Reef Points for October 2023

“...to increase an awareness of and participation in yachting activities.”

Coral Reef Yacht Club 2484 South Bayshore Drive Miami, Florida 33133 Phone: (305) 858-1733

www.coralreefyachtclub.org

General Manager: Jim VanBuren

CLUB OFFICERS 2023-2024

Commodore ........................................Neal McAliley

Vice Commodore .............................Stephan Medina

Rear Commodore .............................Jim Hartenstein

Treasurer .................................................Chris Block

Secretary..........................................Bentley Balzabre

Fleet Captain .............................Luis Prieto y Muñoz

Fleet Surgeon .........................Bernhard Brijbag, MD

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Charles Porter ‘24

Tait Keon ‘24

Billy Rieder ‘24

John Wood ‘24

Al Germi ‘25

Peter LaPointe ‘25

Commodore’s Comments

I hope everyone is having a great start to our fall season. It’s wonderful to see so many people around the Club, and we have a busy calendar of social events coming up in the next few months.

I want to let people know about some planned renovations at the Club next year. Coral Reef has a beautiful campus. Our historic Clubhouse was originally built in the 1920s, and was expanded in the 1950s a er Coral Reef Yacht Club was established. Over the years, the Club has periodically renovated and repaired the Clubhouse and other buildings to better serve the membership. Most recently, the Club built the Boathouse, renovated the locker rooms, and renovated the snack bar/grill. e Club makes these renovations as needed and when funds are available.

Luis Prieto y Munoz ‘25

Bernard Brijbag, MD ‘26

Christian Falk ‘26

Lori Harvey ‘26

Kenia Rocha ‘26

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

Associate Members .....Danny Mendez/Nicholas Diaz

Audit Committee ....................................Lori Harvey

BAD Committee .........................................Brett Ury

Charter and Bylaws .........................PC Mike Bonner

Commodores Ball .....................Doreen Roseborough

Elise Thyrre & Teresa Davant

Communications.......PC Carol Ewing,Web Manager

Tina Menditto, Reef Points Editor

Cruising and Boating ................................Dale Mills

Entertainment ..............................Maria McCormick

Family Activities ................... Lisa Santana/Abby Wyss

FCYC Rep .........................................PC Joe Mensch

Finance................................................Charles Porter

Fishing Tournaments ......................Diego Juncadella/ Javier Villegas

House.........................................Luis Prieto y Muñoz

Ladies Day .................Doreen Roseborough/Pat Hays

Long Range Planning .....................PC Doug Broeker

Marine Facilities ......................................Billy Rieder

Membership .......................................PC Mike Klotz

Nominating......................................PC Mike Owens

Orange Bowl Regatta ........................Vince Menditto

Orientation ..............................PC Peter Baumberger

Race Committee ...............................PC Chris Lanza

Reef Locker ...........................................Lisa Maguire

SORC ..............................................PC Carol Ewing

Youth Sailing/USODA ............................Chris Block

WOW/Ladies Sailing ..........................Melissa Rieder

Deadline is the 10th of the month. E-mail info@coralreefyachtclub.org in order to receive a paper copy by mail and to submit digital photos or articles and for advertising information.

One item that has long been on the list for renovations is the main kitchen in the Clubhouse. e kitchen is the part of the Clubhouse that Members see the least but arguably rely upon the most. It is critically important to Club operations, because we literally serve thousands of meals each year from that kitchen. Yet, the kitchen is woefully out of date. It was designed in 1955 when Coral Reef Yacht Club bought the property. Other than the periodic replacement of appliances, the kitchen hasn’t been renovated since then – over 60 years ago. is means that the kitchen is small and poorly laid out for the amount of food that must be prepared.

e Club’s Board of Directors has approved the renovation of the kitchen several times over the past years, but the work has been put o so that other projects could be accomplished rst. It is now clear that we cannot leave the kitchen project on the back burner any longer. With record demand for meals at the Club, our ine cient kitchen is slowing down service and impairing the crew’s ability to produce high quality meals. It is increasingly drawing scrutiny from city code inspectors, and if we do not bring it up to current standards soon, we may be forced to make upgrades on short notice. Renovations also will improve working conditions for the crew.

e Club has been working for months on a detailed plan for the kitchen renovations. Although not all of the details have been nalized, the plan now is to renovate the kitchen during summer of 2024 a er Memorial Day weekend. We are targeting the summer months because many Members are out of town, and there are fewer large events that need the use of the kitchen. e goal is to do the work as e ciently as possible, so that the upgraded kitchen is ready for use in time for the busy fall season. Most of the work will take place in areas of the Clubhouse that Members do not use, and the indoor bar and dining room will remain open. While the kitchen is being renovated, the Club will use the snack bar/ grill to prepare meals. We recently upgraded the snack bar/grill to enable its use for a broader menu, so the expectation is that we will be able to provide quality meals. We will be limited in our ability to prepare food for large events during the kitchen renovations, but hopefully the e ect on Members’ day-to-day use of the Club will be minimal.

It is no fun to go through a renovation, but the kitchen renovation project will allow the Club to better serve the Membership. Once the project is done, the Club will be able to prepare quality food more e ciently. We will provide more details as they become available.

See you around the Club!

Neal

Katrina

Sponsored by Paul DeStefanis

Boat: 2018 SeaVee 390z

Simply Knot II

Artist Russler

Designs for CRYC

A sophomore at Bowdoin College and CRYC's very own Artist in Residence, Lauren Russler, designed the logo for the 2023 Optimist Southeast Championship Spring Quali er, which will be hosted by CRYC October 7-9th. Russler also hand-painted forty optimist watercolor portraits, which will be given as awards to the winners in each boat class.

On The Cover

is month's cover, trimmed in pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, features the logo for the 2023 Optimist Southeast Championship spring quali er hosted by CRYC. e logo was designed by Member Lauren Russler.

Make Reservations for October’s Spectacular Ladies Day Event!

By Doreen Roseborough, Ladies Day Co-Chair

Danser Avec Moi, Cherie….Ladies Day presents a dazzling professional dance performance and luncheon on Wednesday, October 18th, featuring championship dance partners from DanceSway Ballroom. Dressed in lavish costume, dancers will perform three exquisite pieces including an elegant Tango, irty Bolero, and a vivacious Mambo.

You will enjoy a most engaging Ladies Day program beginning at 11:00 am with our complimentary “Bolero Champagne Cocktail,” a blended bubbly creation inspired by today’s ballroom dance performances. Hors d’oeuvres will be served while you peruse our collection of uniquely themed ra e prizes.

Whimsical decor includes dining tables adorned with lovely oral centerpieces and draped in colorful bohemian-style organza overlays. A fabulous culinary luncheon in keeping with today’s exotic theme follows, and a romantically sophisticated dance presentation highlights this memorable day.

Note the new time for this luncheon... cocktails and hors d’oeuvres o ered at 11:00 am, lunch at noon, and the performance begins promptly at 1:00 pm. So gather your friends and call the front desk for reservations, as this promises to be a hugely popular event - you won’t want to miss it! Gentlemen's table available!

OCTOBER 2023

Florida Council of Yacht Clubs Update

By Joseph S. Mensch MD

As you are aware, hurricane insurance is nearly impossible to obtain for Florida yacht clubs. To obtain needed coverage, FCYC is developing a self-insurance plan for its Members. West Coast yacht clubs, however, are probably more at risk than East Coast yacht clubs due to their being near each other and the extensive coastal shelf that promotes high storm surges.

In our Club’s situation, we have not been a ected by a hurricane since Irma some six years ago, and it was not a direct hit. Meanwhile, our storm fund has grown to $1.8 million, and we have been able to purchase insurance albeit at a premium price. Our General Manager and the Board do not feel we need to take on this west coast liability.

On the legislative side, several congressmen have proposed speed limits in an area South of Jacksonville, where right whales are known to congregate. is has been opposed by commercial and sport shermen. At present, NOAA is recommending only “enhanced surveillance.” It is interesting to note that there have been no whales reported damaged or killed in the last ten years.

Vero Beach Yacht Club is a friendly Club located in an inlet o the Indian River. Established in 1926 in a “shack,” it was extensively enlarged during the 1960s. It has only twenty-four slips but has plans to add an additional twenty- ve soon. It boasts 650 Members with a $5,000 entrance fee and a four-year waitlist.

Consider a visit to Vero Beach. It has many interesting recreational activities to enjoy - namely the McKee Botanical Garden in an 18-acre jungle landscape, e FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute that o ers tours of this research organization and e National Navy UDT Seal Museum with its unique interactive programs. e beach is superlative with easy public access. Finish up the day with cocktails and dinner at the Club. Just Google FCYC and our website will come up with information on all the FCYC Clubs.

In appreciation for serving our Country all CRYC Veterans are invited to join us for a complimentary buffet.

Bimini or Bust!

By Brett Ury, B.A.D Committee Chair

CRYC’s Cruising Committee’s latest trip, was a four night visit to the Island of North Bimini. We had a few challenges weather wise, however, we were able to pull the trip o . Most of us stayed at e Big Game Club, with some sleeping on their boats and others renting rooms. e B.G.C. worked with us on special rates for both the marina and the hotel.

We all arrived at di erent times. Once checked in, we met at the pool, and then many of us piled onto my boat to visit “Ebbie’s & Pat’s" for dinner and drinks. is is a special place, a little o the beaten path, but well worth a visit. So much so, that we returned with everyone riding over on both my boat and John Malloy's. Many of us also visited “Ebbie’s & Pat’s” again via golf cart. If you haven’t made it here yet, add it to your list of things to do upon your next visit – it’s complete with a full bar, fresh conch salad, lobster (fried or grilled) and much more.

Some of the other highlights of our trip were heading south to Honeymoon Harbour, where we anchored just o the beach. Faddy, our chef, grilled hot dogs and hamburgers right on the beach. We snorkeled the “ ree Sisters” rocks just o of Resorts World and did some lobstering on the north tip of the Island. We anchored o of Radio Beach, where we downed a few cold ones. Some of us had lunch on the boats, while others waded to shore for some fresh fried lobster tail. Members Al and Kathy Germi hosted us on their beautiful Viking for appetizers and cocktails more than once.

e B.G.C. proved to be a great base, and many of us used the pool and restaurant multiple times. Another highlight was a group visit to Ashley Saunders' labor of love - e Dolphin House Museum. is place was built over the course of thirty years by a single man using mostly recycled materials. Much of the decor is made up of otsam that Mr. Saunders has gathered over the years, along with beautiful mosaics. Mr. Saunders took us on a tour of all four levels, including a nal stop on the roo op for some great photos next to his roo op lighthouse. is is another little-known gem you must add to your to-do list upon your next visit to the Island. Many of us visited the casino located in the Hilton for a little late-night fun. Some of the group visited the straw market, Radio Beach and Big John’s. Sadly, the End of e World Bar was closed.

e other CRYC Members who took part in this fabulous weekend were Pete and Faddy Smalley, Al and Kathy Germi, John Malloy and his wonderful family, Kelly Malloy, Katie Malloy and John Malloy Junior, Dave Billskog, Bill Potter, Lars Fitzgerald (of B.B.Y.C.), and Karalee Kowar. Please keep an eye out for additional events the Cruising Committee has assembled for the year. e bigger the turnout, the better! Come out and meet some new CRYC friends while catching up with some old ones.

Bubbly and Bouquets

By Melissa Rieder, WOW/Ladies Sailing Chair

Saturday, September 16th, was an evening lled with oral design and fun as CRYC’s WOW Committee hosted “Bubbly and Bouquets.” Upon arrival, guests - many donning oral for the occasion - mingled while enjoying a selection of small bites prepared by Chef Eddy and sipping bubbly from the champagne bar. Once cocktail hour was over, it was time to choose owers for the bouquets from the elaborate oral display containing a variety of Hydrangeas, Calla lilies, Lisianthus, Roses and more. Soon a er, the talented team from e Blonde Tulip led a step-by-step instruction on how to design pave oral arrangements. At the end of the evening, guests took home their exquisite, personally arranged bouquets with tools to help them make their own ower arranagements in the future. Our next WOW event is Ladies Sailing 101 taking place on October 12th and 14th. Please contact Melissa Rieder at melis9026@gmail.com or call 305.608.1058 for more information or to sign up.

JOIN

Bring

BAD Committee Night - Up Next

BAD Night Presents...

The International SeaKeepers Society promotes oceanographic research, conservation, and education through direct involvement with the yachting community. Providing educational resources and hands-on marine science experiences to students is the primary focus for ensuring the future wellbeing of our planet. SeaKeepers enables the yachting community to take full advantage of their unique potential to advance marine sciences and raise awareness about global ocean issues.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19TH

Cocktails: 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Dinner: 6:30 PM | Presentation 7:15 PM RSVP at (305) 858 1733 or frontdesk@coralreefyachtclub.org

Questions? Contact Dale Mills at dmills@bayshore-equipment com at dmills@bayshore-equipment.com

Reservations are required at frontdesk@coralreefyachtclub.org or 305-858-1733

Reservations are at or

Father's Day

It takes over 150 volunteers to pull off� this historic regatta each year. We need your help to make it happen! Volunteers are needed both on the water (with boats or without) and on land Contact

registration.