Home	Spring Meeting at GGYC 3/19/16

(If you like, you can skip down through the prose and go straight to the pictures below!)

It was a great way to officially start the 2016 Islander 36 season. 58 people, representing 27 boats gathered at Golden Gate Yacht Club for the event. The full list of attendees is just before the pictures.

The weekend got off to a good start with 7 boats arriving at Golden Gate Yacht Club by Friday evening. Early birds had light winds and an ebb current while later arrivals had 25 knots on the nose and a flood tide to fight. Ophira hosted a typical cockpit gathering with lots of conversation and some nibbles for early birds Bella Luna and Natural High. Vanishing Animal joined the group a little after 1600, and everyone moved into the GGYC clubhouse about 1730, a little before Zenith arrived. From the Race Deck we could see Woden enjoying the last of an afternoon sail, furling her jib and dropping her main before coming in about 1820. Even after tying up in their slip, four year old Katie was still down below in her bunk. A very chilled Freedom Won crew, including lovable golden retriever Riley, was last to arrive at 1915.

Along the way we were joined first by GGYC Youth Sailing Director Chris Childers, better known a One-leg Chris. His dexterity with an artificial leg below the left knee was astounding as he scampered up and down the docks to handle boats and assist a 5-0-5 that had swamped and came in to bail out. As if that's not enough, he leaves in early April as paid crew aboard the replica of the schooner America for a year of sailing that ends with the America's Cup races in Bermuda. Oh, and if he wants, he has an option to stay aboard and sail on to the Med!

Another delightful conversation was with GGYC Race Committee member Ali Sholer. Ali will also be leaving shortly, headed for Seattle where she will join the Round-the-World Clipper Race aboard the Irish boat Derry for the two legs from Seattle to New York, and New York to London. On that last leg, the fleet will be stopping in Derry's home port in Ireland. Not only is Ali a top notch racer, she's also a great cook and baker, and surprised Pat Salvo with a giant chocolate cheesecake sheet cake for her birthday yesterday!

We ordered dinner from the tasty and practical GGYC bar menu, and there was lots of great fish and chips, and corned beef sandwiches to go around. Then, the surprise of the night was getting Pat's birthday cake for dessert! Everyone had a great time, as evidenced by the glee in little Katie's smile.

Saturday morning dawned (as usual) foggy, but by 0930 the sun was out, the sky was blue and a light westerly wind rippled the waters under the Golden Gate. Arriving members picked up their name tags under the watchful eye of Membership Chair Alice butcher, then paid up on the watchful eyes of Treasurer Roy & Melinda Samuelson. There were free little Svendsen's Tide Books for 2016 and a table of cheeses, crackers and potato skins to start everyone off. The tables were beautifully set by the GGYC crew, and decorated with individual place setting agendas, copies of the financials and a laminated card with race date reminders -- plus beautiful flowers from Ruby & Rob Blenderman.

Cruise Chair Bob DaPrato called everyone to lunch about 1215, and we enjoyed a buffet of salad, mixed vegetables, au gratin potatoes and entree choices of salmon and tri-tip, with lemon and horseradish sauce. The tables quickly filled and everyone enjoyed the company of other Islanders and the great view as the day's racing began out on the Bay. On the far side, there were perhaps 60 boats stretched on a spinnaker leg from in front of the San Francisco and Corinthian Yacht clubs, near Belvedere and Tiburon, past Angel Island, and down toward a mark off Treasure Island and the Berkeley shore. Just to the west, off St. Francis Yacht Club, it was a mix of Lasers, 5-0-5s, and hi-tech catamarans playing in the increasing breeze.

Commodore Susan Nork called the business meeting together about 1320, and welcomed everyone including new members Mike Patterson and Liz Munnelly of Green Flash and David Book of Hangover, and our ever-appreciated Orion crew from the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors. Moving on, Treasurer Roy Samuelson shook the coffers and declared that after $5,130 in 2015 income, we wound up with a whopping $18.25 loss for all of 2015. "Not bad for a not-for-profit," he declared. Cruise Chair Bob DaPrato waxed eloquent about this year's Cruise Schedule, including a new addition for Summer Sailstice at Encinal Yacht Club on June 18th to celebrate the longest sailing Saturday of the year. Race Chair Eric Mueller passed out laminated copies of the Race Schedule, and encouraged boats to come out and cheer on Kit Wiegman's Cassiopeia and his own Serenity on Monday, July 11th for the start of the Pacific Cup race to Hawaii. Secretary Bill Nork is also sailing as crew in the race. Eric also saild the Sailing Clinic has been postponed until the Fall. Alice Butcher gave a short Membership report, then Rick Van Mell followed with a web report saying that our 18 year history on the web from 1998 now has 450 different pages, with 23,809 pictures to look at (if you can't get to sleep at night.)

Rick then switched to his Past Commodore role to call forward Lou & Diane Zevanov to present them with an Honorary Member Award for being a Past Commodore, Measurer, dedicated champion racer, and a founding member of the Association in 1974. Lou thanked us all and recounted how at one point he had sold their boat Diana, went on to several other (don't mention power boat) and then went looking for an Islander again. They found her and bought her back and sailed again for many years with the fleet until giving the boat to his son Steve, who now has it in Santa Cruz. Here is a link to Lou & Diane's Certificate.

Following the meeting, Lou sent this message and picture to share:

We thank the I36 Association for the honorary membership presentation.
We value the warmth and respect that this fine group of sailors has extended to us. Joyful sailing.
Diane and Lou Zevanov



Andrew Vik completed a terrific program with his rendition of "Eight Seasons in The Med - Europe's Summer Playground" aboard his I-36 Geja. He started with the wonderful story of actually buying the boat without seeing it, but of coming to an Association meeting to see what Islander 36s looked like. The boat had gotten to the Mediterranean at the end of 17 years of sailing west out of San Francisco by Shirley Sandys and her husband, and Andrew had Shirley at our meeting as his guest! What a great story. The boat was in Pisa, Italy when he bought her, and sailed her around Italy and on to Split, Croatia which is her new home port. For eight years he has spent between three weeks and three months sailing up and down the Aegean Sea, as far north as Venice, and down to the Greek Ionian Isles. By timing his sailing for the European summer vacation months, single Andrew has never lacked for beautiful female crew. Of course warm summer Med waters also attract the frozen (and sometimes bawdy) northern European types who think nothing of whole families going nude among the crowded beaches. From crystal clear water and endless islands to gunk hole, to super-sized mega-yachts, there were countless beautiful pictures. It was a wonderful way to wrap up our Spring Meeting and commence sailing in earnest for the 2016 season. For a look at years worth of fun, follow Sailing Geja in the Med.

Boat	Owner & Crew
Bella Luna	Bob DaPrato & Maria Santiago
Cassiopeia	Kit Wiegman
Diana	Lou, Diane & Steve Zevanov
Evanescence	Smokey & Laurie Stover
Ex-Zenith	Art & Betsy Fowler
Falcon	Bruce & Dona Hallberg
Finally	David Chiodo & Barbara
Freedom Won	John & Nanci Melton
Geja	Andrew Vik, + Shirley Sandys & Roberto T.
Green Flash	Mike Patterson & Liz Munnelly
Hangover	David Book
Idle Eyes	Brett Butterfield
Kindred Spirits	Don & Barbara Henderson
Moondance	Alice Butcher
Nantucket	Richard & Gina Doyle
Natural High	Dennis & Judy Bush
Ophira	Gary & Pat Salvo
Orion	Nina Riehs,Chris Naughton, Paolo Flores, Cristina Rubke, Nathan Addy, Mary Henning, Aurora Baron
Pacific High	Harry Farrell
Serenity	Eric Mueller
Some Day	Roy & Melinda Samuelson
Tweenboat	Skipper & Nancy Wall
Vanishing Animal	Rick & Sandy Van Mell
White Horses	Rob & Ruby Blenderman
Woden	Tyler, Nicole & Katie Karaszewski
Zenith	Bill & Susan Nork
Zingara	Steve & Jocelyn Swanson

Pictures by Betsy Fowler & Rick Van Mell. Click on images to enlarge, click "Back" to return.

Friday Pictures

GPS / AIS up the Bay	Bay Bridge ...	SF skyline	Wind to sail!	Making progress ...
passing under ...	Cupid's Arrow	Ferry Building is the ...	Port of San Francisco.	Cruise ship fueling
Flanked by Alcatraz and Angel I.	At Golden Gate YC ...	Vanishing Animal is ...	all secure.	Natural High
Ophira	Bella Luna	Conversation time ...	One-Leg Chris!	Goodies too ...
Where's mine?!	This 5-0-5 is ...	bailing.	Plenty of breeze	Afternoon sun
Zenith arrives ...	and hoists her burgee.	Ladies talk ...	men scan for boats.	Next in is ...
Woden	Pat, Gary and Ali	Maria & Bob	Bill, Susan & Connor	Dennis & Judy
Yes, it's ...	Sandy & Rick	Attitude adjustment.	Just a little fog	Katie likes mom's shawl
Susan with Tyler	Walking past Woden ...	to welcome ...	Freedon Won.	Riley wants to ...
take a walk!	John is well chilled.	Looking good ...	Bill's relaxed ...	All secure ...
Golden sunset.	Katie's glee has ...	everyone smiling.

Saturday Pictures

Moving a J ...	all tucked in.	Moved Zenith too.	Beautiful morning!	GGYC Welcome ...
Tables are set ...	Agenda ...	is clear.	Alice says ...	"Pick up your name ...
then pay up."	Smokey tells Harry ...	Bob says, "Ray did it."	Bartalk	Some nibbles too
Maria, Shirley & Roberto	"Who me?"	Yep.	David, Barbara & Bob ...	enjoy the view ...
getting ready for ...	fun racing.	A cool swim.	Kit, Eric & Bill	David with Barbara
Barbara, Don,Art, Betsy, Judy, Dennis, Sandy	Smokey, Laurie, Nancy, Skipper, Harry, Pat	Kit, Susan, Bill, Liz, Mike	Donna, Bruce, Jocelyn, Steve	Rick, Rob, Gina, Ruby, Melinda, Roy
Shirley, Andrew, Eric, Nanci, John's sister, Bob John,Brett, Roberto	The BAADS Orion crew	Full house.	Susan starts the meeting ...	Treasurer Roy
Cruise Bob	Racing Eric	Membership Alice	Webmaster Rick calls ...	Diane & Lou ...
for Honorary Membership	Words from Lou.	Andrew talks Geja's ...	adventures in the Med.	1st year, buy in Pisa ...
from Shirley!	now sails from Split.	Fog comes in.

Geja in the Med

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