Winter 2011 Squeegee - Sausalito Yacht Club

Squeegee
SAUSALITO YACHT CLUB
ESTABLISHED 1942
Winter 2011

Marotta Yachts of Sausalito
Brokers of Fine Sail and Motor Yachts
MAROTTA
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SAUSALITO
YACHT CLUB
415/331-6200 • Fax 415/331-6213
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100 Bay Street • Sausalito • California 94965

LETTER FROM THE COMMODORE
SYC Members: To me it is mind boggling how fast this year has been zipping by. It seems like yesterday
that we instituted the new governance structure of the Club and started crawling out of the near financial
disaster of 2010. There seems to be a misunderstanding as to how this structure has worked. The
rationale was that as the club has grown, it needed leaders with business and financial acumen to focus
on the business aspects of the club which are now far more substantial than in years past. Thus, the
creation of the Executive Board of Directors. The EB’s responsibility includes budgeting, financial
management, staff relations, facilities, audit and ensuring that we stay within our By-Laws. This enables
the Commodore and the Flag Officers and Chairs the freedom to focus on all of the member-related programs such as Race,
Cruise, Sail Training, Port and Entertainment. It is the job of the FOC to make the club friendly, fun and a pleasant place to
enjoy other members and friends camaraderie. Last year we had the assessment that was necessary because of successive years
of fiscal mismanagement. This year, under the guidance of Jim Merrill, our treasurer, we have slowly been crawling out of
what we inherited. I want to really thank our Flags and Chairs for their efforts in helping contain costs yet still delivering great
programs making this year one of the best ever. We have really worked as a well-organized team!
This year was also a major step forward in our relationship with the City of Sausalito. We have worked very hard with Chamber
of Commerce and the business community establishing the Sausalito Yacht Club as a more integral part of Sausalito. The
Mayor has appointed me as Chair of the Mayor’s AC-34 Task force and we have been planning some major events during the
America’s Cup. In these plans SYC will be a major player. During this year, a group of SYC Flag Officers led a welcoming
committee of City Officials to greet the Chilean tall ship La Esmeralda and participated in the sister-city events and
ceremonies with the mayor and officials from Viña del Mar. We also were very active with our Japanese sister city activities
including a special dinner at our Club. We held a special fund-raiser for the Sausalito Film Festival and the Sausalito Yacht
Club Sailing Foundation on the water. This event raised more money for the SYC Sailing Foundation than ever before.
We currently are in the process of negotiating a new long-term lease and some relief on our rent. Believe it or not, we pay
about 7% of your dues to the city which we are working to rectify. This is the beginning of a turnaround for the SYC but
the lingering problem is the small group in the bar that continue to harp on negatives, making it uncomfortable for other
members. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all worked together with a positive attitude? The reason we all belong to the Sausalito
Yacht Club is that we enjoy boating, the water, and the friendship of wonderful people with the same interests.
This year we have had the opportunity to participate in three cruises: Benicia, St. Francis, and Tinsley Island. What fun! We
have gotten to know members better, and have become close friends. Look at the Race program this year! Dave Borton and
his team have made dramatic improvements including securing the regional Hobie CVat Regatta, a first for any yacht club in
the Bay Area and now leading to the Hobie American Championships in 2012. This is what a Yacht Club is about!
On the sad side, losing Leslie and Doc is like losing long-term friends yet both joined when we needed their expertise to build
the management side of the operation and both have left us with a solid framework that will be maintained and ensure member
satisfaction for years to come. Both Doc and Leslie still consider themselves part of the Sausalito Yacht club family and we will
miss them. The Executive Board, under Rear Commodore’s Ross Blanchard’s direction, has established a search committee
and we are sure they will come up with some strong recommendations.
In conclusion, I really am proud of the 2011 Flag Officers and Chairs, they have done an outstanding job!
Let’s look forward to 2012 and hope that we can improve the ambiance in the bar and make it a very positive year.
Fair winds and smooth sailing,
Jim Gabbert, Commodore
On the cover: Fireworks at SYC! The General Membership Meeting is in December and the Lighted Boat Parade is on December 10.
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FINANCIAL CONDITION
We continue to reduce our debt and expenses and we are
running close to a very tight budget. All vendors and payables
are current except for rent. However we have now paid
more rent this year out of current earnings than was paid
last year which was paid mainly with funds received from the
special assessment. The current budget status is on track
for a slightly better than break-even outcome. Prior to last
year’s special assessment the building fund was almost totally
encumbered with a line of credit. This year, the line of credit
is down to $20,000 and, according to our Treasurer, this
will be reduced by 25% within the next 2 to 4 months. Our
finance committee led by Staff Commodore Mike Magruder,
Treasurer Jim Merrill, and Dave Spaulding has drafted
numerous financial procedures and the efforts of Doc, Dave
and Jackie have reduced last year’s member receivables
overdue amount from over $70,000 to a level now under
$8,000. Tight fiscal control remains paramount as we
build our foundation in a responsible manner. As always,
don’t believe the bar gossip. If you have a question call the
Treasurer, any member on the Finance Committee or those
who represent you on the Executive Board.
FACILITIES
We now know that last year’s hastily prepared request for
$33,000 for monies from the building fund to address
repairs and maintenance to our club was insufficient and
made no allowance for the fact that a plan was needed for
submission to the city before any work could be undertaken.
Several months of careful evaluation by our Facilities
Committee led by Port Captain Mike Fiske and several
qualified members in the building and construction field has
resulted in the discovery that solving problems involving
potential health and building code issues actually amount
to spending over $110,000. A detailed list of the problems
and associated costs will be part of the presentation at the
Annual General Meeting when a motion to approve a realistic
approach to addressing these issues will be presented.
Naturally this will be a phased effort dealing with the most
pressing issues first while ensuring we retain a healthy
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Fellow Members: Due to the dynamics and sensitive nature of some of the activities your Executive Board is engaged in, our
report will be brief and highlight the salient points of our focus:
building fund to fall back on in an emergency. Since our
building is city property, approval must be granted by the
city in order for us to undertake any of these issues. The
preliminary concept plan developed by member Don Olsen
gave us a glimpse of what might be possible. While it appears
a full expansion may be financially out of the question at this
time, we have a very narrow window of opportunity with the
current city council to, at the very least, get approval for that
possibility even if we only fix the Galley for the time being.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Chef Leslie has moved on in her career by joining one of
the largest food distributors in the country and she is now
enjoying a normal workday and spending more time with
her family. She has left us with a great legacy of an efficient
kitchen staff and a solid foundation of food quality. We will
all miss her. Our HR Committee led by Rear Commodore
Ross Blanchard has already begun the interviewing process
and we have several outstanding candidates to select from.
Doc Miles, our General Manager, has also made the decision
to move on and has agreed to assist Rear Commodore Ross
Blanchard and his team in finding a suitable replacement.
Doc has spent many hours at the eye of our financial situation
weathering the storm and, working with our treasurer Jim
Merrill, has cleaned up our operation with procedures and
processes that will certainly make his successor’s job far
easier than the one he walked into. Given the speed and
accuracy of our financial reporting we are now in a much
better position than we have been for many years. This means
we are better prepared to predict needs and justify costs in
one of the single largest areas of revenue/expense in the
club. Again, any questions should be directed to Ross or any
member of the Executive Board.
LONG RANGE PLANNING
The main focus of the team which including myself,
Commodore Jim Gabbert, current Cruise Chair Larry
Moraes and member Dan Rheiner, SVP at Bank of Marin,

has been to chart the course for negotiating with the city. I
had every belief we would be reaching our solution by now.
The main driving factor has been to know what we would
need to invest in repairs and maintenance so that we could
take a complete package to the city. These are extremely
sensitive discussions and we all need to navigate carefully as
most of us are residents of the city. We have long-standing
and deep relationships with “the powers that be” and,
while we all want what is in the best interest of the club, we
need to preserve good relations with the city. In particular,
Commodore Gabbert’s efforts over the past year and a half
have brought us much closer and created a more favorable
negotiating environment than ever before. By the time you
read this we will be engaged with the city staff to hopefully
reach a situation that will serve both the Club and the city.
Again, no final action or encumbrance will be undertaken
or committed to without the consent of the membership. A
separate Evaluation committee led by John O’Connell and
Dave Spaulding has been diligently working on a pro forma
financial outline for expansion alternatives as the current
size of our facility makes it difficult to sustain at current costs
and revenue. As mentioned before, the City of Sausalito is
looking to the yacht club to take the lead as the focal point for
the America’s Cup in 2013 and we need to put our best foot
forward on all fronts.
BY-LAWS
A team led by Staff Commodore Tim Prouty has been
reviewing our new Bylaws and Governance structure to
determine if any tightening or changes are necessary. The
final corrections have been submitted to counsel for review.
We will call a special meeting to vote on the changes.
AUDIT
Led by former Rear Commodore John O’Connell, this team
has undertaken many audits key to club transparency and
oversight. There are several issues currently under review;
these range from financial to application of the Club’s Rules
& Regulations. A full report of his team’s activities will be
published in due course.
With these dynamics in mind, we urge all members to
carefully consider what is at stake when you cast your vote
in this election as we anticipate lease negotiations, staff
replacements and capital repairs. Please contact any member
of the Executive Board if you have questions or concerns.
John Williams
Staff Commodore & Chairman, Executive Board
“What’s Happening In Sausalito?”
No, Chicken Little, the sky did not fall in Sausalito, and single-family homes
are selling in spite of all the negative media spin.
For instance, from January 1, 2011–August 7, 2011, the following stats were reported by the MLS:
• The average sale price was $1,362,383
• The average marketing time was 77 days
• The average price per square foot was $573.39
• The average sale price/list price ratio was 93.97%
• The highest sale price during this time was $3, 200,000
Interest rates are dirt-cheap right now, but all good things will come to an end.
So..if you, or someone you know, happen to be collecting splinters on the
fence, let me help you climb on the sale or purchase pony, and giddy-up.
And if you happen to pony-up to the bar... Cheers!
MJ Roney, SRA (AR025999)
Realtor - Bradley Real Estate (DRE01701867)
CA Certified Real Estate Appraiser
(415) 233-3344
mjroney@comcast.net
MarinHomes4Sale.com
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HOLIDAY GREETINGS
The holiday season is synonymous with eating, drinking and being merry. There are official parties at the Club such as the
pancake breakfast with Santa and the Lighted Boat Parade and, we are sure, there will be several unofficial celebrations. But
one of the greatest joys at this time of year is hearing from old friends. The Squeegee sent a letter to all out-of-town members
asking them for news about where they were and what they were up to. Here are the replies we received.
Anne and Don Marr,
New Bern, North Carolina
In December 2008 we decided to say goodbye to San Francisco and move
to the Inner Banks of North Carolina. Our goal: to immerse ourselves in
the East Coast boating lifestyle. We chose a house on the water in New
Bern, a small, historical, NC coastal city. This location gave us access to
the Intracoastal Waterway and the cruising treasures it has to offer.
In December 09, we bought a power boat in Punta Gorda, FL, a 2000
Carver 42 – chosen for it’s suitability for long-term living aboard and the
ability to negotiate ports and coastal waters along the way. She has twin
diesels, two bedrooms/two baths – yes, a condo on the water. We call her
Journey, in honor of our Grand Banks 32 that we sailed out of Anderson
Marina while in SF.
And so, after some prep work at the dock in Punta Gorda, in January
2010 we started the trek south then north via the ICW
to New Bern, which became her new home berth. Our
boat-dog, Farley, was with us the whole time. The trip was
dotted with such a variety and range of experiences and
emotions – from frustration over boat problems, to the jaw
dropping beauty of the simple natural surroundings and
wildlife offered by the waterway as we floated by. Obviously,
after spending almost three months in an unfamiliar boat,
on unfamiliar waters, we have much to tell. Anyone who
wants the longer version should contact us, but here’s just a
sampling of our story, with a few notes on ports we visited:
Captiva Island, FL: Legendary crab races; good stay at ‘Tween Waters
Inn Marina; starboard engine overheats; head to Ft. Myers for repair
Key West, FL: March break – note to self – avoid March break
Little Palm Island, FL: Relentless 25-30 knot blows; learned twin
screw docking at fixed piers – not always a pretty sight
The Keys, FL: Thrilling scenery; small towns; beautiful anchorages;
local seafood; friendly folks
Miami, FL: Walk to world-class restaurants and beaches; best
Cuban sandwich; great vibe
The Bridges and Manatee Zones: North of Miami begins a seemingly
endless series of roughly 40 lift bridges that don’t open on demand;
No-Wake zones for Manatees
Top: Don, Anne & Farley aboard Journey. Center: Photographs
taken from the back deck before Hurricane Irene
and after, when the water level reached ten feet above
normal. Bottom: Mega yachts berthed at Palm Beach

Palm Beach, FL: Mind-blowing mega yachts
St. Augustine, FL: Touristy and overrated; got hit by a bad
docker in a 65-foot sport fisher – rail damaged
Cumberland Island, GA: 80 gallons of diesel fuel in our bilge
– high-pressure fuel hose failed; enjoyed a gorgeous area,
home to St. Simons and Sea Island resorts, while hose was
fixed
Beaufort, SC: Can’t get any prettier Southern charm;
sophisticated restaurants and shops; very well managed
harbor
Charleston, SC: One of our favorite cities to visit; berthed
with the mega yachts at the new marina
Georgetown, SC: 20 gallons of diesel in the bilge – fix failed –
repaired again; beautiful, historical town with great waterside
dining and a friendly Southern charm
Southport, NC: Oh my god, we’re almost home; very
charming historical town on the Cape Fear River
Bald Head Island: Gorgeous vacation area; fabulous marina;
great stop
New Bern, NC: Home at last at the confluence of the Neuse
and Trent Rivers
Total time on the water: About 3 months
Total distance traveled: About 1300 miles
Check out our blog of the trip at
http://anneanddonsjourney.blogspot.com
So here we are. We have a little center cockpit boat at our
dock at home that allows us to explore the inshore, shoal draft
areas near our house. We keep Journey in a nearby Marina
and take her cruising to the myriad of local destinations
such as Ocracoke on the Outer Banks, Cape Lookout, and
Beaufort, NC – we’ve just barely touched the surface of
exploring in our own backyard.
Our next big adventure will be to the Chesapeake. We had
planned it for this Fall, but Hurricane Irene got in our way.
See the photograph (opposite) showing the effects of Irene
which was taken by Anne who braved the 75 mph winds
wreaking havoc with a severe storm surge in our backyard. We
managed to stay dry and safe throughout but had no power for
four days. Many in our area were not as lucky and the FEMA
clean up and disaster relief continues.
Contact us if you want to talk more about our new area and all
it has to offer.
Cheers to all at SYC – we’ll be dropping by sometime soon.
Anne and Don Marr
anneemarr@hotmail.com | donaldmarr@gmail.com
Casey Cartwright and
Diane Heise
Aboard S/V Inkatu left to right: crew member Mark
Dietrich, Diane Heise and Skipper Casey Cartwright
Casey and Diane aboard S/V Inkatu have officially started
their new cruising lives.
We are in Oxnard, CA at the moment. The trip down
included light or no wind, moderate seas, one squall and
lightening the last night in the Santa Barbara Channel.
Lots of shipping traffic but AIS made communication
with them real easy and the captains appreciated the calls
regarding crossing or passing in the night.
The Oxnard Yacht Club and the Pacific Corinthian have
been great regarding reciprocity. (PCYC actually has
TWO of our burgees displayed.)
The plan is to buddy boat out to the Channel Islands with
our nephew and his family and, when we return, leave
Inkatu in the Channel Islands Marina. Then, we plan to
take the train to the Bay Area, pick up our cars and drive
them back to our house in Washington. When we return
to Oxnard, we will head south. We decided not to join the
HA HA but will continue after the group has sailed on.
A stop in Ensenada at Baja Naval for a brief check-in, a
bottom painting, then southbound.
Cheers to all.
Glen Meskimen & Herma Wells
We are living in Seattle
and enjoying the beautiful
cruising grounds of the
Northwest aboard Enya,
our Sabre 386. We get
back down to SYC a couple
times a year and would
be glad to talk with anyone interested in cruising the
Northwest.
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Squeegee Boy, Patrick Hind-Smith
It’s been a while since I have seen or heard from many
SYCers so I thought I would send along my regards and say
hello. I did see a few of the usual suspects at the Art Festival
and was fortunate to have a glass of bubbly with J and Gail as
well as Daryl.
We have been having a great boating season on Margaux
this year. Berkeley Yacht Club has a very active cruising
program with weekend overnights as well as day cruises.
We made our farthest passages to date: to Half Moon Bay
over Labor Day and a trip out to the Farallons on a grey,
somewhat blustery day. A weeklong trip up the Delta and
a visit to Grindstone Joe’s was surely one of the highlights
with stops in Benicia and Glen Cove.
Having moved to Emeryville and being within a short walk to
Emery Cove, where we keep the boat, means that we go for
long stretches without even getting into the car which keeps
that carbon foot print to a minimum.
I hope to see a bunch of you over at BYC for the annual
lobster cruise in November. We will be there for sure!
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GUESS WHO
The offer of a drink is off.
(No one took me up on it, anyhow.)
The quiz is still on and here’s another
member to identify.
Answer to the photo in the Fall issue: Tim
Nousen in 1968 on the bow of Bravado in
Acapulco, Mexico.
Melissa Prandi, MPM ®
48-Year Marin Native
(SYC Member)

PICYA
Let me give you an update on
where some of the hot-button
issues currently stand. The biggest
legislative issue that was on the
table for PICYA and RBOC
(Recreational Boaters of California)
has been the issue of copper-based
bottom paint and the effort to ban it in California. The
background: For the most part, this legislation is a
copy of what has already been adopted in Washington
State and is pending in Oregon. Due to small efforts by
bunches of different agencies and people, the pending
legislation regarding copper additives to bottom paint
has been pushed to the back burner. This means that the
legislation, in its present form, won’t see the floor of the
State Senate for at least two years. That’s good news for
most recreational boaters.
There are some nuances of this legislation that are of
importance as this issue makes its way through the
legislative process. So far, through the efforts of a good
number of like-minded folks, the provision to exclude
commercial and military vessels has been eliminated.
(That is not the case with either the Washington or
Oregon versions.) This is important if you look at
the numbers. Exempting commercial and military
shipping from conforming makes no sense from an
impact standpoint. The square footage of bottoms of
military and commercial shipping that moves through
our California waterways is easily five times the amount
of recreational boats. Even more compelling are the
questions: “Why should only recreational boaters be
financially impacted?” “Why leave out the other major
part of the equation?” (I like my radical idea of insisting
that all Foreign-Flag carriers have their bottoms painted
here, in California, with paint made in California. That’s
really the only way we’d know for sure they were in
compliance. What the heck - throw in everyone’s military
while we’re at it.)
Everyone on the Board of the PICYA is focused on
the upcoming AC34 contest. One major issue that
surrounds the event is what to do about anchored boats
in Richardson Bay. I’ve personally been pushing for
some sort of solution for the past decade - sadly, without
much success. There are now a lot more eyes on this issue.
I’m pretty confident that virtually every State agency is in favor
of regulating this estuary in some fashion and the funds are
currently available. Let’s hope we see some progress.
On a final note, PICYA has asked me to serve on their Board
next year and I have accepted the offer. I’m not exactly sure
what my duties will be but, along with Kay Dunnigan, I will
continue to also represent the Sausalito Yacht Club. The next
few years will certainly be exciting.
Michael Campbell
PICYA Delegate
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A VISIT TO THE SEYCHELLES
By Pinkie Pomeroy Anderson
Author, Pinkie Anderson, member of
the SYC (Sausalito) presents a burgee to
Andre Hoarau of the SYC (Seychelles).
The mention of the Seychelles Islands conjures up images of
a tropical paradise. The 115 islands were shaped thousands
of years ago when Gondwanaland broke off from the African
geological super-continent. The largest islands are granite
but the Outer Islands are formed of coral. Lying less than
1,000 miles off the east coast of Africa, just south of the
Equator, these islands are 12 time zones and almost exactly
halfway around the world from San Francisco and have a
great deal to offer. The flora and fauna are spectacular.
Where else can you find the elusive black parrot, the
Seychelles fruit bat, the Valley de Mai, the giant palm spider,
the hundred-year-old land tortoise, or the giant mudskipper?
Several years ago, I visited and was invited to lunch at
the Seychelles Yacht Club (also SYC). After lunch, I was
presented with their burgee, which now hangs in our club in
Sausalito. (A white sailfish on a blue background.) I recently
made a return visit to Seychelles and was able to reciprocate
their hospitality with the presentation of a Sausalito
Yacht Club burgee, which now hangs in the office of the
Commodore.
The Seychelles Yacht Club was founded in 1964 and is
the only yacht club in Seychelles. The club has over 350
members and about 20 reciprocal relationships with
other yacht clubs around the world, but none yet in the
U.S. Perhaps it’s time to add a U.S. club to their list: SYC
Sausalito meet SYC Seychelles!
Daughter Laura and son-in-law Scott with
Esmeralda, the oldest, heaviest, land tortoise
according to the Guinness Book of Records
A cruise on the Dutch-built, 118-foot
topsail schooner, Sea Shell is a good way
to enjoy the islands.
The boating community is strong. A boat is the most
important means of transportation around the islands
whether it is a ferry, large topsail schooner, a catamaran,
a dinghy with an outboard motor, or a pirogue. However,
sailors are warned not to go beyond the four main granite
islands of Mahe, Praslin, Silhouette, and La Digue - Somalian
pirates have become bold enough to seize boats in the
more than 530,000 nautical square miles that make up the
Exclusive Economic Zone of the Seychelles. You might want
to cruise on the 118-foot topsail schooner, Sea Shell. Dutch
built, she is over 90 years old and is quite a contrast to the
mega yachts from the Middle East docked at Eden Island, a
man-made development just outside the capital.
Besides lunch at the yacht club, a number of restaurants
provide excellent Creole meals. An institution in itself, The
Pirates Arms is a short distance from Big Ben Clock Tower,
the most famous downtown landmark in Victoria. It is a
must for any visitor. You can watch the Seychelles world go
by when sitting at the open-air tables, slightly raised above
Independence Avenue. Perhaps you’ll see the honorary
consul of Italy and his wife hail their car, or government
employees walking to their offices a short distance away,
or the native population as they visit the main office of
Barclay’s Bank. The “bamboo radio” emanates from under
the eaves of the Pirates Arms. You can hear stories of the
pirate treasure hidden by La Buse, or tales of the nine-foot
ghost who walks through the cemetery at night or, on a more
mundane topic, which hotel is under contract.

SEYCHELLES
continued
The economy is heavily dependent on tourism and visitors have
a number of accommodation options. Luxury hotels can be
found on Mahe, Praslin and Silhouette. At the other end of the
spectrum, self-catering bungalows are good options for longer
stays. Located on the beach on the West Coast of Mahe, the
Barbarons Meriden is one of the older hotels. Native charm
is found in this two-story hotel, which has been described as
retro. Smaller islands, including the Outer Islands of Desroches
and Alphonse, appeal to an exclusive clientele who seek new,
and very private, venues to scuba dive, bone fish or enjoy the
beautiful white beaches.
The islands continue to attract a cross-section of tourists from
around the world. Recently Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed, President
of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, purchased the former
US Tracking Station on Mahe. He replaced it with a large sixstory
palace visible from Victoria harbor. D’Arros, originally
developed as a retreat for Prince Sharam, the nephew of the
former Shah of Iran, is the subject of lawsuits filed against
Mrs. Bettencourt, the L’Oreal heiress. Prince William and
Kate Middleton spent a month on Desroches several years ago
and returned for their honeymoon. (This was predicted by the
“bamboo radio.”)
The Seychelles Islands are a tropical paradise with a unique
mystique. Far out in the Indian Ocean, they are a world unto
themselves.
OLD SALTS
DINNER
A group of long-time members has been dining together at
the Club on the first Saturday evening of each month. This
informal group has become known as the Old Salts.
There is no particular qualification - most participants
have been club members for more than twenty years and
tend to be sailors. That said, anyone who feels happy to
dine with fellow members whom they have known for a
long time and with whom they have shared the Club’s
adventures on the water, is welcome. No formalities are
involved; just make a reservation for dinner and turn up.
ENTERTAINING
All-in-all, it’s been a Very Good
Year! We have enjoyed a number
of great parties; Opening Day and
the Fourth of July were a blast.
The sounds of Damir & Friend
have been a welcome addition
on Saturday nights. Many new
members and new friends to sit around the table, break
bread and share the life and times of your Sausalito
Yacht Club.
And it’s not over yet, we have some great parties to
close out the year, November get down to the sounds of
the New Rising Sons.
December 1: Come down and decorate your Club for
the holidays. You may just be surprised how much fun it
can be and the new friends you will make.
December 3: Enjoy a pancake breakfast with Santa and
all the children. This is the third year and attendance
has doubled each year. In the evening, there’s dinner
and dancing to get the holiday season into full swing!
Make your reservations early.
December 10: Get ready for a full house at the Club
for the 24 th Annual Lighted Boat Parade & Fireworks
Spectacular. If you have a boat, entry is still FREE. Go
to www.sausalito-on-the-waterfront.org for an entry
form. No boat; go to http://www.eventbrite.com/
org/1640183474 and sign on to one of the charter
boats that will be in this year’s parade: Freda B, Five
Stars, Call of the Sea, and more. If you enjoy the parade
and fireworks, make a tax-deductible donation to the
Waterfront Foundation.
December 11: Children’s Christmas Party
December 31: Get ready to ring in the New Year with
hors d’oeuvres, champagne and dancing until after
midnight. Make your reservations early!
January 1: Annual Member Potluck (club closed)
January 7: Christmas Undecorating Pizza Party
Merv Regan
Entertainment Chair
9

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RACING
What a year for sailboat racing. This season saw six separate SYC race series, a Hobie series, a J105
Match Race regatta and several YRA races the club participated in. The bay area racers and our SYC
racers were up to the challenge and had some excellent races. The winds were light. The winds were
strong. Sometimes there was no wind. But compete the racers did! Here’s a recap of the season’s winners.
Congratulate them all when you see them.
Dave Borton, Race Committee Chair
2011 SEASON CHAMPIONS:
FIRST PLACE WINNERS
Midwinters Series: Five Sunday races from Nov 2010 through March 2011
• Jeff Hunter, Gammon Spinnaker
• Glen Isaacson, Q Non-spinnaker

12
Twin Island
Regatta
This year was different. The wind-hole behind
Angel Island was mostly absent in all three
races—lighter winds there, especially in the first
race. But the other two races were accomplished
in amazingly fast times. The boats even split in
their decisions about which way to go—Angel first
or Alcatraz first. Nick Sands on Escapade was
not even penalized for going against the current
behind Angel on the last race. He took third in
that race and finished first overall in Spinnaker
class.
Rear Commodore’s Race
Light to moderate winds greeted the racers at the start of
the Rear Commodore’s race to Vallejo. The breezes built to
a real blower by the time they reached San Pablo Bay. One
boat from the Vallejo Yacht Club also made the trip. And,
only one boat put their spinnaker up sideways.
The Vallejo Yacht Club warmly welcomed the racers.
Docktails and hors d’oeuvres in the raft-up are always
a hit at this event.
Right: Hosts, Ross and
Tammy Blanchard
served docktails on
their boat, Nomad.
Top: Escapade looking good!
Left: Jazzbeau powered up!
Right: Dave Borton cheers on Nick Sands
beaming with his Escapade first-place trophy.

THE LISCHESKE TROPHY
By Patrick Broderick
While I was Race Director at the Sausalito
Yacht Club (I think it was 1997) Carl
Lischeske approached me about creating and
deeding a trophy for the Overall Winner of
the Tuesday Night Sunset Series. Carl was an
old sailing friend and race competitor, who
had served three terms as SYC Commodore
in 1967, 1972, and 1973. Of course, he held
most of the other SYC elected appointments
at one time or another, too.
Indeed, Carl had been instrumental in
Photograph by Doc Miles
organizing the Tuesday Sunset Series in the
first place. Start at Sausalito Daymark “2”,
round a temporary at the foot of Main Street, sail around Yellow Bluff
buoy or maybe even Knox, then back to the Finish in time to get to the
club for burgers on the deck. Casual weeknight racing, often with as
many as 50 boats entered.
We talked about what the trophy might be. Carl decided he wanted
something other than a traditional punch bowl and said he had a sculptor
friend who could create a great trophy - something different. And off he
went. To be honest, I sort of forgot about it as the Summer sailed on.
And so November approached. One evening, prior to the Awards
Dinner, Carl brought a large box to the Club and announced the trophy
was ready for presentation. What hadn’t been sorted out was exactly how
an overall award was to be made, given that there were multiple divisions,
each with a Champion. We finally decided it would be the boat that beat
its competition the most. If I remember correctly, Peter English’s Chorus
had thumped the large spinnaker division with straight bullets, so it was
the hands-down winner. However, it didn’t always work out so smoothly
in future years.
The Carl Lischeske Sunset Series Trophy joined all the other perpetual
trophies deeded to the club and has been presented to many of SYC’s
finest racers over the intervening years. This year it is my honor - one of
the highest honors I’ve been awarded in nearly 40 years of racing on SF
Bay - to win and have my name and Nancy engraved on Carl’s trophy.
For me, it’s a real connection between SYC’s racing past and racing
present. Joining SYC’s racing elite on the Lischeske Trophy and winning
in a series with stiff competition and wonderful Race Management, is one
of those pinnacles I’ll always remember. Thanks to everyone involved but
especially to Carl, who has always had the SYC’s best interests at heart.
Photographs on these two pages and page 14 by Roxanne Fairbairn
Sunset Series
Where did the sun go? The last race of the
Summer Series was sailed with an early sunset on
September 20. The race was short but spirited,
with a wonderful warm breeze and flat water. What
a great way to finish a great series! Daniel Thielman
on Kuai took the five-race Summer Series in the
Spinnaker class, Dale Flaming on J-Hawk took
honors in the low-handicap, Non-spinnaker class
and Eric Sklar on Spindrifter won in the highhandicap,
Non-spinnaker class.
Nancy going to weather; first place is soon to come.
But wait… There was more. It was decided to have a
one-race, winner-take-all for the Lischeske Trophy:
the trophy for the overall Sunset Series winner.
The first-, second-, and third-place winners from all
three classes in the Spring and Summer Series had a
race-off on October 22. After a two-hour, no-wind
delay, the race started with the winds coming from
a much more northerly direction. By the leeward
mark, the winds had rotated back to a normal
direction and pressure. It kept everyone – from the
racers to the race committee – on their toes.
The overall winner: Pat Broderick on Nancy.
Congratulations, Pat! (read his response, left)
13

14
Women Skippers Regatta
Saturday started out calm with a cloud cover, but a
wonderful 10-knot breeze picked up in time for the
11am start to the 31st Annual Sausalito Yacht Club
Auxiliary Women Skippers Regatta. The first of the
three races was an up-down, twice-around-course in
the Knox/Yellow Bluff area of the Bay. The race was
sailed quickly and with few incidents. Even the women
skippers who normally don’t do this sort of thing were
able to manage the jitters and compete well.
The cloud cover disappeared just prior to the start of the
second race. And so did the breeze. A Blackaller course
was planned but the mark-set boat identified 4 knots of
breeze and almost 3 knots of current at Blackaller. That
was a recipe for a LONG afternoon. So, a shorter Yellow
Bluff, Harding, Knox, Finish course was selected. Even
then, one boat was swept inside of Harding and needed
to wait for the wind to return in order to make her way
back to Harding and continue the race. Others went
sideways past Knox. Several boats came within mere
feet of the finish line only to be swept backwards. It took
one boat 30 more minutes to finish.
The breezes were better again for the third race. It was
getting late in the afternoon, so an up-down shorter
course was done with breezes that held.
All racers were able to finish all races. They all had a
great time and want to do it again next year.
Definition of a yacht club:
An asylum for landsmen who
would rather die of drink
than be seasick.
From A Book of Burlesques
by H. L. Mencken
On the left, Ohana; in the foreground, Donkey Jenny who is the J105
Donkey Jack renamed just for this regatta.
Barbara Kavanagh, on the
left, led Gammon to a win
in the Non-spinnaker class.
Mary Richardson, on the
right, is President of the SYC
Auxiliary who sponsored
the regatta.
Starting line action.
Marika Edler, the winning skipper of Ohana, Spinnaker Class, with her
cast-of-thousands crew. Marika is on the right.

CRUISING
By the time you read this, there will be only
one cruise left on this year’s schedule. So
far, there have been eleven cruises in 2011
and the participants would all agree they
were good fun and filled with great laughs
and memories.
Just to briefly recap: January: we had 45 people on E-Cruz in
before dinner at Le Garage. The boat looked like a frat party as
Sharon and Stephanie poured champagne non-stop.February:
we took a budget-easing cruise to Tiburon and celebrated
a wedding and the Marsh’s 50 th wedding anniversary. How
special was that? March: Darryl and Ann LeDoux organized
a night of Sushi and Jazz at Yoshi’s in Jack London Square.
April: there was the famous Oyster and Lamb BBQ on Angel
Island. (The March and April events had 100 people in
attendance.) May was Captain Don Holden’s finest hour. We
dressed up for cocktails on Defiance followed by a roaring party
at the St. Francis Yacht Club. It got even better in June when
Bob Wilson captained the Cruise to South Beach to watch the
World Champion San Francisco Giants clobber the Colorado
Rockies. Then, Greg Fuller and Dave Borton organized the
Rear Commodore’s Race to Vallejo. The true purpose of this
event was to learn whether or not Ross Blanchard could actually
cook a steak. There was no consensus as to whether or not he
accomplished the task. July: As the weather turned warm, we
headed up to Benicia. There was so much fun on this cruise
that most of us never left the harbor to go into town. There
was a huge turnout of huge boats and we spent the weekend
visiting them. Captain Lawton experimented with perfecting
the Bloody Mary. The results of the experiments exceeded
expectations. The August trip was possibly the best of the year;
Neil Ransik organized the Cruise to Petaluma. The cruise up
the river was spectacular and the harbor in downtown Petaluma
was very cool, I mean warm. Well, it was both. The atmosphere
in Petaluma is much like the Med, without the 12-hour flight.
Friday night was dinner in town followed by Saturday dinner at
the Petaluma Yacht Club. It was at this event that we learned
that the City of Petaluma actually has its own Navy - apparently
there to protect the city from an invasion of Berkeley pirates.
After dinner, the Mayor and Commodore inducted Jim Gabbert
into the Petaluma Navy with the rank of Honorary Admirable.
Jim commented that this was the second greatest honor of his
life - there were 183 others tied for first. Things got serious
in September with the Cruise to Half Moon Bay, captained by
Randi Harry. Many made it a four-day weekend and again, it was
a lot of fun as can happen when 40 SYC members collide with
good food, beverage and atmosphere. The turnout reminded
Jeff Polick of years past when the boats were chock-a-block in
the marina at Encinal. This seemed to be a return to the good
ol’ days of SYC cruises. The Tinsley Island Cruise in October
was quite unique. Sixteen members attended the cruise at this
incredible oasis in the delta but not all arrived by the traditional
methods of boat or land cruising. Three SYC members made
a rather spectacular entrance when they arrived via a De
Havilland Beaver Seaplane. The Alaska bush pilot veteran
landed smoothly in the slough adjacent the island. A tender
was then dispatched to pick up the dignitaries. Quite a sight.
We will be adding some other elements to this Cruise in 2012
including entertainment so stay tuned. On November 19 we
are planning to visit the Berkeley Yacht club and enjoy a lobster
dinner—a lot cheaper than a trip to New England!
NOW, we have only one cruises left: Lighted Boats on
December 4. If you are one of the 400 participants to have been
on a cruise this year, please sign up for another round of fun
and great memories. If you have not cruised with SYC this year,
this is the time to jump in. They are fun occasions with plenty of
good food, drink, laughs and great memories. Sign up today on
the SYC website or contact Larry Moraes, Cruise Chair.
Special thanks to all the Cruise Captains of 2011 who made it a
great year!
Larry Moraes
Cruise Chair
15

16
YOUTH SAILING
The 2011to 2012 high school sailing season is currently underway
after the completion of a successful and notable summer program.
For the second summer in a row, SYC hosted one of the best line-ups
of instructors in Northern California including five post or current
collegiate sailors. For the first time in the club’s history, SYC was
represented in the Optimist, C420, FJ, and Laser classes at the summer
BAYS (Bay Area Youth Sailing) regatta series. A few notable finishes
include Tyler Daniels/Noah Barrengos’ 1 st place finish at BAYS #3 in FJ’s; Sam Gates/
Hayley Murphy’s third-place finish at BAYS #4 in C420’s; and nine-year-old Weston
Paluska’s fifth-place finish in the Opti green fleet at BAYS #4. The creation of new racing
programs reflecting the sailors’ desire to compete, along with the addition of boats such
as Little Zaca for a cruising/keel boat class, helped make student enrollment higher than
ever. It is because of these improvements that the summer program at SYC has grown into a
premier and well-rounded location for youth sailing instruction on the bay.
This year’s high school season is also showing promise. For the third straight year there
are over 25 members on the SYC team, mostly consisting of Tamalpais HS students.
Well-organized team structure has made the Tam team grow to be one of the biggest high
school sailing teams in the country. The combination of three captains, two coaches, and
a very helpful parental body has allowed the Tam team to recruit new freshman each year.
Also, many young members who participated in the summer program then joined the team
after enrolling at Tam. An impressive fact is that no one on the team grew up sailing in
any type of competitive youth sailing circuit and the team’s most skilled sailors have only
been competing for one to three years. Tam has become a dominant force in the Northern
California League as demonstrated by Mark Etem/Quinn Vangelos’s second-place finish at
NorCal #2 in September. The SYC team regularly arrives with more competitors than any
other club at Norcal regattas and hard work throughout the year accounts for their success.
Tam’s regatta schedule consists of five district-wide regattas, or PCISA regattas, (Pacific
Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association) plus ten local NorCal regattas. The PCISA
regattas are held in Monterrey, Newport Harbor, Long Beach, Treasure Island, and Santa
Barbara. At the season’s end the team will also compete at the Pacific Coast Championships
that serve as the National Championship qualifier. California tends to produce some of
the best youth sailing talent in the country and the young Tam team has been consistently
improving against some very tough competition. Many California high school sailors go
on to be collegiate All-Americans, Olympians, and/or World Champions. Three Tam
graduates have moved on to college sailing including last year’s graduate, Ian Spilman, who
is currently sailing for UC Santa Cruz. The team is certainly earning respect and recognition
at increasingly higher levels within the sailing community. SYC and Sausalito Youth Sailing
Foundation have been instrumental in enabling the future sailors of the Bay Area to achieve
these levels. A majority of the students introduced to sailing through SYC’s programs will be
life-long participants and contributors in an amazing sport.
Check in on the team’s season by visiting the Club website.
Rob Dubuc III, Sail Training Manager
Students from Edgewood School in
San Francisco get summer sailing
instruction.
The students have fun sailing in the
summer sun on Little Zaca.
Nine-year-old, Weston Paluska getting
ready to start a race at BAYS #4.
Sam Gates and Tyler Daniels recovering
from a capsize!

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17

Thanking those SYC Members who
have used my service, thus helping
me purchase my 43 foot Gulfstar
Center Cockpit Sailboat “Foot Loose”.
FRED’S
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Airport Rates Quotes are from/to Southern Marin
415-450-0066 | 800-998-7911
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P.O. Box 907, Sausalito, CA 94966
O p e n i n g M I D - D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1
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w w w . o d a l i s q u e c a f e . c o m • t e l : 4 1 5 . 4 6 0 . 1 3 3 5