina 22 swing keel. I paid $5,280 for her, including sales tax. I earned the money by getting my first job as a busboy at the Nautical Inn.

For the next several years my friends and I cruised “Passing Wind” in the evenings after school and took weekend trips up and down Door County. Freedom. Adventure. Experience. I introduced many of my friends to sailing during that time. I always felt the calling to share my love of sailing and boating with others.

I had been racing optimist dinghies at Bayview Yacht Club for a number of years, so I wasn’t new to sailing. But this was a little bit different, it was my first taste of real adventure and wanderlust. Setting off on my own boat that I paid for with my own money. It’s what started me down the path that eventually landed me in this spot today.

The high stress of working jobs where the safety of passengers, crew, and vessel rest squarely on your shoulders, the long hours, the missed sleep due to the nature of the work schedule, and the endless phone calls from tenants about plugged sh*tters and broken water heaters. I’ve worked really hard to do what I had to do to be here today and force my dream to come true.

From a young age I dreamed of owning my own boat and setting off on a grand adventure. Years ago, I read a book called Staniel Cay. It’s about a couple of post-high school kids, Nick and Tony, who find an old sailboat in the mangroves of Miami, fix the boat up, and sail off to the Bahamas on the greatest adventure of their life. Like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but with a sailing emphasis Nick and Tony end up in Staniel Cay and all sorts of drama ensues It’s the only book I’ve ever read multiple times That sense of adventure and accomplishment resonated with

me, and I was hooked. For the last 12 years since I first read that book my dream came into focus. Someday I was going to buy my dream boat and head off to Staniel Cay.

This isn’t really about the Bahamas, though it is very beautiful here. It’s about getting an idea in your head, focusing on it for years, and doing whatever is within your power to manifest it into reality. Proving to yourself that you could do it. I did that. I worked really hard, I dreamed big, and I did whatever I had to do to get here. On my own little ship that I earned. This is a long way from age 14 cruising a Catalina 22 on Sturgeon Bay in Wisconsin

I still feel a calling to share my love of boats with others, as evidenced by the 20 or so family and friends that have traveled aboard DREAMER over the first half of our Great Loop journey. I’ve used this trip to make new friends, reconnect with old friends, and spend time with people that I care about Almost anybody that has completed the Great Loop will tell you that the people you encounter are what makes the Loop so great. It’s true.

You’re a product of the people you surround yourself with. I’ve been lucky to have good family, friends, employers, and co-workers. All who have helped and supported me throughout the years Thank you to all of them In particular, I want to thank Lauren for supporting our decision to buy my dream boat and live out my dream right NOW. I’m pretty sure she just got tired of listening to me talk about it and it was the only way to get me to shut up. Regardless, it was the push I needed to finally put things into motion. Also thank you to her for working 4 jobs so that I can HAMMER DOWN when I think it is needed.

DREAMER is resting at anchor at Staniel Cay after a 3,500-mile voyage from Detroit. I feel overwhelmingly proud, accomplished, and fortunate to be here right now having reached my longtime dream that both Lauren and I have worked so hard to achieve.

We did it

You can follow along with Scott’s adventures on