Surf City Bar & Restaurant at our new docks is becoming a great place for a burger and beer after sailing.  It has a real marina-like atmosphere and Chef Franco has been experimenting with new menu items every week.  If Surf City is too lively for your tastes, then there are also many other great restaurants in Paulus Hook just a few blocks from the marina.  This has been a great month for exploration. 

Last week, I attended the retirement ceremony for CDR Luis Martinez of the US Coast Guard.  He has served our country for 38 years!  I worked closed with Luis after 9/11 as the Harbor was undergoing significant change.  It was a moving tribute overlooking all of New York Harbor with the NYPD fireboat spraying water. 

In July, our Captain of the Port, Captain Gordon Loebl will also be retiring (Capt Loebl is pictured above testing the latest listening technology at the recent Sailors Ball - it is important to stay current in society!).  He has been a great friend for many years and has helped guide our harbor forward.  We will miss the skill, expertise and experience of these great public servants.  But hopefully they will come visit again and maybe even join me or some of our other Members for a relaxing sail in the Harbor.

There is a lot happening this year, with the arrival of Hermione just a few weeks away and then a whirlwind of sailing, racing, crewing and learning all the way until Columbus Day Weekend when we host the US National Sailing Championships right here in New York Harbor!
  

CALLING ALL MEMBERS!!  The great harbor event this summer will be the Hermione-Lafayette Parade on July 4th.  If you are familiar with American history, you remember the Marquis de Lafayette from France who was instrumental in helping our country win independence.  Lafayette's flagship was "Hermione."  The French have built a replica which is sailing over to bring Lafayette's spirit back to the country he loved.

Hermione will make several stops along the East Coast.  The biggest will be New York Harbor where she will parade up the harbor on July 4th, passing the Statue of Liberty at 12 noon.  You can find out more details about the parade at http://parade.hermione2015.com/. 

All club boats can participate in the parade.  Mark your calendars.  Boats will depart our docks at 8 am and motor to Graves End Bay on the south side of the Verrazano Bridge.  The parade will get underway at 10:30 am.

Be part of this historic celebration!  This will be a great way to start your July 4th celebration! 

The first Fleet Week Regatta was a huge success thanks to so many Members who volunteered.  Thirty active duty Navy sailors and Marines came to Liberty Harbor in Jersey City on Saturday, May 23.  They gathered for a picture and then boarded the sailboats with Members to head out into the harbor. 

The race started at the Honorable William Wall, went south to the green gong off Governor's Island and then finished at the red buoy in front of the Statue of Liberty.  But the real winner were the sailors who got the best "selfies" with the Statue of Liberty!

Thank you to these great skipper volunteers: Erik Lumber, Fabian Michelangeli, Glen Burger, James Sinclair, Kerry Gendron, Peter Ableman, Rubayet Pritom, Simon Bober, Sonya Mesommonta & Tj Shea.

Thanks also to these great crew volunteers: Alexander Webbe, Alexis Fishcoff, Amanda Rosen, Benoit Montin, Donna Sansone, James Burns, Jenny Anopa, Jim Leffard, Jimmy Hogan, Katherine Goettsche, Keith Swiat, Laura Zygas, Ludovica Lumer, Matais Botero, Mike McCarty, Nathalie Withofs, Nicholoas Nelthorpe, Paul Cheek, Richard Applebaum & Robert Smith.
 

Photo: The three winning teams show off their trophies along with Commodore Fortenbaugh (in white shirt) and George Simpson (in blazer & blue hat) from the Navy League NY.
 

The Day Sailing League got off to a strong start this spring.  On many mornings, the league members were at the dock rigging their boat before 9 am!  Because of the strong interest in sailing during the day, the Club established its first Day Sailing League contact list.  You can join this list at https://myc.org/cruising/day/

Members on the list are encouraged to email each other with encouragement to go sailing.  Right now, it is usually one boat going out weekday mornings.  But someday soon, it might grow to two boats and that will qualify as the first Day Sailing Flotilla!  Maybe by the fall, there will even be a day when we reach 4 boats!  Let's all get connected and begin to go sailing!

This past winter, our Club began formalizing the reciprocal relationships we have developed around the world.  Many of these relationships have been formed as a result of the six Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenges we have hosted since 2006. 

We are happy to welcome our latest reciprocal club, "Club Universitario de Buenos Aires" of Buenos Aires, Argentina (www.cuba.org.ar).  Their Commodore Norberto Galindez is visiting New York City this week.  Lisa Bowers has been our Club liaison with C.U.B.A. and James Sinclair is taking their Commodore out sailing this evening.   Later this week, Commodore Galindez will serve as the Honorary Race Official at the Wednesday evening races. 
 

If you represent a yacht club from around the world and would like to formalize a reciprocal relationship with Manhattan Yacht Club, please send an email to office@myc.org.  You can see our current and growing list at https://myc.org/club/reciprocal/.

The Club is happy to announce our new Shopify store for Club gear.  You can visit this at http://manhattan-yacht-club.myshopify.com/

This is a new service for Members which will be built out over the course of the summer.  To begin, the Club is offering some new items such as this pink "Manhattan Yacht Club" hat.  The Club is also offering many "Vintage" items at discounts of up to 50%!

Our Shopify website is brand new and we will begin small to make sure the system works properly.  Orders are sent to a fulfillment house which ships directly to Members.  Once we confirm all systems are up and running properly, then we will begin expanding the offerings and add new merchandise over the course of this summer.  Whenever a new product is launched, Members will receive notice by email.  

Photo: (l to r) Marc LoPresti, JC Keeler, Walt Frazier, Commodore Fortenbaugh and Evander & Will Fortenbaugh.

Former City Council Member Alan Gerson teamed up with NY Knicks Basketball Legend Walt Frazier to host a reception for the "Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth Program."  During this event, Alan Gerson presented the Commodore with a prize to recognize all the work he has done to make it possible for kids to sail in New York Harbor. 

Photo: JC & Marc flank the Commodore with the award he received that evening.

Commodore Fortenbaugh and Wayne Turret created the first Teen Sailing Program in New York Harbor back in 2003.  Then the Commodore and TJ Dalton raised money to create the first junior sailing program called "Operation Optimist" which began in 2007.  These junior sailing programs have made a huge impact in the lives of many kids who have grown up in the city environment.  And although the junior programs will take place from Jersey City this summer, all kids in the surrounding towns, including New York City, can still participate!  We hope to establish another outpost in Manhattan soon so these programs become accessible to more kids again. 

Mentor Program Open House - Thursday, June 18
Networking for Members Interested in Joining a Race Team - Thursday, June 18

Hermione - Lafayette Parade - July 4

Fireworks in the Harbor on the Honorable William Wall - July 4

US Sailing Championships at MYC - Oct 9-12

A table of US Marines at the Sailors Ball, thanks to the sponsorship of LE Manufacturing Inc., Fernando Alvarez, President.

Pictures from the Fleet Week Regatta

Our "Can Do" team in red at the docks include Carl Byers who is managing the sailing school, Angelo Valitutti in charge of our J/24 fleet and Kip Jennings who is coordinating the Honorable William Wall.
 

The Race Committee team boards Silver Surfer to ride out to the Honorable William Wall (l to r): Tracy Steele, Jenna Smith from the Club office, Principle Race Officer TJ Shea and Race Manager Gus Dollinger.

Arjen Weehuizen and Richard Comstock smile while onboard Arabella out in the harbor for a charter with Airbnb. 

Zach Fluhr's J/105 Ajax sails downwind with her spinnaker past the Statue and Ellis Island.  The J/105 races are on Wednesday evenings.