We're Open!
Last Sunday, at approximately 1320 hours, the 129th Yachting Season for the San Diego Yacht Club was declared officially open. Junior Sabot A Fleet Captain Jack Egan did a magnificent job handling the responsibility and honors, declaring our great Club open for the 129th time in our amazing history. Very well done Jack.
Now what do we do?
Well, we do what we do all year round; go sailin', fishin', cruisin', racin' and continue to mess around with our boats! Except the days are longer, so we get to do more of it.
Opening Day 2014 included many highlights. Mayor Faulconer declaring April 13th, 2014 "San Diego Yacht Club Day" in the City of San Diego. A gorgeous Opening Day Race Overall winner was crowned (fun job awarding that trophy!), the SDAYC Junior Yachtsman of the Year once again coming from the ranks of the incredible SDYC Junior Program (congrats Molly Pleskus!), the Marine Corps Band, cannon shots, incredible boats inspected, SDYC members recognized for their yachting achievements left and right and in a memorable and most entertaining presentation, caper was crowned Yacht of the Year. Oh, and of course plenty of brats, sauerkraut, beer and this year carne asada. Ole'!
Opening Day also included one of the most impressive line ups of coveted sailing hardware anywhere on the planet – the Etchells World Championship perpetual, the Lipton Cup, and the America's Cup – each one with SDYC fingerprints all over them, bore witness to it all. (See Steve and Christeena Hunt, three time Etchells World Champion, 2014 Lipton Cup winner and 2014 SDYC Honor Roll inductee in front of an impressive line up of sailing hardware). This collection of iconic sailing hardware is reminiscent of a famous Mainsheet cover photo I remember from December of 1987 when the America's Cup, Lipton Cup and Star World Championship all called SDYC home.
Whew, what a day! I trust everyone had a great time. "We are not worthy" bows to Jill and Paul Hartley, Julie Servais and Team SDYC staff for pulling this all off.