November 2014 THROUGH THE SPYGLASS From the Commodore

November 2014
Essex Yacht Club
13 Novelty Lane
Essex, Connecticut 
 -
Fax  -
[email protected]
www.essexyc.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
Commodore’s Ball
Saturday, November 8
6:00 pm
Men’s Night
Thursday, November 20
6:00 pm
Annual Meeting
Saturday, December 6
4:00 pm
Annual Awards & Cocktail
Party
Saturday, December 6
Immediately following
Business Meeting
Annual Bus Trip to New
York City
Wednesday, December 10
Departs 8:00 am
Children’s Christmas Party
Sunday, December 14
3:00 pm
Christmas Cocktail Party
Friday, December 19
5:30 pm
THROUGH THE SPYGLASS
From the Commodore
“Essex Yacht Club Sailors Win Nationals in
Viper 640.” “Women Sailors from Essex Yacht
Club Victorious in Ideal 18 North Americans.”
“Newport Bermuda Race Winners Hail from
Essex Yacht Club.” “Winning America’s Cup
skipper from Essex Yacht Club.” “Essex Yacht
Club Sailor Completes Circumnavigation.”
Wouldn’t these be great headlines? Wouldn’t
the membership be proud of these accomplishments? Some may say it will never happen. I
say why not? We have one of the best tacticians
Commodore Frank Flores, Jr.
in the world as our Vice Commodore. Why not
a winning America’s Cup skipper in our midst? I
have always subscribed to the theory that anything is possible. Perseverance and
a little luck can go a long way. I encourage the membership to think BIG about
our future on the water.
We have recently completed a series of facilities improvements that we can
all be truly proud of. We have a great staff that is friendly, proficient, and that
consistently meets or exceeds expectations whether it’s dining or on the waterfront. But, we can’t stop here. It’s time to concentrate and excel in one of the few
areas that distinguishes us as a yacht club versus a social club or a marina with a
restaurant. You guessed right. Sailing! After two years as your Commodore, and
twenty three Spyglass articles, I am sure you know I have a passion for sailing
and how important I think sailing is to our club’s future. Honestly, I worry about
the changing demographics of our aging nation and how that will impact EYC’s
future. A 2012 National Golf Foundation study found that golf was losing almost 1 million golfers per year and that participation in the U.S. has fallen to the
lowest level in 25 years. I read the statistics about the significant decline in golf
and other sports, and I wonder, could sailing be next? According to the editor of
Sail Magazine, “The need to adapt to changing demographics was the overriding
takeaway at the Sail America Industry Conference” held this past July. A 2011
Congressional Research Service study titled The Changing Demographic Profile
of the United States said, “the United States will be able to cope with the current
and projected demographic changes if policy makers accelerate efforts to address
and adapt to the changing population profile”. We could easily substitute the
words Essex Yacht Club for United States in that sentence and it would still be
true. Doesn’t it make sense for us to address and adapt to demographic changes
as well? One thing I know for sure is that if we waited until we saw an obvious
problem to have a discussion, the problem or issue would be much more difficult
to solve. That’s why I have tried to be proactive in keeping sailing relevant here
at our yacht club.
We have made progress and for that, I thank you. There have been rays of
brightness and we have enjoyed some success, however, the reality is that we still
have a way to go. Recognizing the significant decline in golf, the PGA formulated
a three pronged plan to stem the tide. This plan is easily adaptable to our needs
Through the Spyglass continued on page 2
COMMITTEE NEWS
Through the Spyglass continued
and in fact we are already doing some of the recommended steps. The three
pronged plan is to: 1) Strengthen the core, 2) Engage the lapsed, and 3)
Create new interest. Strengthen the core means developing programs for
current sailors to build proficiency at all levels, whether racing or cruising.
Examples might be off shore tactical training, seminars in electronics and
navigation, and advanced small boat racing seminars. Engage the lapsed
means to bring past participants back into the arena. Examples could include offering programs at convenient times and in shorter time increments
so those that know how to sail don’t have to make a major commitment to
get back on the water. Engagement could also include asking the very experienced in our midst to help teach and share with those less experienced.
Create new interest is just what it implies. We should create opportunities
to get new groups of members sailing. Programs for families will be important if we want to attract younger members. How about junior members?
This is an example of creating a new interest group. I am pleased with the
number of junior members that have recently joined but let’s do more to
encourage this class of membership. Why couldn’t EYC be the next step for
the Pettipaug Sailing Academy’s best sailors? Let’s get these young people
sailing together. Perhaps it’s time to think about several fast and exciting
dinghies to inspire our juniors to sail even more. In it’s infancy the goal of
the Ladies Ideal 18 sailing program was to create sailing interest among a
new group of members. Surely, no one can argue about the program’s success. It has flourished and now represents a “core program” that we are all
tremendously proud of.
My tenure as Commodore is coming to an end and I certainly have appreciated your patience with my focus on this topic over the last couple of years.
I share these thoughts and plans with you so that you will encourage and
support future administrations in their endeavors to keep sailing relevant
here at EYC. As a coach might say to a team, I encourage us to strive to excel
on the water, to be the best we can, and to believe that anything is possible
even the glorious headlines at the beginning of this article.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
New Members
I am so pleased to announce our new members. Mr. Richard Lolatte III,
Dean of Admissions at Albertus Magnus and his wife Dr. Julia McNamara,
President of Albertus Magnus. They live in Old Saybrook. Dick belonged
to Nantucket Yacht Club and Julia the Yale Club of NY City. In his youth,
Dick sailed Blue Jays and Lightnings and assisted the crew of Columbia
for America’s Cup. He owned a Pierson 60 ft Ketch. He has also owned
powerboats.
Peter Coombs and his wife Jane Siris are both architects and live in Essex.
They have both sailed since childhood. They have chartered in Long Island
Sound and the Caribbean. They owned a 33’ Cape Dory for ten years and
sailed all over Long Island Sound and both North and South forks of LI.
They also belong to the Pettipaug Yacht Club near where they keep “Miss
Membership continued on page 3
2
EMPLOYEE PROFILE
COMMITTEE NEWS
Membership continued
Spencer Porter
Server/Wait Staff
Having grown up in the
Old Lyme, Griswold Point
area, Spencer Porter is no
stranger to the CT River
and its activities. He does
not however, participate
in its sports! He laughs
that he’s involved in most
other sports: a pickup
game of basketball, golf, or
anything. The water just
doesn’t call him, although
he loves being surrounded
by it.
His girlfriend, Samantha,
used to work for the EYC
and introduced him to the
Club for a possible job. He’d
never worked in the service
industry but thought he’d
“give it shot”. It’s been
over a year now, and in his
words, he’s “grateful to have
an awesome job” and has
“appreciated the members
being patient” with him.
He spends his time off
utilizing numerous creative
talents: drawing in pen and
ink as well as pencil; painting, especially watercolors;
and even using his own
press to silk screen shirts.
He continues to spend time
with Samantha and his
pets, a cat and a dog.
Spencer sums up his
thoughts about the EYC by
sharing that he comes in
happy to work and is still
happy when he leaves at
the end of the day.
America” a 22’ Tripp Angler Bass Boat.
As you know, we are very happy to announce two Junior members, as
they are the future of EYC. They both have such extensive sailing histories,
I am only writing the highlights. The first Kyle Fasulo, is a sailing instructor
at Pettipaug Sailing Academy and belongs to the Yacht Club there. He also
belongs to the Essex Boat Club and U.S. Sailing. He has sailed C420 regattas
in Buzzards Bay and Larchmont. He sailed the return from NewportBermuda with Frank Flores and crew of Checkmate. On Starship II with
Captain John Paranuck he raced the 2013 & 2014 Rum Challenge. He
owns “Adventure”, a 20’ Proline Powerboat and 16’ Hobie Cat.
Lastly, please welcome Hunter Senning, my neighbor on River Road, Essex.
Hunter is a student at Valley Regional. He owns a 13’ Boston Whaler and
sailboat 10’ Cape Dory, which he keeps in Stonington. He crewed for Tucker
Bragdon on a JY15 at the Stonington Dinghy Club and sailed Optimists in
Interclub and ECSA Regatta Competitions. On the Race Schooner “Mystic
Whaler” he raced a 140 mile overnight in the Great Chesapeake Schooner
Race. He sailed on 59’ Alden Malabbar IV S/Y “Spirit” on summer cruises
in Fishers Island, Block Island, Buzzard Bay and Vineyard Sounds. In 20032008 he raced in the Governor’s Cup Regatta in S/Y “Spirit”.
HOUSE COMMITTEE REPORT
Property:
In an effort to delineate our boundaries you have probably noticed the installation of the columns and portable fences. The signage clearly states that
this is private club property.
The staggering of the barriers was designed to reduce the speed of vehicles
when entering and exiting the club property. Additional signs will be added
to the back of the fences as a reminder of the speed limits when exiting.
To help increase our security efforts we would like to encourage you to
politely engage people that you do not recognize as members and tell them
for insurance reasons we have to restrict access.
On-Going Projects:
I would like to bring to your attention the new nautical style drapes hanging behind the ship models. This is a temporary effort to enhance the appearance of the models and block the view into the room that is serving as
conference room and office for Chef Michael.
Thank you to member Heidi Kunzli for donating these drapes. We are
developing plans for built-in cabinetry to house the models that will start
early next year.
Look for a beautiful new table that has been designed and built by member Ron Lavoie for the ship model in the Wetmore room. Ron built the
display case for the model Tidal Wave and the table is in a matching nautical
style. With the room going through it’s many transformations the moving
of the model was dangerous to both the model and staff moving it. An important feature of the new table it has casters.
House continued on page 4
3
COMMITTEE NEWS
House continued
With the changing of the season we will be favoring the use of the Wetmore
room. There will be occasions when members will be directed to the Boyd
room for special events. Our Manager and Chef should be complimented for
their efforts providing an outstanding selection of seafood and a very creative
reconfiguring of the Wetmore room tables so that they were more welcoming
and encouraged members to mix and mingle.
Chef Michael will again be offering “Holiday Help” turkey, gravy, etc.
More details will follow.
ENTERTAINMENT HAPPENINGS
Late Fall Fun
On October 9th, approximately 45 women attended Ladies Night. With
no formal program, members had ample time to socialize and catch up
with one another. There was a strong atmosphere of friendship and support
amongst those who attended. Chef Michael added to the evening with
creative appetizers including champagne and a wonderful seasonal menu.
Thank you to all of those who attended.
The 2nd annual Sunset Seafood Fest held on October 17th was a success.
More than 65 members enjoyed Chef ’s seafood creations and raw bar.
On October 31st EYC will celebrate Halloween in style with a HalloWine
tasting party! Chef Michael is preparing a special tapas menu and there will
be some great wines to taste and rate. Costumes are encouraged! See attached
flyer for details.
The Commodores Ball this year will be held on November 8, 2014. This
will be a wonderful evening with music by Freeplay. NOTE: Reservations for
this event will be limited to 130 in order to accommodate efficient service for
dinner. Also, each member will be limited to one guest only. The deadline to
sign up is November 1, 2014. Black tie preferred.
Bourbon, Bacon and Beef is the theme of Men’s night, scheduled for
Thursday, November 20th at 6:00 pm. Chef Michael has planned a special
“manly” menu for the evening. The cost per person is $40.00. Please sign up
in advance. See flyer for details.
The annual bus trip to NYC is scheduled for December 10th. In order
to keep costs down and to ensure a full bus, we are inviting the members of
EYC, ECYC and OLCC to sign up this year. Sign up is first come first serve
so please don’t wait. See flyer for additional details.
The Children’s Christmas party is scheduled for December 14, 2014.
The Annual Christmas Cocktail Party will be held on Friday, December
19, 2014. See flyer for details.
CRUISE INFORMATION
Make your plans for Cruise 2015
This has been an active year for Club cruises having a good turnout for all
events. The highlight was the Summer Cruise to Stonington Yacht Club,
Narragansett Bay (Dutch Harbor, Wickford, and Bristol) on to Block Island.
Cruise continued page 5
4
COMMITTEE NEWS
Cruise continued
The pictures of the summer cruise on the Club web site tell the story—lots
of smiles.
The Cruise Committee has been busy making plans for 2015. While the
calendar is a work-in-progress most of the itinerary has been booked.
The calendar looks like this:
EYC Cruise Calendar 2015
May 17 Hamburg Cove Raft-up
May 23/24 Memorial Day Cruise
• Saturday – TBA
• Sunday – Watch Hill Yacht Club – Cocktails and Dinner
Annual Summer Cruise 2015
August 2 to 13
August 2, Sunday Newport RI, Ida Lewis Yacht Club
• Cocktails
August 4, Tuesday
Cutty Hunk
• Catered Lobster/ steak buffet
August 5 and 6, Wednesday and Thursday Beverly Yacht Club, Marion, MA
• Cocktails and open menu dinner –available both evenings
Group splits
Maine Group through Cape Cod Canal to Provincetown or Scituate and north
Woods Hole and Vineyard group
August 7 and 8, Friday and Saturday
Marion through Woods Hole to
Falmouth or Hyannis
• Friday, Saturday August 7 and 8 Port options to Falmouth or Hyannis
Yacht Club
August 9 and 10, Sunday and Monday Edgartown, MA
• Sunday- Edgartown or free day
• Monday – Edgartown Yacht Club- Cocktails and dinner
August 11 and 12, Tuesday and Wednesday Free days for stops on way to
Block Island, RI
August 13, Thursday
Block Island, RI
• Cocktails and dinner at Narragansett Inn
Labor Day Cruise September 5 and 6
• Saturday TBA
• Sunday, Shelter Island Yacht Club
Cocktails and dinner
September 20 Hamburg Cove Raft- up
REGATTA EVENTS
The Hawkins Trophy is a silver cup presented by Bert Hawkins in 1960 as a
permanent trophy for team racing between the Essex YC and the Pettipaug
YC. The format is 3-on-3 racing under the US Sailing Team Racing Rules.
This year’s race series was held on Saturday September 27 and our three crews
were Carter & Scott Gowrie, David Dorrance and Sarah Lively, and Peter
Harding and Rick Weiner. Conditions were challenging with light, shifty
Regatta continued page 6
5
COMMITTEE NEWS
Regatta continued
RUB-A-DUB DUB TOO
MANY PEOPLE IN A TUB!
Mystic Dyer Dhow Derby,
Mystic Seaport, 10/18
Under a changing sky with
moderate temperatures
and against stiff
competition the sober
Essex Yacht Club sailed
well and valiantly against
the numerically superior
Stonington MudRatz. The
team members blamed
the well-loved but worn
and threadbare sail from
preventing the club boat
from pointing as high as
other regatta participants.
All in all, a fine time was had
by all! Do we know anyone
who can make a sail?
winds a strong current but our Race Committee led by PRO Paul Forrest
did a great job in keeping the course fair. The Pettipaug team managed to
find the right places to be on the course and took four races in a row to win
the best of seven series.
The following weekend we hosted the Thomas S. Willets Memorial
Trophy Race, the first of three races organized by the Essex YC, the Essex
Corinthian YC and the Pettipaug YC that comprise the Tri-Club Series. The
weather conditions were again challenging, but this time from the other
extreme with winds gusting over 25 and frequent rain squalls! The weather
forecast kept the Ideal 18 fleet off the water but two classes raced a slightly
shortened course – a PHRF class and an MC Scow demonstration class. The
Willets Trophy was awarded to the PHRF class winner, Toby Doyle sailing
Flo, an Onorato 24. Second was Jeff Going sailing Celebration, a Morgan
24/25 and third was Bob Robinson sailing Vienna, a Nonsuch 30.
With our 2014 sailing season now concluded the Regatta Committee
would like to thank everyone who helped make it a success. In particular we
would like to recognize our Race Committees who ran the races including
George Graf, Paul Forrest, Paul Marden, Mike Carlucci, Mary-Lawrence
Bickford and Ned Baker and the members who generously provided their
boats to serve as committee and mark boats including Paul Forrest, Paul
Marden, Brian Carey, Frank Telo and Michael Perl. We would also like to
recognize Waterfront Manager Marcus Garofalo and his staff who served
ably as Race Committee for our Ideal 18 races as well as several PHRF
starts. Their efforts along with many others behind the scenes were essential
elements in a successful season and we look forward to their continuing
support next year.
The Regatta Committee is currently working on a series of winter talks
with potential topics including high-tech sailboats, boat design, engine
maintenance, weather forecasting/routing and blue-water sailing. Please
look for announcements once the program is finalized.
The Mystic Dyer Dhow Derby is an annual competition among the
yacht clubs and other organizations who have supported the Mystic Seaport
Sail Training Program by donating a Dyer Dhow and providing ongoing
maintenance support. Each donor organization gets to sail their boat and
send a team consisting of a Mens, Womens and Junior sailor. You can see
the team of Renny Schoonmaker, Deb Pearl and James Bisceglia on the dock
with the transom of the EYC boat visible. The format is each sailor sails three
races in their division (Mens, Womens and Junior) and then there is the ¼
ton race where all 3 race together – that is the second photo. The club or
organization with the best combined score wins the regatta but the real goal
is to come second since the winner has to organize the event and the party
the following year!
The Dyer Dhow is a 9’ sailing dinghy designed and first built in the late
40’s as a yacht tender and general purpose dinghy. It was the first production
fiberglass dinghy and was used for almost 50 years by almost every Junior
Sailing Program on Long Island Sound as a basic training boat until it was
replaced by the Optimist class. It is still widely used by many clubs as a frostRegatta continued page 7
6
COMMITTEE NEWS
Regatta continued
Dining Room Hours
Lunch Daily
11:30 am–2:30 pm
Wednesday Pub Night
5:00–9:00 pm
Friday Night Dining
5:00–9:00 pm
Saturday Pizza Plus & More
5:00–9:00 pm
Slider Sunday
4:00–7:00 pm
bite dinghy. Unlike most modern boats they can be refurbished at modest cost
and still be competitive.
Due to its bathtub shape and simple rig it is not a fast boat. However that
also means that it takes a very skilled sailor to be competitive and that is why
it still retains a loyal following among frostbite fleets. The Mystic Dyer Dhow
Derby brings out some of the best sailors in the area. It is still primarily a fun
event with great camaraderie on the water and at the party that follows.
COMMUNICATIONS
Send us your articles!
First off, a word of thanks to you, our fellow members, for responding to the
Communications Committee’s requests for feedback and input throughout
2014. Your needs, preferences, and opinions have tailored the methods and
mechanisms we have employed to share the most current information about
EYC activities, events and accomplishments. Although Communications
works on a cycle of continuous improvement (so our work is never done!),
2014 brought you a significantly improved and updated EYC web site, a
method for gaining access to the EYC web site on your smart phone, high
quality content and electronic distribution of our Spyglass, efficiencies
with production and development of our annual yearbook, and a trove
of photographs documenting EYC’s 2014 activities. For their dedication
and commitment to serving on the Committee, please take a moment to
thank Janeen Carabetta, Jeff Lovelace, Dean McChesney, Matt Myers, Janet
Peckinpaugh and Commodore George Sexton.
Going forward, the Communications Committee will rely on your feedback
and input to enrich the quality and relevance of our outreach. Please reach out
to [email protected] to share stories about your cruising, racing,
your quest for a new boat, etc. These are the stories that our membership
thirsts for – to learn from your experiences, to live vicariously through you,
and to expand the record of EYC’s motor and sail yachting heritage. Don’t be
shy now.
Finally, EYC is in need of an archivist to assemble a representative record
of our evolution. This will not require sorting through old records or other
junk, but rather a forward-looking responsibility to ensure there are photos,
documents and artifacts that tell the story of who we are as we steam toward
our 100th anniversary. Please give this need serious consideration and contact
me (Tom @ 860-227-3587) to discuss your interest or to suggest a friend
whom I should contact.
CONTRIBUTORS
Spyglass ....................Frank Flores
Board .......................Alyson Danyliw
Membership .............Lynn Herlihy
Entertainment ..........Linda Douglas
Regatta .....................Peter Harding
Cruise ......................Dick Mather
House ......................Jack Kingsbury
Communications......Thomas Klin
Ladies Sailing........Marily MacKinnon
Deadline for each issue is the Tuesday after the monthly board meeting. Newsletter items may be emailed to
Janeen Carabetta at [email protected] or delivered to EYC.
7
Hallowine Tasting Party
October 31
6 PM
$40 Per person
Costumes optional but encouraged
Essex Yacht Club | 13 Novelty Lane | Essex, CT 06426 | 860-767-8121 | essexyc.com
Essex Yacht Club 2014
MENS NIGH T OUT
Thursday, November 20, 2014 6:00
Bourbon, Bacon and Beef
Bourbon nuances, fact and fiction
Assorted light Horsdoeuvres
An appetizer of……….
Thick cut bourbon and brown sugar slab bacon, a little bit of greens, cheddar flatbread and tomato
Certified Angus Beef NY Sirloin “Blackjack”
Cracked black pepper crusted with whiskied mushroom demi-glace
Grilled asparagus
Baked Idaho potato, chive sour cream
Date pudding with whisky caramel and vanilla ice cream
$40.00 ++
Tis the season to Visit New York City.
It is that time of year again! Join us for the annual bus trip.
Enjoy a day of shopping, see a show or enjoy lunch
with friends and experience the festivities and
you don’t have to drive or take the train!
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
.
Bus Leaves promptly at 8 AM from the Essex Yacht Club.
Bus Pick up at 5:45 PM behind St Patrick’s Cathedral.
Coffee and Breakfast Treats will be served in the morning.
Bring your own wine or beverage and hors d’oeuvres for the
journey home.
Please reserve your spot by calling 860-767-8121 ext 3 no
later than December 3rd.
Members of EYC, ECYC and the OLD Lyme Country Club: $45
Christmas Cocktail Party
Friday December 19th
Gather around the Christmas tree
for hors d’oeuvres and
holiday cheer
The Wetmore Room
5:30 – 8:00 PM
festive cocktail party attire
Essex Yacht Club | 13 Novelty Lane | Essex, CT 06426 | 860-767-8121 | essexyc.com
Holiday Help for E.Y.C. M embers 2014
All orders must be placed by Thursday Evening November 20th
All items may be picked up at EYC on W ednesday November 26th, between 3pm
and 9 unless other arrangements are made
Orders may be placed preferably via e-mail to chef.essex@ comcast.net or by
telephone to Bob Forbes or Patricia Hermann
W e are happy to feature M urray brothers all natural Turkeys as part of our Holiday
offering, size / 18 to 20lbs Due to limited availability, orders for Turkeys must be
placed by November 16 th / some larger turkeys will be available as well
Soups by the quart— One quart will service approx 4 people
Classic creamy clam chowder
$11.00qt
Carrot and ginger shrimp soup $11.00 qt
Classic homestyle turkey soup $9.00 qt
Tomato M ozzarella or Ham and Cheddar quiche
M eat or Vegetable lasagna half pan serves 10 guests
Oyster and cornbread stuffing
Cranberry and O range Relish,
M adeira Turkey Pan Gravy
Acorn Squash with creamed pearl onions [serves 2]
M ashed chive and parmesan potatos for 6 guests,
Fresh Green Beans, Almondine
[Approx 5 servings per lb]
Fresh Carrots with lavender, honey and dill
Things to Nibble
Colossal shrimp cocktail, EYC cocktail sauce
Littleneck clams with linguica and garlic butter
^Bake at 375 for approx. 8 minutes^
Individual Crab Cakes, chipotle aioli *375 for 10 minutes]
$ 16.00
$50.00
$11.00qt
$6.00pt
$9.00qt
$7.00ea
$13.50
$8.99 lb
$7.00 lb
$3.25 ea
$14.00dz
$22.00dz
Sweet Endings
E.Y.C. Pretty amazing gingersnaps
Flourless chocolate raspberry truffle torte
Chocolate Peanut butter mousse torte,
Pumpkin Cheesecake, Oreo cookie crust
$ 1.00 ea
10” $36.00
$30.00
$29.00
All Hot Items M UST be brought to a temperature of 165^ for at least 5 m inutes
Please remember, avoid cross contamination, wash all utensils and cutting boards
thoroughly, use disposable towels and sanitize work areas with a mild bleach
solution.
$2.00 packaging surcharge for all orders except desserts