The San Francisco Yacht Club
September 2010
November 2009
THE
BULLETIN
The Bulletin
Magazine of The San Francisco Yacht Club September 2010 Volume 16 • Issue 8 OFFICERS & DIRECTORS Commodore Vice Commodore Rear Commodore Secretary Treasurer Port Captain Directors:
Raymond Lynch Robert Heller Robert Griswold Bill Melbostad Suzie Moore Jay Hooker Steve Fentress Tad Lacey Ed Lynch John Rittenhouse Paul Rosenlund S/C Kyle Elliott
AUXILIARY OFFICERS & DIRECTORS President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Directors:
Alisa Bekins Lisa Rosenlund Mimi Blakeslee Melissa Tulp Kari Cusack Ginny DeMaria Lori Fromm Lee Johnson Cindie O’Donnell Ginna Milan Laura Rousseau Jane Young Helen Reilly - Ex-Officio Kim Lynch - Honorary
General Manager Dennis Conneally Asst. General Manager Evelyne Swinscoe-Byer
The San Francisco Yacht Club
Columns
3 14 22 23
Commodore Auxiliary President Food and Beverage General Manager
Departments 4 5 6 8 12 16 17
Bowline Around The Club Harbor Race News Youth Sailing Cruising New Members
Features 18
Finn North American Championship
November 2009 Racing
Crossing Wakes
THE BULLETIN Editors
P/P Mimi Cornelius Ross Tibbits
Production Manager
Vince Mattera
Bulletin Committee
Joan Linn Bekins Dennis Conneally Mickey McClure Mike North Bill Reilly Marily Rimmer P/P Sally Secor Evelyne Swinscoe-Byer Barbara Raeuber Thomas P/P Jane Watts
Contributors
Advisor
Laurence Bekins, Bruce Edwards, Royanne Florence, Forrest Gay, Scott Harris, Ed Lynch, Chef Reny Madrid, Steve and Ginger Mason, Angie Lackey Olsen, Bill Stark, Jeffery Stein, Sergei Zavarin
Social Events 20
On The Horizon
Employee Picnic
Cover photo: Yucca on the city front in the Lipton Cup
S/C John Swain
THE SAN FRANCISCO YACHT CLUB
photo by S/C John Swain
98 Beach Road • P.O. Box 379 Belvedere, CA 94920-0379 (415) 435-9133 • FAX (415) 435-8547 www.sfyc.org
SFYC Activities 2 • SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org
From the Commodore Raymond Lynch, Commodore / commodore@sfyc.org
n Tuesday, August 17th, I had the pleasure of departing SFO for Vancouver and eventually the Queen Charlotte Islands, 70 miles off the coast of British Columbia. I was accompanied by SFYC member Doug Holm and the grand prize winners in last year’s Youth Fundraiser Raffle, member Bill Haynor and his son, Charlie. After spending the first evening in Vancouver, we departed the next morning for the Charlottes, now officially called the Haida Gwai’i Islands, after the still present local Indians. After landing in the appropriately named Sandspit, we immediately departed for a cross island thrill ride on a ten passenger helicopter, operated by mad Max – or a close relative. We had five days of great weather, fantastic fishing, and good camaraderie. Within two days the Haynors were captains of their boat, departing the deep cove at 6 am each morning for a day of fishing, following orcas, humpback whales, and bald eagles in a truly remote setting. I have plenty of pictures and will share with the Bulletin next month. We all had the opportunity to share stories and compare notes about certain aspects of life. Therein lays the center point of this month’s article. Doug and I related old stories about our experiences as teenagers and college students. We reminisced about how many people took us under their wings, or exposed us to a new experience we would not have enjoyed without someone in essence saying, “Come here kid, I want to show you something.” It’s called “give back”. And it is something we all should try to do, in any form we can. In our yachting oriented world, “giving back” can be taking junior sailors out racing, lending a hand at The Leukemia Cup, or volunteering a boat
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for The Easter Seal Sail. In Bill and Charlie’s case, they really were just making a donation to our Youth Sailing Program when they purchased a raffle ticket. They are not avid “let’s really get out there” fishing guys. But they got a bonus payback for their generosity. And you can too! The 2010 SFYC Youth Fund Raiser Raffle is in full swing the entire month of September. Buy a few tickets if the ability is there. Not only will you have the satisfaction of knowing your money went to a good cause, but maybe on August 20, 2011, you might find yourself about eight miles southwest of Hippa Island, fighting a thirty plus pound Chinook. The SFYC is now sailing into our most active time of the year. As I write this column, the Great Schooner Regatta is coming up. Then the holiday that generates the most Club use, Labor Day weekend, arrives. A number of SFYC Board members, John and Tracie Rittenhouse, Ed and Shana Lynch, and Suzie and Brian Moore, will join Kim and me, as we scurry back to Newport, Rhode Island to cheer on Shawn Bennett and his crew as they compete in The Invitational Cup, hosted by the New York Yacht Club. It should be great spectator racing. And outside of our own neighborhood, where could be a better place to be than New England in early October? September 25th finds The Club transformed into Ray’s Corral. Mark the calendars and come on down. This is an all afternoon and evening event. Katherine Ferguson and Elizabeth Merrill have really put the effort into a great, fall kick off, shindig. On October 2nd and 3rd The Club hosts the Leukemia Cup weekend. Russell Coutts will be the guest speaker on Saturday evening. Call The Club’s Front Desk to join in. In closing, I notice I have a short three months to get the second floor added on to the Clubhouse, the swimming pool in the ground, the parking garage started, and the Cove House transformed. Plans are into Belvedere Planning Department for all of the above. If you have any other good ideas, bad jokes, can’t sleep, or just plain nothing to do, don’t be afraid to email me at Commodore@SFYC.org. Ray
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The Bowline Keeping The SFYC membership tied to what’s happening around The Club
SFYC PHOTO CONTEST
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he SFYC Photo Contest entry period begins October 1st. This contest challenges SFYC members to submit photos that best convey “The Spirit of The SFYC”. • The contest is open to SFYC photographers of all ages. • A maximum of two entries will be accepted from each photographer. • Submissions will be accepted for the following two divisions: Adults and Kids 16 and Younger. • All entries must be submitted as 8”X 10” photographs to The SFYC Front Office or mailed to The Bulletin, P.O Box 379, Belvedere, CA 94920-0379. FIRST PRIZE: Adult Division: $100 SFYC Gift Certificate that can be used in The Club Dining Room or Ship’s Store. Kids 16 and Younger Division: Gift Certificate to Way Point Pizza. Entries will be displayed in The SFYC Clubhouse. Winners will be announced in the November Bulletin. (Entry in The SFYC Photo Contest implies permission is given to the editors to display and use the submitted photos in The SFYC Bulletin.) Get out your camera and start shooting those photos!
Mimi Cornelius and Ross Tibbits SFYC Bulletin Editors 4 • SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org
Around The Club
Hard Aground
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he Club has recently received many inquiries into what it takes to join our fair and respected association. So I asked a few new members (defined as one who has gained admission to our revered institution within the past four decades) to offer any guidance they might have to help one navigate the labyrinth of The Club’s application process. Below is their response. First you must find a willing member to sponsor you. If you don’t know any members it is suggested that you take a sailing class at The Club, volunteer to crew on a Friday Night Race, or drop by one of the public watering holes during Happy Hour (We are a penurious bunch don’t you know?) If you aren’t inclined to ruin your life with distilled spirits, having an interest in sailing is much more appropriate tack to take in any case. The SFYC is a club of Sailors that also accepts power boaters if: They used to sail. They claim that they used to sail. Their kids want to learn to sail. They simply love mucking about in any kind of vessel afloat and point that out strongly to whoever is giving them trouble.
Once you have found a Sponsor, you need a Seconder. The Sponsor, Seconder, and you then sit down and try to find three or four other folks who are members, and are willing to claim publically (key word) that they are acquainted with you. Those selected then fill out a form and write a note stating that they do indeed know you, what a swell person you are, how they are sure you will volunteer for every committee at The Club, and how those whispered rumors around the community about you dressing as the Pope and visiting a synagogue was simply a college prank gone bad. This package of important clarifications and denials is then submitted to the Membership Committee.
The members of this committee are the Guardians of the Gate, the Keepers of Crown Jewels, the Praetorian Guard, the Thin Blue (blazered) Line, who are there to protect us. One of the members of the Membership Committee will contact you and sometimes offer to take you to lunch. This is an attempt to see if you can use your utensils for what they were designed for, or if indeed you have come up with new and entertaining ways to employ your dining tools. In reality they also want to confirm that you know how to tie a bowline, sing a sea chantey, dance a jig, and tell a good tale. We are a community of sailors after all. But be careful, these folks know their way around the deck of a boat and can sniff out land lubbers who are simply looking for a nice place to have a business lunch. Following a successful interview your name will be posted. This means that you hope that anyone you have had disagreements with in business, angered at your child’s school, cut off in traffic, or jumped in front of at a Safeway check-out line, is on an extended vacation. For thirty days, every Club member who has known you since elementary school, and who feels you have wronged them somehow, will have free reign to trash your reputation, as you thought only a sorority co-ed going to school below the Mason Dixon Line could do. If you are lucky, and the current members who don’t care much for you have not started a phone tree to insure you don’t darken our gang ways, your name will be submitted to the Board of Directors. Should you have done nothing to offend them (or their loved ones), you’re in. Congratulations! Ed. Note: This month’s author’s name was withheld for blatantly obvious reasons. We have contacted the Membership Committee however and they are considering re-evaluating her active membership privileges at this time. SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org • 5
Harbor Ed Lynch, Harbor Chair / elynch@rpm-mtg.com
of boats, member guest privileges, and support members give to the staff that ell, by now you have probably realized the South Hoist is back enforcement policies and procedures. These are carrying out our directives. I would rules have been created over many years encourage all Club members to be in service. The hoist is actually and are there to protect the rights of familiar with the “rules of the road” as new and is a chain type hoist similar to enjoyment for all members and to treat all they say. This makes everyone’s life a the North Hoist and is rated at three tons. members fairly and equitably. One of the lot easier and frees up our staff to focus With that final repair, I am hopeful that primary jobs of the Harbor Committee is to on the work we expect them to do. our new repair and service company, Doc Recently we have Bailey, will keep had a number of them going for many members drop off the more years to come. wait lists for both dry Life around our dock and berth slips. little cove never This was the result of seems to get dull and many factors, including there are always members becoming many things to fix ineligible to be on this and repair or replace. list due to membership Several recent status. Berth eligibility comments from requires a member to be members expressed a Regular, Life or concern that we have Honorary Life Member. several projects going Inactive or Nonon around The Club Resident Members are and the dry dock. not allowed to remain on For example: “Are the wait list or maintain they ever going to be a boat in the harbor or completed?” The on dry dock. There have answer to this also been a number of question is, yes they Kevin Tentis, Alan Allen, and Harbor Master Jerry Fisher hard at work on members who have will. Many of the the new decking. declined an offer for a repair projects berth resulting in them being dropped involve working around the tides and off the list after a second refusal. The much of the work revolves around the low new updated wait lists are posted in The tide allowing the staff to get under the Club and on the SFYC website. docks and work. Aligning the tides, staff Members should all stay informed of schedules, and days of the week can be a their position on the list and bring any little problematic but it eventually will be discrepancies to the immediate attention put back together and safer for all. of the Harbor Committee. It is a On another front, the Harbor constant job of accurately maintaining Committee is always reviewing rules, these lists. We realize the seriousness of some of which have been there for several the issue when a member finds out years and most of them for decades. The he/she have been dropped from the list. rules are provided to every member and We go out of our way to inform the are contained in the annual SFYC members of changes in their status and Directory that is mailed to every member many times we get no response from each year. I mention this because it is the member at all. Please heed the shot often the case that a member will be across the bow and ensure you are surprised to find there is a rule which constantly assess whether the rules are protecting your rights by staying governs almost every aspect of Club being followed and if not the Harbormaster informed of your wait list status. behavior and acceptable practice in and and staff are instructed to correct the Enough said, I am off to race with around the harbor. Rules including who situation. In many cases a member aware my buddies on Fast Friends. can be on the wait list, who is allowed to of the rules is not willing to abide by them. Smooth sailing. have a boat in the harbor, how do you get The Harbor Committee appreciates the Ed a boat in the harbor, maintenance and use
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Aligning the tides, staff schedules, and days of the week can be a little problematic but it eventually will be put back together and safer for all.
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Racing Angie Lackey Olson, 2010 Race Council Chair
The Finnatics From a report by Forrest Gay
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o this all got started when Ed Wright of Great Britain asked Forrest Gay, our Youth Director and the Race Chair of this regatta, if there was anywhere in the USA where the wind blew hard. Forrest, of course, invited the Finns to come and play in the San Francisco Bay for a North American Championship prior to their Gold Cup (which is also to be held locally.) Twenty Finns from the US, Great Britain, Spain, and Russia started racing on Friday, July 16, at noon, and it was blowing a mild 15 knots on the Circle. The first race was a long course, while the wind built (triangle-WL-triangle). Before the race was, over it was blowing 20; and by 3 o’clock, the breeze was gusting to 25 knots for the third race. After Race #1, PRO Erich Ringewald, consulted Forrest about the course choice for Race #2, to which Forrest replied…” Now that we’ve warmed up, we’re ready for course #1”, which was a triangle-WL only. On Saturday there was not quite as much breeze, about 20 knots; everyone was much less tired at the end of the day. On Sunday morning everyone arrived at the club where it
was already blowing 18 knots at 10 am. They sailed out through some 30-knot puffs near Angel Island. Once on the course, it wasn't quite as windy. They got in the last two races and headed for home. Ed Wright (GBR) dominated with 8 bullets and took home a lot of bar ware. Second place went to Zach Railey (USA), third to Andy Casey (USA), fourth to Erik Lidecis (USA) and fifth to Forrest Gay (USA).
(Right) Forrest Gay at North Americans (Below) Andy Casey, Rafa Trujillo, Zach Railey and Ed Wright with Commodore Lynch at Finn North Americans
SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org • 7
Race News Angie Lackey Olson, 2010 Race Council Chair
photo by S/C John Swain
505 Regatta Report by competitor Bruce Edwards
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ome of the 505s elected to spend $10k and go to Denmark to sit on the seat tanks; but the eight smart guys who stayed home got to sail in 16–20 knots of breeze on the bay during the weekend of July 31- Aug 1. The San Francisco Yacht Club, which is to be the site of the 2012 North American Championships, once again put on an amazing event. The first three races on Saturday were in a progressively, building breeze. The first race saw some nice shifts and a tough call on whether to sail out for velocity or to the beach for relief. The Regurgitator lead around the mark and held off The Dog and Pony Show until the last leg. The second race was dominated by the boys on the Money Shot, as they
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recognized the current relief line first, and the rest was history. Mike Martin and Bruce Edwards managed to win the last one. Day Two was different from Saturday; a bit more wind overall, but with some really interesting holes on the top and the bottom of the course as the fog burned and the westerly settled onto the bay. There was tight battling in all races with some interesting place changes due to tide and current. Special thanks to Mark Dowdy and Jason Bright for not sailing, but for organizing and for driving the gate boat. Also, thanks to PRO Jeff Zarwell for running a great event. Results 1st Dog N Pony Show, Mike Martin/Bruce Edwards 2nd Money Shot, Aaron Ross/Robert Waterman 3rd 505 Robert Tennant/Rich Mundell
photo by Sergei Zavarin
PICYA Lipton Series September Events The San Francisco Lipton Cup, hosted by PICYA, was held on July 17-18 on the City Front. Racing under the SFYC Burgee was David Carrel, Paul Mourani, and crew on the Express 27, New Wave for the “Little Lipton.” New Wave prevailed with three bullets to bring home the trophy for SFYC. Competing for the “Big Lipton” was Hank Easom and his crew aboard Yucca. Hank and team traded evenly on Saturday with Gerard Sheridan’s, Tupelo Honey, (1, 2 vs 2, 1). Yucca came in second on Sunday, by a mere 24 seconds, bringing home the Edward E. Peck Memorial Trophy. Congratulations go out to both teams for a job well done.
Midnight Moonlight Maritime Marathon July RC volunteers The course for the MMMM is start- round the middle pier of the Carquinez Bridge- finish. And don’t run aground in the shallows of San Pablo Bay. Eleven boats tested their endurance for the MMMM on July 24, with an almost full moon and contrary tides for the ride up to the bridge and back. With boats ranging from a Cal 20 to a multi-hull, Prosail 40, PRO Anne Scully started the sequence at 3:00 pm Saturday and finished the last boat at 1:45 am…just under the 2:00 am time limit. Top placers for this event are: 1st Peter Stoneberg, Shadow 2nd Steve Stroub, Tiburon 3rd John Stewart, Bloom County
Have your found your Staff Commodore yet? The Staff Commodore’s Cup will be held on Labor Day, Monday, September 6. It will be followed by the annual Labor Day BBQ. Each entry must have a Staff Commodore aboard. There are plenty of them around so track “yours” down. We’ll see you out on the race course! The Fall Classic on Sept 11-12 will find our harbor packed with boats from the Bear, Bird, Folkboat, IOD, and Knarr fleets. We’re also planning a BBQ for that Saturday night. So come on down and join the fleet. If you’re not racing on one of these beauties and have time to volunteer for Race Committee, please let Erich Ringewald know! The IOD fleet will come in force again September 22-25 for their North American Championships. Three days of on-the-water activities means we need volunteers. Please contact Danielle Lawson (fleet captain & Race Chair for the event) or PRO, Bartz Schneider, if you have availability, especially during the week. The final Club Championship race, the Wosser Cup, will be held on Sunday, September 26. The last chance to get some points on the board for 2010… The awards are still up for grabs!
SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org • 9
Race News
Trunk Monkey Returns By Ross Tibbits
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was sitting at The Club’s bar recently, having a brief conversation with Scott Easom about the Pacific Cup, which at the time was still underway. Inevitably we started talking about Skip and Jody McCormack’s double-handed campaign aboard Trunk Monkey. Scott, a seasoned Pacific Cup and Transpac racer, commented on how physically challenging the race is even on a fully crewed yacht. He marveled at their undertaking. This is a very physical race for two people, and it’s even more demanding on a Farr 30. Ironically, Skip later recalled, “Sailing across the pond was actually the shortest part of the adventure. Taking a 15 year-old boat, designed for inshore sailing, and making it 100% capable of sailing offshore was the most time consuming aspect of the project. We focused on safety and reliability, making sure that we removed as many variables that could lead to a safety problem. Once the boat was "safe," we focused on removing variables that could slow the boat down.” As it turned out, making the boat faster wasn’t such a big deal, as Trunk Monkey was leading her fleet by a good margin early on in the race. Skip and Jody chose a northern route that had more favorable winds than its southern counterpart. Looking back though, despite all their practice and preparedness, they “had NO IDEA how difficult it would be after five days of hard sailing in the ocean…we pushed ourselves both mentally and physically farther than at any time previously.” Arguably, it was Skip and Jody’s competitiveness that put
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them at greatest risk. “We chose a boat that would push our skills and limits as far as they could be pushed. We are competitive people by nature and look for challenges to undertake and overcome.” Near the midpoint of the race, Skip recalls, “We were worn down physically and the wind was not letting up. Our mentality was to keep pushing the boat at 100% in the most wind possible. Instead of navigating the boat for our conditions, we put ourselves in the biggest wind corridor and stayed there. As we began to wear down physically, it became apparent that we could not continue at 100% and we would have to slow ourselves down in order to stay safe.” Slowing the boat down was the antitheses of the whole journey. Yet despite the frustration Skip and Jody felt, the sense that they might have failed themselves in this endeavor, it turned out to be something quite positive for them. “In hindsight, it turned into an incredible learning experience. The entire effort, eighteen months worth, came down to a single decision to stay north in that wind line. If we had been fully crewed, the outcome would have been different. Instead, we learned a valuable lesson, one that we look forward to taking with us in the ocean again: Sail the boat to your ability!” Trunk Monkey finished the Pacific Cup in eleven days and twenty-seven minutes, placing the McCormacks fourth overall. Fortunately, the disappointment they felt earlier quickly disappeared upon their arrival. “We were surrounded by many of our friends and the experience began to sink in. We feel great about accomplishing what we had set out to do. It took a huge effort and the great support from all our family and friends. For that we are thankful to everyone and look forward to the next adventure!”
Racing
The San Francisco summer wind provided exciting conditions on the Bay.
TO DEFEAT BLOOD CANCER IT WILL TAKE THE BEST SCIENTISTS, THE TOP DOCTORS AND THE FINEST LABORATORIES. NOT TO MENTION, A CREW OF SAILORS. Raise a sail to find a cure. The fifth annual Leukemia Cup Regatta benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is October 2nd and 3rd at The San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere, CA. VIP dinner featuring America’s Cup champion, Russell Coutts. Register at: leukemiacup.org/sf
Photo courtesy of David Dibble
SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org • 11
Youth Sailing Forrest Alisa Gay, Director / youth@sfyc.org President Bekins, Auxiliary
Dylan Meade on the City Front
SFYC Bulletin Submission Guidelines The Bulletin Editorial Committee welcomes suggestions, ideas and articles for publication in the SFYC Bulletin. Submissions: Send to bulletin@sfyc.org. Drop Off at the SFYC Reception Desk at 98 Beach Rd., Belvedere Mail to SFYC Bulletin, P.O. Box 379, Belvedere, CA 94920 Formats: Articles must be written in Microsoft Word or Apple Pages. No hand written or articles sent in the body of an email will be accepted for publication. Photos must be in .jpg or .tiff format. The minimum acceptable camera setting are as follows: 3 mega pixel cameras must be set to highest quality; 6 mega pixel cameras should be set to medium or high quality. All photos must include captions. Graphics or computer generated ads and posters must be in PDF format. Deadline: 10th of the month preceding publication Contact: bulletin@sfyc.org P/P Mimi Cornelius and Ross Tibbits, Editors, The SFYC Bulletin
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Happy Summer Sailor
Youth Sailing
SFYC YOUTH RACE TEAM RESULTS FLANDERS REGATTA @ BELGIUM (JULY 4-8) Opti (94 boats) 72nd Kyle Larsen 420 NATIONALS @ CALIFORNIA YC (JULY 8-11) (49 boats) 10th skipper/Rossi; 25th T. Buckstaff/Urban; 27th R. Bergsund/Gaumond; 29th S. Buckstaff/Gooding; 30th Barton/crew; 44th skipper/Russell; 45th K.Bergsund/Lynch BAYS #3 @ EYC (JULY 10-11) Opti Championship Fleet (18 boats) 1st Will Cefali; 2nd William McMullen; 3rd Maria Casciani; 4th Lucy Wilmot; 5th Kennedy Placek; 6th Will Martens; 7th Logan Lee; 8th Christopher Casciani; 9th Dylan Meade; 10th Sam Barton; 11th Hannah Baylis; 13th Christian Ehrnrooth; 14th Grace Hull; 15th Sally Wilmot; 16th Wyatt Russell; 17th Peyton Russell Opti Championship Fleet (15 boats) 1st Tommy Young; 2nd Michael Tellini; 3rd Teddy Russell; 6th McKenzie Baylis; 8th Will Baylis Laser (8 boats) 2nd Domenic Bove SOCAL JUNIOR OLYMPICS @ SANTA BARBARA YC (JULY 15-18) 420 (21 boats) 10th skipper/Barton Radial (42 boats) 1st Annie Rossi; 37th Madeleine Ginsburg
Opti (46 boats) 1st Will Cefali; 10th Maria Casciani; 16th Sam Barton; 18th Christopher Casciani; 22nd Hannah Baylis; 23rd Christian Ehrnrooth; 32nd Miles Daly; 42nd McKenzie Baylis; 45th Buster Baylis LEITER CUP @ CORAL REEF YC, MIAMI (JULY 18-23) (46 boats) 6th Annie Rossi OPTI BRITISH NATIONALS (JULY 23-30) (163 boats) 74th Kennedy Placek; 75th Lawson Willard OPTIMIST NATIONALS @ FISHING BAY YC, VIRGINIA (JULY 20-24) Girls Nationals (80 boats) 16th Lindsey Baab; 33rd Lucy Wilmot; 60th Grace Hull Open Nationals Gold (70 boats) 35th William McMullen Silver (68 boats) 50th Lindsey Baab; 51st Lucy Wilmot Bronze (66 boats) 17th Dylan Meade; 47th Michael Tan; 64th Grace Hull ISAF YOUTH WORLDS @ ISTANBUL (JULY 8-17) 29er (20 boats) 3rd Screve/Moody YOUTH CHAMPS @ CABRILLO BEACH YC (AUGUST 1-4) 29er (13 boats) 1st Screve/Moody 420 (27 boats) 23rd Bergsund/Gaumond Radial (27 boats) 10th Domenic Bove; 26th Annie Rossi
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Auxiliary News
SFYC Auxiliary Halloween Party
Alisa Bekins, SFYC Auxiliary President, 2010
te! a D he T e Sav
October 30 5:30 p.m. Please join us
for some ghoulish games,
frightening fun, a Freaky Food Buffet, AND… The Haunted House! Co-Chairs Lori Fromm • Melissa Tulp •Jane Young
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SFYC Employee Picnic
August 2010 Phil Atchison, Reny Madrid, Marcello Caamal Perera, Maria Madrid and Pia Margarita
Kerry Atherton at bat GM’s boat arrives at Angel Island
Kevin Tentis, Harbor; Phil Atchison, Bar; Anne McCormack, Race; Natalie Watson, Catering; Jake Allen, son of Alan Allen, Harbor; and Jamie Averill, Accounting enjoyed a hike on Angel Island
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Cruising
A Family Affair…THE ANGEL ISLAND CRUISE September 25-26 Bring your kids, strollers, wagons, blades, bikes…or even rent a SEGWAY!
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ave these dates…the fall Angel Island Cruise is designed to be either a simple fun daytime family event of exploring Angel Island or an extended stay that includes an overnight mooring in Ayala Cove. Cruise leaders, Scott and Nancy Harris, enthusiastically report that the cruise will have the following four exciting components: Saturday, late-morning: The Angel Island Exploration Adventure. This activity can be enjoyed by one of several different modes of transportation: • Walking (Free!). • Tram ($12.50/person). • Biking (Rentals are $10/hour or $35/day/person); or bring your own bike over on your boat or the Tiburon Ferry which departs Tiburon hourly (10 am – 5 pm). • SEGWAY…that’s right! Those two-wheeled, self-balancing devices, you’ve always wanted to try but, to date, have not. The $25/hour/person rent includes training and tour guide. Saturday, late-afternoon: Angel Island Company catered barbeque that will include slow-cooked pork ribs, fire grilled chicken or pan roasted California rockfish plus all the trimmings, and dessert. Bring your own beverages, or enjoy the beer and wine that will be available for purchase.
SFYC Cruise Committee Planning Meeting September 29th Our Annual Planning Meeting for the 2011 Cruising Calendar will be held in the Commodores’ Room on Wednesday, September 29th from 6 to 8 pm. Please start thinking about destinations for next year. We have had a very successful 2010 and are looking for new and exciting cruises for the coming year.
Overnight: Ayala Cove buoys beckon you, providing a secure mooring as the gentle Raccoon Strait waves lap against your hull, bringing a peaceful slumber after an evening of rafted-up, exhilarating SFYC camaraderie. Sunday morning brunch at The SFYC: Cruising Fleet tables will be set up in the Dining Room to continue the weekend festivities on the Belvedere side of the Strait. Please don’t miss this cruise. It was great last time, and looks to be even more fun this year. If you don’t have a boat, hitch a ride with one of our cruisers or cruise over on the Angel Island Ferry. Email Scott Harris, your “Cruise Leader Extraordinaire”, at scottharris@fluentstudios.com, ASAP, with your preferences for the following activities: ❏ Island Exploration transportation preference. ❏ Entrée preference. ❏ Mooring intentions. We hope you will join us… “Because too much fun is never enough.”
Tinsley Island Cruise October 8-10th Planning for our Annual Cruise to Tinsley Island is getting underway as we go to press. Once again The SFYC cruising fleet will be joining our friends from Corinthian, Marin and the Tiburon Yacht Clubs for a fun weekend. A stop at the Delta Yacht Club on the way to Tinsley is also being discussed. Through our SFYC Cruisers Net we will keep members informed as the plans progress. Please let me know if you wish to be added to the email roster by emailing me at billstark@pacbell.net. “There is only one Tinsley”.
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New Members Laurence Bekins, Membership Committee
The SFYC welcomes Peter Blackmore to Regular Membership. Peter, an active sailor on his Oyster 49, Pied Piper, just recently participated in the Coastal Cup to Santa Barbara. He is also a member of the Sequoia Yacht Club in Redwood City, where he has raced and regularly participated in cruise-outs. Claim to fame: winning the Commodore’s Race in his previous boat, a Pearson. Peter was born in the U.K., but calls the Bay Area home. He currently resides in Atherton with his wife, Deborah. He has two grown sons Richard, 23, and Robert, 20. Peter is retiring from his role as CEO of UTStarcom this year and looks forward to spending a lot of time on the water with his family and friends. Peter’s sponsors are Bill Stark and Niel Davidson.
The SFYC welcomes Christopher Lacey to Regular Membership. Christopher has more than 30 years of boating experience; including extensive cruising on the East Coast from Nantucket to Annapolis. He currently owns a 20’ Seacraft powerboat which he keeps in Sausalito and frequently crews on his friends’ boats in Club races. Christopher was born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey and is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and the French Culinary Institute. He and his wife, Carol, live in Tiburon with their two sons, Nicholas, 11, and Benjamin, 6. Christopher is President of the Barnegat Group, a construction company. Christopher’s sponsors are Steve Pugh and John Kerslake.
The SFYC welcomes Paul Mourani to Regular Membership. If you have participated in Club functions regularly, you have probably seen Paul’s smile and enjoyed his good humor. He and his wife, Michelle, are very active at The Club crewing on Q, volunteering on Race Committee, or sailing their Express 27. They recently returned from a cruise to Croatia and have logged nautical miles in the San Juans and Caribbean. Paul and Michelle live in Tiburon. Paul’s office is in San Francisco, where he works in IT Sales. His sponsors are Michelle Liddicoat Mourani and Glenn Isaacson.
The SFYC welcomes new Junior Members Christian F. Bohner, John Paul Christen, Dustin Decker, Logan Lee, and Michael Tellini. Not pictured: Thomas Finnegan, Jr. and Henry Tantum. The Junior Members have participated in the Youth Sailing Program over the past several years, sailing Optimists and J24s; several have actively competed, representing The Club. This is a passionate group that loves the camaraderie of being on the water with friends and family. Recommending Members include: John Perkins and Chris Perkins, Jennifer Hull and Mike McMullen, Tim Ryan and Phil DeMaria, Kurt Maier and Jeff Cusack, Charles Kuhn and Doug Forster, Barry Kuhn and Peter Craddock, Bill Nolan and Jeff Finegold. SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org • 17
Crossing Wakes Steve & Ginger Mason
lice and Jon Shinn continue to cruise the European coast aboard Ariel. In July they sailed the French coast from the British Protectorate of Guernsey, and Cherbourg to Arromanche. The French town of Honfleur was the most expensive, but shockingly pretty, although mostly twisted and settling (after Piriac and Treguier nothing satisfies!). St. Catherine’s Church in Honfleur was built by shipwrights, whose artistic touches included a hull-like ceiling and find wood craftsmanship. Sailing The Straits of Dover, Ariel crossed to the white cliffs of Eastborne, UK. Alice and Jon had a wonderful time in Eastbourne and London and later stopped at Calais, Blankenberge, Belgium, and Vlissengen, Holland. They now plan to cruise the Dutch canals, retracing some of their earlier trips. Jon and Alice are anticipating guests and stops for ice cream along the way. They love Europe but miss Marin and their stateside friends.
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Gay and Wyman Harris are experiencing glaciers, whales and bears during their sojourn in Alaskan waters sojourn aboard Safari. They reported “picture postcard” travel in Tracy and Endicott Arms, 25-mile fjords with four to 6,000 foot vertical granite walls, waterfalls and iceberg producing glaciers. They did a lot of careful zigzagging to maneuver around icebergs, and bergy bits. Also, with a lot of fore-planning and careful scouting Safari entered Ford’s Terror, off Endicott Arm, a feat only a possible at slack high-tide. In August, as salmon began moving up-stream to spawn by the millions, bears, young and old participated in a fish feast. There are as many techniques used by bears to catch salmon as there are bears. Gay and Wyman marveled at the divers, grabbers, catchers, waders, swimmers, and in water and shore fishers.
Jerry and Karen Eaton enjoyed the PNW aboard their new Grand Banks 32, Pelican. Bob Van Blaricom and Zia Ahari arrived safely home July 13th aboard Athesa after a two month long cruise to the Columbia River. They confirmed the number one axiom of cruising; expect the unexpected. They were challenged at every turn. The Sidney, BC Marina was “home port” for several other SFYC members who have enjoyed the PNW this summer. Al Haussener and Nancy Gale enjoyed the area with family and friends aboard Al’s McKinna 48, Josephine. John and Betsy Scarborough and beautiful Teddy, their golden retriever, spent time exploring BC waters aboard Sun Song, a Bruckman 50 with family and friends that included Jim and Mimi Cornelius. Jerry and Karen Eaton spent two “peaceful, lovely” weeks cruising in the San Juan and Gulf Islands aboard Pelican, their Grandbanks 32. Jerry states that cruising aboard a Grandbanks in the Pacific North-West is a world away from cruising on a Hallbeg-Rassy in Europe. But he says he can handle it. Shake-down cruising can be exciting, but not necessarily a dream cruise. That’s the story of Steve and Ginger Mason’s trip down the California coast aboard their recently acquired Pearson 422, Sea Jay. Although a family reunion in San Diego dictated a timetable, cruisers know it is nearly impossible to sail on a schedule. Sea Jay sailed out the Gate three days behind schedule.
Gay and Wyman Harris continue to explore Alaska 18 • SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org
The first discovery was that the new auto pilot did not recognize the rudder, requiring sailing the old fashion way, by hand steering; not a difficult job. But when night came it was discovered that the compass light didn’t work. It was a dark, cloud covered night and it was very spooky not knowing where we were going. A small flashlight and duct tape kept the intrepid travelers heading in the proper direction. Some 30 hours after leaving San Francisco they dropped a hook in beautiful San Simeon Bay for a warm dinner and quiet rest. The next day Sea Jay chugged forth for 36 hours of no wind to pick up a mooring in Two Harbors at Santa Catalina. There are great hiking trails around the island and a very popular ice cream shop. After two days of R & R they made the final 14 hour journey on to San Diego. Following the reunion with some fifty relatives from all across the country, Steve and Ginger and cousins enjoyed an afternoon sail in San Diego harbor, tours of Balboa Park and visiting the aircraft carrier Midway. After the cousins left, the red-faced engineer Steve discovered the auto-pilot’s rudder feedback unit was installed backwards. In honor of their cousin who helped steered through the nights, the now working auto-pilot has been named “Rick.” In the south land “pump-out” stations are plentiful and free. The waters in Santa Catalina’s Two Harbor are so clean and clear you can see 40 feet down. Summer has yet to arrive in coastal southern California according to the natives. Steve and Ginger only experienced two afternoons of sunfilled sailing in the month of July. They plan to harbor hop their way north very slowly during August and September.
John and Betsy Scarborough enjoy a beautiful moment on Sun Song
Steve Mason in cruising mode
John and Teddy Scarborough loved the calm waters off Double Island
International Cruise: Athens to Istanbul – September 2011 RoyAnne Florence is leading this special cruise aboard the Windstar on Saturday, September 17, 2011; embarking in Athens and disembarking in Istanbul. Stops along the way include Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes in Greece, as well as Didim and Kusadasi in Turkey. As of July 7th, fourteen members of The SFYC have signed up for this exciting trip. RoyAnne is arranging some special surprises for the group. The price of the 7-day cruise has been discounted for SFYC members to $3324 per person for B cabins and $3504 for A cabins. Reservations are being handled by veteran agent Joann Norman at Casto Travel in Tiburon (joann.norman@casto.com, ph 435-9725, FAX 435-9940). A deposit of $750 per person is required. The two ports of Athens and Istanbul afford the chance for a splendid add-on tour. Michael can help you with all this, as well as airline reservations, but it’s important for him to hear from you soon. SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org • 19
Get in the spirit…
Saturday
Book a holiday party now while dates are available…
Night
Give Natalie a jingle in the Catering Office and enjoy the magic of the season…
September 4, 11, 18
Cheers!
Lobster Dinner for Two served with soup or salad, crusted fingerling potatoes and summer vegetables
catering@sfyc.org or 435-9133 ext. 25
$48.95 for two
Howdy Pardners! It’s time to round-up your favorite wranglers & buckaroos for a good old western hoedown at the Lynch Corral!
Home on the Range tions Reservasted reque uffet @ b d e t a e S r person e p 5 .9 $19 o
ubject t s s e ic r p All rvice charge Club se rin sales tax and Ma
Saturday, September 25th 6 pm Round-up featuring no-host cowboy cocktails & members’ chili cook-off. Followed by chuck wagon cookin’ &plenty of dancin’ to Roy Marcom& the Wranglers Katherine Ferguson & Elizabeth Merrill Co-Chairs
20 • SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org
Be th or be ere squar e!
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Labor Day BBQ Monday, September 6 12:00 Noon – 7:00 p.m.
$18.95 Adults # $9.95 Children 10 and under
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The San Francisco Yacht Club’s
Flag Officer’s Buffet Sunday, September 12
Choice of: Grilled Chicken Breast BBQ Tri-Tip Barrel Smoked St. Louis Spare Ribs Pacific Red Snapper Hot Dogs Hamburgers Fresh Corn On The Cobb Texas Chili # Labor Day Salad Bar # Ice Cream Bar w/ Assorted Toppings # Live Music 2-6 p.m. # Childrens Games
All prices subject to Club service charge and Marin sales tax
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Entertain Friends and Family Chef Reny’s Spectacular Buffet Served 6 – 9 p.m. Reservations Requested Contact the Front Office (415) 435-9133, ext. 10
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The San Francisco Yacht Club’s
Pasta Night Sunday, September 5 Enhance your dining experience every
Thursday Night at The San Francisco Yacht Club with the
NO CORKAGE option
Enjoy fresh pasta dishes cooked to order in the Member’s Dining Room BUILD YOUR OWN PASTA BAR INCLUDES CHOICES OF: Steak, Chicken, Shrimp, Scallops and Calamari Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Olives, Broccoli, Sundried Tomatoes, Winter Squash and Seasonal Vegetables YOUR CHOICE OF PENNE PASTA OR FETTUCCINI WITH Alfredo Sauce, Pesto Sauce or Marinara Sauce Delicious Garlic Bread and Full Salad Bar with Chef Reny’s famous Assorted Salads ALL YOU CAN EAT: $18.95++ Adults $10.95++ Kids 10 and under SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org • 21
Food and Beverage Reny Madrid, Executive Chef / renymad@sbcglobal.net Kitchen Confidential: Ask Gaspar our ace waiter…how he liked his “Guys Night Out” at Cache Creek Casino? Summer is coming to an end. It’s time to come to The SFYC and join us for the Labor Day BBQ. I’m going to be looking for all the members I haven’t seen over these cold summer months at this event! The GM special for September 11th and 18th will be Lobster for Two for $48.95 ++.
Chef’s From the Hood Philosophy: We may live without poetry, music and art. We may live without conscience and live without heart. We may live without friends; we may live without books, But civilized man cannot live without cooks. We may live without books – what is knowledge but grieving? We may live without hope – what is hope but deceiving? We may live without love – what is passion but pining? But where is the man that can live without dining? -S/C Wendy Miller
“Who Let the Dogs Out”: Bring your dog and join your friends and their dogs to celebrate The Club’s new doggie area. “Yappy Hour” September 19 3 pm to 6 pm We will be serving Chef Reny’s Signature Sangria and BBQ skewers by the Bay for both two and four legged guests. Adults $10.00 ++ Includes nibbles for your pet. They are everyone’s best friend!. If you have any suggestions or comments email me at: renymad@sbcglobal.net.
The staff and their families at the third annual Employee Angel Island Summer Picnic 22 • SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org
From the General Manager Dennis Conneally CCM, CCE / Dennis@sfyc.org
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everal months ago when rumors started circulating that the Tiburon landmark restaurant, Rooney’s, would soon be closing its doors for good, I contacted the owner, John Rooney, to verify if, in fact, this rumor was true. Rooney’s had always been a local favorite place for members to go, especially on days when The Club was closed. Those rumors proved to be true so Chef Reny and I put our heads together in the hope that John would come to the SFYC where we could congratulate and honor him with a “Rooney’s Night at The Club.” The idea was to celebrate some of his most popular dishes and allow members to pay tribute to him and his long-standing contributions to our community. Unfortunately though, with scheduling conflicts and the neverending issues involved in closing his restaurant, John was unable to accept our invitation. However, in his typical gracious neighborhood style, John put me in touch with his head cook of twenty-eight years, Mr. Jorge “George” Ramirez, who was hoping to continue working in the Tiburon community in some capacity. After several interviews with Jorge, walking him around our club and sharing our dining room and kitchen operations with him, Chef Reny and I are pleased to announce that Jorge has agreed to join our galley crew as our newest lunch cook at The Club. Jorge brings with him an interesting story of hard work and persistence which, over time, has elevated him to being recognized as one of the well-respected cooks on the Tiburon Peninsula. Jorge was born and raised in Cuernavaca, Mexico. When he was 18, he migrated to Marin in the hope of learning a trade where he could develop skills and contribute in a meaningful way
to his community. In 1982, he was introduced to John Rooney and co-owner David A. Hinman, and began his career. He worked every position in their kitchen carefully learning the art of cooking, especially their delicious homestyle comfort food. Jorge worked with John and perfected his culinary talents as their long-time evening chef de cuisine before moving to days and preparing those renowned luncheon entrees for which Rooney’s was famous. Jorge has expressed his enormous gratitude to John and David for giving him the opportunity, so many years ago, of becoming a part of their restaurant family and for their mentorship in helping him become fluent in the English language.
Jorge Ramirez Jorge and his lovely wife Marisela live in Marin. He is the proud father of four children ranging in age from two to twenty-two. His long-term goal is to eventually retire and build his dream home back in Mexico next to his parents where he can care for them in their later years. When he is not cooking, Jorge can be found playing soccer with his kids, watching his favorite teams advance in the World Cup as well as collecting fantasy items, particularly dragons of every sort. In his own words, Jorge says, “I feel very fortunate and lucky to have been given this opportunity to be part of The
San Francisco Yacht Club family and I especially look forward to working with Chef Reny and the kitchen staff and cooking great food for all the members.” Please join with me as we welcome Jorge “George” Ramirez to our fantastic culinary team. Last month, the staff and their families were invited to the Third Annual Employee Angel Island Summer Picnic. SFYC members Robert Birk, S/C George Vare, S/C Carl Lewis, Bob Buich and Hal McCormack volunteered their boats and time to transport over sixty employees and their families to the island for a day of fun in the sun. Chef Reny fired up the barbecues and treated all of the guests to a bountiful picnic luncheon in between broomball games, soccer games and hikes around the island. Junior Director Forrest Gay and a few of the sailing instructors were on hand to take staff out for sailboat rides while a few others were treated to trips out around Alcatraz Island. The day concluded with a raffle prize drawing for everyone and special prizes and mementos for the children. As you know, our dedicated staff works every holiday of the year for the members’ enjoyment including Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Eve. This summer family barbecue and the annual Employee Holiday/Awards Dinner in December are very special events for the employees and it provides an opportunity to say thanks for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. Special thanks goes out to the entire membership for your continued support and appreciation of our extraordinary SFYC staff. I look forward to seeing you around The Club! (In last month’s Manager’s article in The Bulletin, an incorrect date was posted for the upcoming Country Hoedown Party. The correct date is Saturday, September 25th.)
SEPTEMBER 2010 THE BULLETIN • www.sfyc.org • 23
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Belvedere-Tiburon, Calif. PERMIT NO. 11
Sunday
Pasta Night (no regular a-la-carte menu)
Fall Classic
September 2010
Monday
5
12
Flag Officer’s Buffet
Tuesday
Staff Commodores’ Cup
Club Closed
Club Closed
Club Closed
13
OX Bow Cruise In Wosser Cup: Club Series
14
20 Club Closed
26
Bar Menu 1
7
Labor Day 6 BBQ
19
Wednesday
21 Club Closed
27 Club Closed
28
8
Bar Menu
Bar Menu
Bar Menu
15
22
IOD North Americans
Bar Menu 29
Club Closed
Thursday No Corkage
Friday
9 Friday
No Corkage
Saturday
2 Friday Night 3 4 BBQ CYC Friday Night LOBSTER FOR TWO $48.95++ Races End 10 Fall Classic
11
Member Dining: Night Cove House BBQ LOBSTER FOR TWO $48.95++ 16 Friday 17 LOBSTER FOR 18 No TWO $48.95++ Night Corkage Member Dining: BBQ Cove House OX Bow Yacht Club Cruise In 23 Friday Night 24 Country And 25 No Western Party Corkage BBQ Cruise Out– IOD North IOD North Angel Island Americans Americans IOD N. Americans
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No Corkage
Caliente Yacht Club Cruise In
Sunday
October 2010
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday Friday Night BBQ
Leukemia BBQ 3 Leukemia Cup Pasta Night
Club Closed
(no regular a-la-carte menu)
Belvedere Cup 10 Cruise Out
Club Closed
17
Club Closed
11
18 Club Closed
Encinal Cruise In Round The 24 Island Race Corinthian Cup
31
Oakland Cruise In
5
4
25 Club Closed
Bar Menu
6
Fall BINGO Starts
No Corkage
7 Friday Night BBQ
1
Saturday
2
Leukemia Cup VIP Dinner
8 Belvedere Cup 9
Youth Event: Main Dining Room
Stockton Yacht Club Cruise In Cruise Out Tinsley Delta Yacht Club Friday Bar Menu 12 13 14 15 RACK OF LAMB 16 No Club Closed FOR TWO $48.95++ Night Corkage Dream Boat Series BBQ Member Dining: Fall BINGO Cove House Pittsburg Yacht Club Cruise Encinal Yacht Club Cruise In 19 21 Friday 22 Corinthian Cup 23 No Bar Menu 20 w/ Annapolis YC Corkage Night Dream Boat Series Dinner Club Closed BBQ Mother/Son Dinner Fall BINGO Dance Bel Marin Keys Yacht Club Cruise In 26 28 Friday 30 No 29 Family Bar Menu 27 Halloween Night Corkage Club Closed Dream Boat Series Party BBQ Fall BINGO Oakland Yacht Club Cruise In
Breakfast: Sat 0830-1130; Sun 0830-1400
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Lunch: Thur-Sun 1130-1500
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Dinner: Wed-Sun 1730-2100 (Fri 2200)