DATES TO REMEMBER
October
October 1 New Commodore announces Board Chairs and Members At Large
Watch for announcements regarding additional October dates
November
November 1 Winter Slip Season begins
November 7 Dock Day
COMMODORE’S CORNER
Greetings Fellow Newport Yacht Members,
I am honored to serve as your new Commodore for the coming 2020/2021 year. I promise to do my best for you and our Club during my tenure.
I would again thank Past Commodore Tom Rowe, Chairpersons Jack Ellis (House), Larry Girouard (Finance), Michael Garretson (Young Adult) and Winkle Kelly (Frostbite) for their years of dedicated service on the Board of the NYC. Your efforts and commitment are truly appreciated.
Please welcome your new Board of Directors listed below and approved by the NYC Membership. Four Members at Large have also been elected by you, the members.
Officers
Commodore: Elizabeth Green
Vice Commodore: Robert Antignano
Rear Commodore: Michael O’Reilly
Secretary: Edith Morin
Treasurer: William Bagwill
Committees
Regatta: Nancy Parillo
Finance: Steve Dolan
House: Peter Jencks
Membership: Jeff Blais
Float and Dock: Steve Damas
Communications: Mark Marosits
Entertainment: Yvonne Ferreira, Lisa Gladding, Linda Lupo (Chair TBD)
Juniors: Michael Barszcz
Offshore: Roy Guay
Frostbite: F.J. Ritt
Young Adult: Laura Dargan
Members at Large:
Roger Hemond
Dennis Ferreira
Ed Lupo
Dave McLoughlin
I am looking forward to serving with this new team to continue to provide the quality services we enjoy and expect as members of this great Club. We are dedicated volunteers and will continue to provide quality Club life and the sense of camaraderie we appreciate from our yacht club family.
I would also like to thank our Club Steward, Rudy Borgueta; Business Manager, Lynn Kelly; Bar Manager, Melissa Bidlack; Dock Steward, Dani Janus; Chef Charlene Minnerly and all of the staff at Newport Yacht Club for their hard work that provides us with a welcoming environment and a place we are proud of.
We will continue to navigate challenges of Covid-19 and do all that we can to make the Club experience great for members! The staff has done a masterful job of re-inventing our lounge and have been working very hard to bring us food and beverage specials and an inviting atmosphere in which to enjoy them.
I will be doing everything possible to keep us connected, including an in-person General Membership Meeting when Covid-19 restrictions allow. In the meantime, we will be working on creative ways to keep you all involved. The member At Large Voting had a very good turnout and higher voting numbers than traditional meetings have tendered. I will be working with the Board to find solutions so we can vote on our new Bylaw changes and the 2021 Budgets that we will have available by November 20th, 2020.
Please contact your new Members at Large with specifics on issues you would like us to hear.
Best,
Betsy Green
Commodore
Newport Yacht Club
FINANCE COMMITTEE
This is my last report as Chairman of the Finance Committee. I have enjoyed being Chair and working with Commodore Tom Rowe, members of the board, and all NYC members. Thank you for your support. I plan to continue to serve on the Finance Committee to ensure continuity moving forward. The Finance Committee will in the very capable hands of Steve Dolan. Steve has run his own successful manufacturing company for many years and will bring this expertise and professionalism to the Finance Committee and the Newport Yacht Club.
Club Fiscal Performance January thru September
As mentioned last month, the CV-19 continues to plague finances. As a reminder, for the 2020 budget, the goal at year end was to ensure two things:
- The Net Cash: The approved 2020 budget reflects a Net Cash Flow of around $10K.
- Mortgage Pay Down Set Aside: We are setting aside $73K for each of the next 4 years to pay off the mortgage in 4 years
While we have made many changes and cuts to address the fiscal impact of CV-19, there is a certain minimum staffing level needed to service our members, and also meet the additional requirements mandated by the State of Rhode Island to maintain a safe environment.
As a result, our net cash flow is $31K behind budget through August. While we have closed the Club on Mondays and Tuesdays after Labor Day we do not expect to be in a positive cash flow position at the end of November.
The big concern is that in December a $73,000 expense will hit the books which represents the planned set aside to pay off the mortgage on the East/West dock in 4 years (2023). Let’s see what the September numbers look like. The Finance Committee is reviewing several options to minimize the CV-19 impact over the next 4 months (Sept – Dec).
Larry Girouard Outgoing Chair, Finance Committee
HOUSE COMMITTEE
This month I completed my fifteenth and final year on the Board of Directors.
During the past year I served as Chairman of the House Committee. Unfortunately despite other achievements, the committee was unable to complete the budgeted capital expenditure plan to rebuild the upper level East deck. The estimates to demolish the present deck far exceed the budgeted $30,000.00. Also included in the budget was $15,000.00 to replace the deck canvas.
Once the Rhode Island Department of Health reported restrictions imposed upon the Club due to COVID-19 the Lounge was shut down. At the Commodore ‘s request I was asked to serve on the COVID-19 Control Plan for the Newport Yacht Club ad-hoc Committee. The long hours puts in by this committee and the efforts of staff resulted in the Lounge opening safely and in compliance with policies set by the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation.
It has been a pleasure to serve my fellow Club members.
Jack Ellis Outgoing Chair, House Committee
REGATTA COMMITTEE
Hi everybody! Well, we seemed to have gotten through the summer of 2020. It wasn’t always fun – it definitely had some moments – but we managed to get SOME racing in even though we had masks, social distancing, and half a season.
I want to say “THANK YOU” to all of the skippers and crews that did come out and share the bay with us this summer. It made a tough situation fun!!
I also want to give a HUGE “THANK YOU” to the club volunteers that were out on the water officiating so that we could actually get these races off! Without them – there is no racing.
I want to recognize the winners of this year’s Summer Series. Unfortunately we cannot celebrate these accomplishments in person at a proper party. Just think – that party next year will be special!!
Congratulations to the following winners:
One-Design Summer Series
Ensign Class: 1st : Challenger Skipper: Charlie Shoemaker
J22 Class: 1st : Storm Over Skipper : John Kirk
2nd : Sail Newport Skipper : Deborah McKay
S Class 1st : Surprise Skipper : Fred Roy
2nd : Swallow Skipper : Joe Loughborough
3rd : Lady Luck Skipper : Nick Sollecito
PHRF Summer Series
Class 1 1st : Surprise Skipper : Fred Roy
2nd : Floating Point Skipper : Roy Guay
Class 2 : 1st : Insatiable Skipper : Nick Pasyanos
Ensign : 1st : Challenger Skipper : Charlie Shoemaker
2nd : Mighty Aphrodite Skipper : Arthur Murphy
3rd : Gusto Skipper : Scott Mason
J22 : 1st : Arethusa Skipper : Philip Lotz
2nd : Triple Strike Skipper: Charlie Winston
3rd : Team Thurston Skipper : Jonathan Thurston
Again – CONGRATULATIONS to our winners !! Job Well Done!!
On behalf of the Regatta Committee, we wish you all a safe and healthy winter and we can’t wait to see you all out there next May!!
Best Regards –
Nancy Parrillo Chair, Alan Renfrew, Al McCoy, Lee Parks, Tom Pederson
OFFSHORE COMMITTEE
The October Bermuda One-Two Newsletter will be posted real soon now.
The November Bermuda One-Two Skipper’s Forum/Shore Party has been canceled due to Covid-19 restrictions.
I am expecting the Notice of Race for the 2021 Bermuda One-Two to be posted in November and online registration enabled 1 January 2021.
Roy Guay, Chair
FLOAT AND DOCK
I have a couple of quick notes for you this month:
The winter slip season starts November 1st. We still have one 30’-33’ slip available, the rest are leased! We do have 4 returning and 1 new non-member this winter, which all come highly recommended.
All delayed slip payments from past summers due to LOA misunderstandings have been paid.
Dock Day is on November 7th this year. We will have to observe limited grouping. We will get back to you on that. We may just book a specific number of people for each job to be done, in advance, to make the process more efficient and reduce the amount of individual interactions necessary.
Please, keep our Dock Steward, Dani, informed as to when you will be leaving your summer slip so that she can coordinate the arrival of our winter slip lessees.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Steve Damas Chair, Bob Morin, Roger Hemond
FROSTBITE
End of the Season
After finally realizing that we were not going to get together as a group anytime soon, the Frostbite Committee decided to have the participants stop by the Club to hand out the 2020 awards.

Pictured on the porch from left to right are former Frostbite Chair Winkle Kelley & racers Whitney Slade & Lee Gates. Best wishes to new Chair F. J. Ritt & Committee that with some creative thinking we will have a successful season in 2021.
Winkle Kelley
Thank you for reading. Our best wishes to all for a safe and healthy on-water season!
If you have something you’d like to share with the Club membership in the Burgee, please send your submission to: communications@newportyachtclub.org for review and consideration.
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