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The Corinthian Yacht Club thanks you for your membership, volunteerism and activity with the club.  If you have any questions about the payment you just made, or need assistance, please email the office at manager@cycseattle.org or call 206-789-1919.

Our next First Friday event on March 2 will be an evening of dinner, and chalk talk by racer Derek Campbell to kick off the Center Sound Series. Racers, members, their families, and guests are encouraged to join us.

The bar will open starting about 6 pm.  We will have dinner catered by Buca di Beppo.  A fee of about $10 per person will be charged for dinner.  If you want to join us for the dinner, please plan to arrive by 7 pm.

We’ll have the chalk talk start at about 7:30 pm.  Feel free to come by before or after dinner to just hang out and relax.  Stay as long or as little as you like.

Not a CYC member yet?  Come on in and we’ll help get you signed up.

Stan Honey, America's Cup technology director.

Stan Honey, director of technology for the America’s Cup Event Authority, and John Craig, a well-known regatta coordinator and former Canadian Sailing Team coach, will give a presentation on the upcoming cup races in Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the downtown Seattle Public Library.

The program is being put on by The Sailing Foundation. Tickets are available at $10 each at thesailingfoundation.org. Space is limited, and many of the tickets already have been sold.

Honey, an engineer known for technical innovation in yachting, also co-founded Sportvision Inc., a leading developer of enhancements for sports broadcasting credited with introducing the yellow first down line used in football broadcasts.

He also was technical director and navigator for the ABNAMRO Volvo Race Team and was executive vice president technology for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

“Stan, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting and talented guys in our sport today — and a fine speaker as well,” said Dick Rose, a member of The Sailing Foundation Board. “I am sure that he and John Craig will have some dramatic video and unbelievable stories to tell.”

Craig has a strong record in sailing and has been coordinating huge regattas on the constrained waters of San Francisco Bay for many years. He also served for several years as coach of the Canadian Olympic Sailing Team. He is the coordinator in charge of running the next America’s Cup races between

Brian Watkins, left, receives the Hans Otto Giese trophy from Junior Staff Commodore Wayne Balsiger, center, and Commodore Ken Johnson.

Brian Watkins, the current rear commodore who initiated and led the “CYC Restart” meetings last fall, was named winner of the 2011 Hans Otto Giese Inspirational Trophy at the club’s awards party Jan. 20 at Shilhole.

The Restart meetings were planned to find ways to invigorate the club in the face of declining membership and decreasing revenues, problems common to many yacht clubs around the United States.

“When we started this, I wondered whether we actually had a club,” Watkins told the full clubhouse after receiving the award. “I found out that we do.”

The meetings produced a number of initiatives designed to kickstart the club, including a revised dues schedule, and a membership drive. Through the meetings, a number of younger leaders emerged who are viewed as key to the club’s future.

The award is named for the club’s first commodore, who also was one of its founding members.

To see a gallery of photos from the party, click here.

Other honors announced or presented at the party were:

• HONOR ROLL OF CHAMPIONS.  – members who have won national or international championships or have achieved honors of an equivalent level.

 Dalton Bergan – Moth Class North Americans – Newport Beach (11 boats), including Charlie McKee, Lindsay Bergan, Matt Pistay

Mark Bradner – SJ 24 North Americans – 17 boats, Oak Harbor WA,

Chris Johnson – Cape Flattery Race, First Overall (Heavy Class) – 29 boats

Steve Travis – Van Isle 360  (scoring based on results in 10 races around Vancouver island) – 1^st Overall, Division 1  (10 boats, including Dark Star (Jonathan McKee) and White Cloud (Steve Johnson)

Performance Awards – for winning various Club races and regattas.

COMMODORE – GIBSON RACES – actually two “race-cruise” events – to Port Ludlow – one boat won both events in 2011 – light airs dominated – and on the 2^nd day, only boat to finish. Outlaw, Cindy Gossett (staff commodore) and Derek Storm (newest Honorary Life member)

STUARTS AT SHILSHOLE (race has outlasted the sponsor) – CYC Jack n Jill  double-handed race. More Cowbell -    Kathryn Meyer (Board member) and Bill Blodgett (Fleet Captain-Race)

KVI WINDJAMMER TROPHY – winner of the early season Windjammer Series

Delirium -    Jerry Diercks (Fleet Captain -  Race for last several years)

BLAKELY ROCKS RACE TROPHY –winner of the Blakely Rocks based on PHRF

The T-Bird Invader – Marty Godsil (last year nominee for Sailor of the Year)

 POSSESSION POINT – OR SCATCHET HEAD TROPHY – also on a PHRF basis. Bravo Zulu – Dennis Vaughn

 No Three-Tree Point race – abandoned

 WERNER OHMES FOGHORN TROPHY – overall best  boat in Center Sound, formula in the Race Book, depending on finishing position in each class and number of boats in that class. Dos – Brad Butler and Paul Faget – from Port Madison YC.

NORTHWEST CHALLENGE CUP – best overall performance in Center Sound, PSSR and PSSC, Jubilee – Erik Kristen

 DISCRETIONARY AWARDS

 GEORGE SPALDING AWARD – most inspirational junior – exemplifies the CYC Spirit of amateur sailing, dedicated effort and fair sportsmanship. Alexa Ripple 

 GARY HORDER MEMORIAL TROPHY – award to the CYC Junior Sailor who enjoyed an active and successful racing program, Julian Martin

 DOG HOUSE TROPHY – MOST UNSEAMAN-LIKE ACTIVITY, Mark Bradner , San Juan 24 Return, for an upside-down spinnaker hoist.

 GREIG MEMORIAL TROPHY – CRUISING BOAT OF THE YEAR

 Jarana – Bill and Kathy Cuffel, currently cruising the South Pacific

 BOATING FAMILY OF THE YEAR

The Kristen Family – Erik, Stephanie, Tom and Mary

BOAT OF THE YEAR  

Absolutely – Kiwi One-Ton – Charlie

 SAILOR OF THE YEAR , Harry Dursch, J/24 Self Abuse

Now the hard work begins.

Ken Johnson, Commodore

We are off to a great start with the adoption of the bylaw amendments reducing our dues and revising our membership categories, the enthusiasm that came out of the “restart” meetings for making the Club a community of like-minded people who love sailing and care about CYC, the start of a revised social/educational program, and this, our first printed issue of the Leadline in over three years.

But many challenges remain – and the enthusiastic discussions and planning now move into the harder stuff of implementation.

Our first challenge is financial – while the Board continues to look at our expense structure, we are NOT in balance with our revenue projections for 2012 unless:

• We get more members
• Race participation improves in 2012
• More members volunteer their services
• We increase rentals of the Shilshole Clubhouse

You are essential to the success of the Club.  We know that we cannot survive by being a “mark setting service” – as excellent at putting on the best sailboat racing program that we are – and that we cannot survive by having only a few individuals bear the burden of doing most of the Club’s work.  All members must help.

First things first – by the time you read this, you will have received my letter reminding you that the dues renewal forms are now on line (thanks to significant efforts headed by Nojan Moshiri, Derek Storm, Geoff Pease and others).  Do two things now, if you haven’t already:

First, complete the Member Information forms, including your volunteering interests and skills/interests – we need to update and correct our member database; and,

Second, pay your Club dues promptly and, if you are in a position to do so, consider becoming a Supporting or Sustaining member.  This will help cover the revenue drop from the dues reduction until we expand our membership.  This financial assistance is very important.

More things you can do:

• Our first volunteer effort is the January Boat Show (January 27 – February 5).  Board member Bob Ross has arranged for a great site for CYC where we can bring the CYC message to boat show attendees.  This is our first Boat Show appearance in many years.  But we still need volunteers to spend a few hours staffing our booth  (and you get a free pass for the Boat show for that day).  We will be spreading the word about CYC and junior sailing.  Contact Noel Morgan and see what hours are available for you to help out: noelsmorgan@yahoo.com, or check the Club website at: www.cycseattle.org.

• Attend our social functions.  Cindy Gossett’s social/educational committee has held two successful “First Friday’s,” a Christmas ship party and more events on their way – you can plan on something at the Club on the first Friday of each month.  We plan on more member dinners so people can meet new members, those considering joining and reconnect with current members– our first member dinner for 2012 will be on January 20 as part of the 2011 Awards Celebration.  See the story on the 2011 Awards celebration elsewhere in this issue – and come out to Shilshole on the 20^thfor dinner and fun.

• Let your business know that the Clubhouse is a great place for off-site meetings (up to 100 individuals can be accommodated on each floor) – or if you are planning a social event – retirement, birthday, wedding, just having a party – keep the Clubhouse in mind.  Trusted caterers are available and you can use a caterer of your choice, often not an option at other locations.

• Not the least, recommend Club membership to your sailing friends and regular crew.

This is just a start.  As I mentioned earlier, we have many challenges ahead, but I am hopeful that together we can succeed.  It is time to roll up our sleeves – and get to work and, at the same time, have fun together.  I look forward to a very successful 2012 with our renewed vitality.

Ken Johnson

Commodore