Opening Day week has arrived!

Dear SYC Member:

Opening Day Week is here! All of the planning and preparation for this grand celebration is being realized. Our club and the Opening Day traditions are being extraordinarily well represented by our Trio – Admiral Roger Werner, Admiralette Constance Still and Vice Admiral Jay McEwen and the many committees and volunteers that put this week of activities together. Thanks to each and every one of you for your hard work and support of this signature Seattle Yacht Club event! 

Our club was honored to be represented at Royal Victoria Yacht Club’s Opening Day and Sailpast this past weekend. Eighteen of us enjoyed the warm hospitality provided by the members of this beautiful yacht club on Cadboro Bay. 

Also this past weekend nineteen sailboats turned out for the SYC Jack and Jill 2007 race. Dick Robbins’ Icon was first in the No Flying Sails class, followed by Kathryn Crossland’s Beauty in second and John Woodley’s Lightning in third. In the Flying Sails class, Brian Watkins’ Declaration of Independence took first and John Hoag’s Shrek captured second place. This is an impressive winner’s circle of SYC members/boats. Many thanks go to Keith Johnson and the Race Committee, along with Race Chair Brian Watkins for their work in putting this event together. 

Please check out the message regarding the Ward Room chandelier in this newsletter. Your Vice Commodore and Bridge would like to hear from you this week. Thanks for taking some time to make your views known. 

Mark your calendars and plan to attend the Ship’s Company All Hands meeting on Tuesday, May 15 at 5:00 p.m. in the Fireside Lounge. This is a great way to get up-to-date information on the operations and finances of your club. Also, please plan to support the SYC Foundation Auction and Oyster Feed on Thursday, May 17. The auction committee chaired by Rob Sullivan, has a great variety of fabulous items that will be hard to pass up. This is a wonderful way to support the work of the Foundation and feel good about doing it! 

Thanks to Bob Miller and the Internet Committee, WiFi network service is now available at the club’s Portage Bay docks and on Dock Zero for our Opening Day visitors. Details are provided in the article below. 

Enjoy your club!

Ben Cozadd, Commodore

Dear Member,

The chandelier in the Ward Room has caused a great deal of angst among a number of your fellow members.  They have prevailed upon the House Committee to reinstall the old chandelier at a cost of at least $3,000, and to begin a search for a more acceptable fixture.  There would be additional cost to install whatever is finally decided upon.

We would very much like to have your input as to whether you would like the Committee to proceed as described above or to leave the present fixture in place until we find the "right" one.  

If you would write or e-mail Jim Vaupell at jvaupell@msn.com or Clint Prescott at genmgr@seattleyachtclub.org expressing your view it would be greatly appreciated.

The Committee To Not Waste $3,000 Or More Dollars,

Commodore Ben Cozadd

Vice Commodore Jack Sullivan

Rear Commodore Fred Roed

MUSIC WILL FILL THE MONTLAKE CUT
FOR OPENING DAY OF BOATING SEASON  

Seattle Yacht Club announces event line-up Opening Day festivities

The Seattle Yacht Club is pleased to invite everyone to celebrate the Opening Day of boating season, Saturday, May 5, 2007. Please join us for our annual boat parade and other events on the Montlake Cut. This year's parade theme is "Musical Memories," featuring more than 20 classes of boats adorned with musical decoration.

Spectators are invited to view the Windermere Cup races and the Opening Day Parade from the shores of the Montlake Cut on Saturday, May 5. This is a free community event with parking available at surrounding University of Washington lots. The Montlake Bridge will be closed to traffic from 9:40 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Rowing races begin at 10:20 a.m., followed by the Seattle Yacht Club's Opening Day Boat Parade at noon.

Rowing Regatta The 21st annual Windermere Cup Rowing Regatta will begin at 10:20 a.m. The home team University of Washington Husky varsity eights go head-to-head with the New Zealand National Crew and Purdue. In addition to the Windermere Cup title races, the regatta features 17 more events between 33 Northwest clubs, high schools and university teams. Racing will begin at 10:20 a.m. when Tacoma Dragon Boat Association will be demonstrating a Dragon Boat race through the Montlake Cut. Watch for the boat "Team Survivor" whose crew are all cancer survivors. Following competition at 11:45 a.m., all crews row back through the parade course in the "Parade of All Crew Shells" just before the Seattle Yacht Club Opening Day Boat Parade kicks off at noon.

Opening Day Boat Parade, a colorful and traditional rite of spring, the only one of its kind in the world, brings many people to Seattle's inland waterways this as boaters celebrate Opening Day of the boating season. The parade begins at noon as spectators crowd the shorelines of Seattle's Portage Bay and Montlake Cut to see up to 200 boats, many of them decorated, parade past judges and spectators watching aboard boats anchored along the parade route. The Northwest Steam Society has a dozen entries of their classic steam vessels gracing our waters.  Over sixty yacht clubs from Olympia to Vancouver, BC are part of our orchestra bringing their beautiful instruments to add to the parade.

Seattle Yacht Club's Opening Day Boat Parade, is one of the largest free public events in the Puget Sound region each year.

Our 2007 Trio, comprised of Admiral Roger Werner, Vice-Admiral Jay McEwen and Admiralette Connie Still, is responsible for leading the activities of over 100 volunteers on more than 30 subcommittees that make the annual boat parade and crew races through the Montlake Cut available to thousands of spectators. Join us for all the "Musical Memories" festivities, inspiring competition and colorful pageantry!  

Second Annual Midyear Ship's Company Meeting - May 15

Tuesday, May 15 at 5:00 p.m., your Commodores will host a mid-year meeting for any and all members who wish to attend. This is an informational meeting to bring you up-to-date on how your Club is doing both operationally and financially.

We will be circulating the agenda later this week, but in the meantime we urge you to plan to join us. We will have short presentations on a number of topics and leave lots of time for your questions. The meeting will adjourn about 6:30 p.m., so that a number of important committee meetings can proceed as scheduled.

All the best,

Ben Cozadd	Jack Sullivan	Fred Roed

Mark Meyer Opening Day Race

Sunday May 6-North Lake Washington 12:00 noon first start - class breaks to be posted on website and at club

Entry Fee: FREE!

Register online at www.seattleyachtclub.org

Join us for this fun race celebrating opening day. One race with a 2 hour time limit, warm fresh water on Lake Washington! Class breaks to be posted, liars and braggers chili, beer & wine on the lawn at SYC Portage Bay immediately following the race.

See you there!
Dan Krier

Bring Your Music!

“Musical Memories”

“Let’s Get This Party Started”

Find out all the details about Opening Day 2007!

Nautical Notes is now on line at our SYC website.

The link to the publication is on the Opening Day page.

In Nautical Notes you will be able to find dates, times, places,
events and interesting articles related to Opening Day.

2007 Junior Tee Shirts are ready for purchase!

Junior Vice Commodore Margeaux Green, modeling the latest SYC Junior Tee Shirt says, "This hip limited addition tee shirt, developed by our junior members, will sell out quickly. Get yours soon or you will be sorry you didn't. We have sizes small, like the one I am wearing, medium, large and extra large. Look for them at the front desk, at the Opening Day Store, and out on the Log Boom."

The shirts are only $15 plus tax and all proceeds go to support SYC junior programs and events.

POWER/SAIL MINI CRUISE SCHEDULE FOR 2007

OK boaters here is the POWER/SAIL Mini Cruise schedule for 2007. AIs are encouraged to attend, kids welcome. If there are small craft warnings the event is cancelled.

Please call or email Chris Warner, (206) 782-1277, panther@seanet.com, if you plan to attend for planning purposes. This is classified semi official non event event which means there is no charge for TONS of fun and adventure.

Green box usually starts around 1730. Dinner will either be potluck or at a local restaurant as listed below.

May 19-20 Poulsbo Viking Fest - Dinner at the Italian Place at the Marina parking lot.

SYC Drama Group Presents:

“Dungeons & Dragons”

1 final performance!

Wednesday, May 2
Social: 9:30-10:30 a.m.
(Performance following)

Join us for the May Powerboat Dinner:

The State of Puget Sound and Hood Canal:
Problems, Solutions, and Successes in Preserving our Cruising Paradise!

With the University of Washington’s leading scientific expert on this inland sea, Dr. Jan Newton.

Thursday, May 10 at 6:00 p.m.
in the Fireside Lounge

There has been much news lately about Puget Sound: water quality issues, runoff, threatened salmon populations, shoreline development, low oxygen levels – and a heightened appreciation for this priceless regional asset. Dr. Newton will fill us in on the research work that is being conducted and some of the promising new tools available to scientists, policy makers, yachting interests and students.

SYC Annual Foundation and Oyster Feed
Thursday, May 17 

This is an event you won’t want to miss. So, mark your calendars and open your hearts and your wallets. It’s a lot of fun. We already have many great auction items including art, trips and activities so join your friends and bid on your favorite items and make this the most successful year yet.

The SYC Foundation is a non-profit foundation providing financial assistance for deserving NW young people participating in boating activities and competitions. One of last year’s 14 grant recipients was the OARS NORTHWEST TEAM, which successfully rowed across the Atlantic carrying our Seattle Yacht Club burgee as one of its sponsors and set a world record! Let’s keep up our good work!

SPRING CRUISE AND SNOOZE PLAN AHEAD
JUNE 23-24, 2007

Fun race over to Port Madison, Green Box, Potluck Dinner, Trophies with Liars and Braggers, Campbell's Super Breakfast, Fun Race Back.

Races are an inverted starts where the higher handicapped boats start first. Pick up race instructions from the Portage Bay anchored near the south Shilshole mooring buoy.

Race starts at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday
Green Box at 5:30 p.m.
Potluck Dinner at 7:00 p.m., trophy presentations after dinner.
Breakfast Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
Race back at 12:00 noon.

Call the front desk to sign up (206) 325-1000.
Call or email Chris Warner, (206) 782-1277, for potluck dinner coordination.

You will be asked to bring a salad, a veggie, a main dish or a desert that will feed 10-12 people.

2007 Seattle Yacht Club Gourmet Cruise

The Gourmet Cruise is back, and with a passion!! The theme this year is “Northwest Fresh”, inspired by the best culinary cuisine our region has to offer.

Hosted by Tyler & Gwen Ellison and Dave & Gwen Twyver, the cruise promises to deliver a range of dining experiences to suite all tastes. The 7 day cruise includes 2 lay days for individual activities, too.

The cruise begins on July 5 at Poet’s Cove Resort & Spa, and ends at The Aerie Resort, mooring at the Port of Sidney. The schedule is:

July 5 Bedwell Harbor - Poets Cove Resort & Spa
July 6 Ganges – Free day
July 7 Ganges – Hastings House
July 8 Telegraph Harbor – Men’s Green Box Competition
July 9 Nanaimo – The Mahle House in Cedar
July 10 Nanaimo – Free day southbound
July 11 Sidney – The Aerie Resort

The 2007 Gourmet Cruise will cost $30 per person attending. Additionally, the estimated cost of meals will range around $90 per person per dinner for the 3 gourmet events. Each boat is responsible for their own moorage fees. Moorage has been reserved in advance for our cruise. The gourmet dinners will be charged to your SYC account. Extra refreshments will be paid individually at each location.

The maximum number of those participating in the 2007 SYC Gourmet Cruise is 25 boats, or 60 people. We are restricted in size due to the restaurants, as well as moorage space at marinas.

2007 INTERNATIONAL GOLF CRUISE

July 12-19, 2007

Join this year’s premier event, open to Sail and Power boaters who want to combine their enjoyment of yachting and golfing:

Signups open at 8:00 a.m. on May 15!

7/12-13 at Port Sidney Marina, golf @ Cordova Bay on 7/13
7/15-16 at Page Point Marina, golf @ Duncan Meadows on 7/16
7/18-19 at Nanaimo (Cameron Island), golf @ Fairwinds on 7/19

Each of the 3 golf events will be a different format (Calcutta, scramble, etc.) Players of all handicap levels may participate. Typically there will be a green box at 5:30 on the evening before each round at which time the schedule for the next day’s bus departure (typically 9:00 a.m.) will be announced.

An “awards” reception or hosted green box will occur at the marina following each golf event. Each day following a round of golf will be a free day with no moorage reserved. Cost per golfer--$340 which includes everything (green fees, transportation to the course, and prizes) except moorage fees.

Chairman: Lee Hessler
For more information, see the May Binnacle or e-mail Lee at hardalee22@yahoo.com.

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