Winter 2011 Squeegee - Sausalito Yacht Club

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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