DATES TO REMEMBER

Fellow Newport Yacht Club Members,

Here’s what’s happened since our last Burgee:

We were not able to hold Dock Day for two consecutive weeks due to weather, so the first good day our staff under the guidance of Rudy put our docks in place.

I am happy to report our Dock Loan was paid in full on April 11th, 9 years ahead of schedule but 1 year late of our goal. This means all voting members will be saving $900 in assessment fees. A special thank you to our Treasurer Morgan Everson for her work on this project as well as past commodores Tom Rowe, Betsy Green and their board of directors for their efforts to get this loan paid off early.

The two new member receptions were both well attended and very engaging. Welcome to all our new members, looking forward to your active participation in the Club.

Our General Membership Meeting took place on May 2nd and was standing room only. Four new members of the nominating committee were elected. Nick Pasyanos, Sara Mariani, Kate Wilson Somers and Tom Malott Jr. Congratulations and thank you for participating in this very important role for the Club. We also had the second reading of the bylaw change which allows for proxy and electronic voting. This was passed by an overwhelming margin.

Please be safe while working on your spring boat projects.

Best to you and yours,

Bob & Rosalie 

VICE COMMODORE’S MESSAGE

“…We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea – whether it is to sail or to watch it – we are going back from whence we came…”

[Excerpt of Remarks at the Dinner for the America’s Cup Crews, September 14 1962] John F. Kennedy

If you’ve ever speculated why we’re members of a yacht club, the excerpt above may explain it. For many of us, it is even more simple, getting access to the water and/or, connecting with other sailors/boaters with strong interests in water activities. 

In response to member input to the strategic plan, the Fleet Captain and Regatta Chair have been working tirelessly on developing a schedule of activities so members can get regularly underway and experience the wonders of Narragansett Bay. A survey has been emailed to all members to determine the gauge as to what type of activities are desired for this summer. Please participate. It is a great opportunity to be actively involved in things you want to do as part of the “Club Fleet”. Additionally, as it has for many years, there is low intensity sailing on Tuesday and Wednesday nights hosted by the Regatta Committee.  This is a great way for members to get out on the water and participate in the sailing and in the follow-on “Grill Night”.

The strategic working group for facility has been scoping out various possibilities of how to gain more house capacity for our members.  This has been an historical challenge and has been visited many times in the past.  Hopefully, adequate options can be developed to address this significant issue and at a cost that is acceptable. Whatever the recommendation, this is a long-term project that will require Board of Directors agreement and membership approval before any solution is enacted. 

In the near term, there will be a concerted effort to ready the clubhouse for this season both in repair and cosmetic projects. The exterior front of Club House is slated to be painted and the parking area closest to the wall edge is also being addressed. The Main Deck will have the hardwood floor refinished and carpet repaired, fire sprinkler piping painted, and ceiling tile replaced as needed.

The GM search working group composed of Vice Commodore FJ Ritt, Rear Commodore Chris Long, Past Commodore Mike Warren, Treasurer Morgan Everson, and Membership Chair Scott Walker, have been persistently reviewing candidates’ credentials and will be transitioning to the interview phase over the next few weeks.  Some members have expressed an interest in sharing their human resource expertise during this process. The working group will make every effort to involve those members.  We have had many applicants provide Cover Letters and Resumes and the working group is currently communicating with several of these candidates.

F.J. Ritt, Vice Commodore

NEW FEATURE: DO YOU KNOW?

Question: What is Newport Yacht Club’s connection to the 1870 America’s Cup? 

Our newly refurbished yardarm, part of NYC since 1977, came to NYC from the Newport Reading Room through the efforts of a Club member.  Prior to that, it is rumored that its origin is from the 1870 America’s Cup, first defender and winning yacht,  “Magic” (pictured to the left).

REGATTA COMMITTEE

Registration is now open on the Club website for Tuesday One Design and Wednesday PHRF racing.  Pricing is the same as last year and we’re looking forward to a full turnout! 

In support of our races, we’ll be providing formal and fun training for race committee volunteers.  We started on Saturday, May 4^th when we hosted our first event on Race Committee Fundamentals for which we had 18 participants some of whom came from other clubs such as Ida Lewis and Edgewater.  The 9:00am to 3:00pm seminar was led by Mary Ellen DeFrias and Matthew Hill of US Sailing.  They began with classroom work, videos and discussion which took into account the anticipated increase in Bay traffic and ways to ensure safety for all.  Regatta Committee members were instrumental in organization and success, especially Jackie Dietrich who took the organizational lead and also baked cookies for all.  Al McCoy impressed with his version of an out-of-control J22, and he and James Houston provided enthusiastic support. We’re grateful to Rudy and Lynn for the setup and lunch and the seamless operation of the TV monitor.

The first test of our Race Committee expertise will be on May 18 when Al McCoy, James Houston, Alan Renfrew and possibly one or two others will start the Twenty hundred Club “Three Bridge Fiasco” pursuit race, which involves any direction starts to three bridges taken in any order.  (We’re not at all confused!).  The Mitchell will follow soon after.

Now that we’ve whetted people’s appetite we’re planning on-the-water training / practice which will start on May 20 with Rudy as our driver / supervisor on “Volunteer” at 5:00pm.  We’re limited to about 5 or 6 people in total and initially will have to be quite selective, but we’re planning to have many similar practices and we’ll be sending out more details once the dates and events get finalized. 

One last thing that highlights the support we have from the sailing community at large relates to Olie, the electronic starter box.  Despite a full charge it refused to operate and looked like it would have to be replaced.  We contacted non-member frostbiters, starting with Scott Chase who led us to Rufus Van Greusen of CAY Electonics, Portsmouth who are marine wiring specialists.  Rufus reconnected some stray wires and the good news is that our dear little orange bundle will be able to squall many more starts this season.  He also saved us the best part of $1,000, the price of a new one!  So if you need any electronics fixed you know where to go!

Alan Renfrew Chair, Regatta Committee

JUNIOR SAILING COULD USE YOUR HELP

Each summer, 130 young sailors enjoy time on the water through the Newport Yacht Club Marine Adventure Camp.  The Camp provides a unique experience for Campers ages 8-15 and is open to Campers with any level of sailing experience or background. The Marine Adventure Camp is a unique alternative to the many racing programs available on Narragansett Bay, building Camper confidence and life-long skills.

The goal is to keep the program affordable, so the fees charged do not cover the full cost of operating the program, requiring the raising of additional funds. Fortunately, through the generosity of donors, 15% of the campers who participated in the program last year received scholarships.  Scholarship donations are greatly appreciated; however, those donations are restricted specifically for scholarships and cannot be used for any other purpose. 

Unrestricted donations are needed to help cover other program costs such as fleet maintenance, fleet replacement and increased costs for wages, fuel and insurance.

 How can you help you ask? Easy, sponsor one of the Junior Sailing boats.  Simply decide on a name which could be your spouse, family, your pet, a favorite location. . . your choice and it will be placed on one of the boats in the Junior Sailing fleet.  Your generous $500 donation will go a long way to help keep the Newport Yacht Club Junior Sailing program one of the top programs on Narragansett Bay.

What will Sponsors Receive?

• Personal Name, Business name or an appropriate name / saying on forward quarter of a junior sailing dinghy. (4” X 36” max)
• Thank you note with picture of camper sailing in branded boat to be e-mailed to you.
• Recognition on the public-facing home page of the NYC website.
• Recognition in the NYC Burgee e-newsletter
• On-water exposure – June – August. Approximately 60% of time on water in Newport Harbor 40% in East passage / Narraganset Bay.

Please feel free to contact the Junior Sailing Committee to sponsor your boat:

Michael Barszcz             609-553-7258   mbarszcz@aol.com 

Albert Sgambato            401-230-8804   sgamal01@aol.com 

Aedan Gleeson                              508-294-5383  aedan@gleesonpowers.com 

Steve Morin                      617-640-0589  samorinri@gmail.com