AMERICAN YACHT CLUB February – March 2016

40° 56.448N – 73° 41.938W From the Commodore After a very difficult trip back from Key West Race

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★ stark reality of going from warm air and palm trees to two feet of snow painfully set in. However upon my return we went down to the FLAG OFFICERS Club to survey how it survived the storm, (which it did very well) and not only saw the smiling faces of COMMODORE frost-biters hanging in the JAYC house (their Jan- Peter Duncan uary headquarters) after a perfect day of sailing, VICE COMMODORE but a stunning winter sunset over Milton harbor. If Andy Giglia you have never experienced this, you really should. Though closed since New Year’s Day, the Club has REAR COMMODORE remained a very busy place with a number of proj- Scott Florio ects going on. SECRETARY Our dredge and rack removal project is now essentially done, the benefits of David Schwartz-Leeper which we will enjoy for years to come. Thanks again to Vice Commodore Gi- TREASURER glia for all his hard work. Jono Peters The planned website improvements, which include significant upgrades to our overall accounting platform, is well underway, and it is our hope and goal to be FLEET CAPTAIN in a position to roll it out in the early spring. Robert Alexander This upgrade will improve our communications with the membership significantly and in addition, we have brought on a full time Communications Direc- tor, Donovan McSorley. TRUSTEES Planning is being completed on both the tennis house replacement and bath James X. Callahan house upgrades, as we look to commence those projects in the not too distant future as well. Samuel W. Croll In addition to all of these projects, we have all the normal maintenance to the Matthew B. Fahey interior of the Club going on, including some significant clean up of our kitchen, as well as the moving of all of our archives off site, so they can be reviewed Drew D. Fung properly in a safe location. Alexandra M. Hahn 2015 was a very good year for the Club, due to the efforts of my fellow flags, board members and all of our committees, and they are already working very John C. R. Hele hard on 2016. This by no means is a new phenomenon at American, and is why we are one of the top yacht clubs in the world. Duncan P. Hennes Since New Year’s Day, American has been awarded both the International James D’Alton Murphy Women’s Keel Boat Championship for 2016 and the J-70 North Americans for 2017. We continue to be on the forefront of our sport and the tremendous good Siobhan Reilly will that was generated from our holding the Olympic sailing event this past Paula Schaefer Fall is still being spoken about by the team members, as they train in Miami. Rear Commodore Florio, Wendi and team did a great job. Thomas W. Tobin As reported to you a short while ago, our search for a replacement chef is underway, and to date we are very pleased with the candidates who have applied. We hope to bring the process to a head shortly.

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2 From the General Manager CLUB STAFF Happy New Year and we look forward to wel- coming everyone back to the Club over the GENERAL MANAGER John Meagher, CCM, PC III next few weeks. As most of you know, we bid farewell to Chef Mo this past January, and we ASSISTANT MANAGER are conducting a search for his replacement. Gary Lau We have been busy interviewing very qualified CONTROLLER candidates and hope to make an announce- Steve Rucci ment about the transition in the near future. In DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL the meantime, we wish Chef Mo all the best in EVENTS his future endeavors. Danielle Colavito Traditionally, the month of January is devoted BAR SUPERVISOR to critical maintenance projects. We turned our attention to the main Ramiro “Chicken” Hernandez Clubhouse, gave the kitchen a facelift and upgraded some of our equip- GROUNDS ment—all terrific lures for a top notch executive chef. Our new china Francisco Hernandez has arrived and we hope that members will be pleased with the new HARBOR MASTER look while dining. Behind the scenes, we have spent time archiving our Bud Puterbaugh collections of historic memorabilia and artwork in our effort to protect SAILING DIRECTOR and preserve the Club’s history. You may read about this work and the Kevin Broome highlights of the collection in this newsletter. DINING ROOM SUPERVISOR While the Clubhouse may have been closed, the entertainment commit- Juan Cisneros tee has not been idle! Our Robert Burns dinner on February 5th looks to be a sellout and we look forward to our Oyster evening on March TENNIS PROFESSIONAL Tiago Espirito Santo 3rd when Rowan Jacobson, a James Beard award winner, will host an interactive local oyster tasting and lecture. JR. JAYC DIRECTOR Ken Donnelly While it’s hard to anticipate summer evenings on the point, we are busy prepping for the return to the outdoors. We will be upgrading lawn and pool furniture—just another way to entice our members down to the Club for drinks and dinner. As we await warmer and longer days with great anticipation, I extend a hearty welcome to all to come down, play paddle tennis, grab lunch or dinner and relax in the east bar. We are open for business.

See you soon, John

3 Highlights of the 132nd Annual Meeting The Club’s officers hosted the 132nd Annual Meeting on unanimously elected by the membership. th Friday, December 9 , in front of a packed room of mem- Commodore Duncan and Vice Commodore Giglia then bers. At 1900 hours, Commodore Peter Duncan opened discussed the ongoing capital improvements underway - the meeting with a brief welcome to all attendees before mainly the harbor dredging and rock removal. Unknown handing the microphone over to Secretary Schwartz- to many members, an enormous amount of work has been Leeper. The Secretary noted a quorum was present, and performed during the past three years to get us to the point provided a brief update on the membership status. Overall where we can start dredging. The actual dredging opera- membership numbers were slightly higher from the previ- tion was only expected to take about a month, and the rock ous year, though Active and Seasonal members decreased removal just a few weeks. The real work of the past three by seven members. years has been navigating the bureaucratic maze of regula- Treasurer Peters made more than a few people chuckle by tions, fees, permits, laws, and processes needed to obtain recalling the advice he received when he took the mantle official permission to remove silted-in areas. Much of the of the Club’s treasury. When presenting the financials at effort was due to the fact that the Club did not have ad- the annual meeting, he was told, be sure to mumble a lot. equate records of previous dredging activities, as it was not Thankfully, he ignored that advice and gave a clear pic- required when dredging was last performed. Vice Commo- ture of the financial health of the club. 2015 had a very dore Giglia assured the members that we are now in much strong performance, helped by consistently great weather better shape for any future dredging needs going forward. and special events. Restaurant and bar sales were up from Club Secretary David Schwartz-Leeper then put forth a previous years, thanks primarily to strong management. large number of proposed changes to the Constitution The increase in operating profits from the previous year and bylaws; the majority of the proposed changes have are particularly impressive when considering the slightly very little impact on the day-to-day operations. They were smaller membership numbers of Active and Seasonal mem- proposed based on advice from outside counsel to bring the bers. With no debt, ATC is in a very sound position. Constitution and Bylaws up to the standards of New York Peters also touched on ongoing efforts to improve the State’s Not for Profit laws and regulations. books and records. More accurate records paves the way Once these changes were approved by the membership, the for greater efficiencies, which help increase operating prof- Commodore then presented the Captain David Poutney its. A new “Point of Sale” accounting system will be in- Award for Employee of the Year to Lourdes Hernandez, troduced in the upcoming year, which will result in better noting her constant smile and cheery disposition is always records and greatly reduce the billing efforts of the Finance ready to greet members as they enter the Club. The meet- Department. Higher profits frees up capital that is required ing was adjourned and the members then retired for a won- for keeping the Club running throughout the year. derful dinner. The Treasurer also spoke of the new six year capital plan Between courses and after the meal, the Commodore recently developed by the Finance Committee – a long- thanked outgoing Trustees Carolyn H. L. Russell, Thomas range plan to improve both the club’s infrastructure and its F. Delany, and Sandison E. Weil for all their work on the financial health. This plan includes the much needed and Board for the past three years, noting that most members recently completed dredging project and rock removal in don’t realize how much time and effort the trustees put into the dry-sail launch area. Some of the other planned capital their work. expenses will be obvious to members when completed (upcoming improvements to the bathhouse and a larger tennis Commodore Duncan also announced several annual hut with bathrooms and showers), while others won’t be awards during the evening’s celebration, including an Out- evident, but are just as important to keep the club operating standing Service Award to Tim James for all his work on to meet the expectations of the members. Lastly, the Trea- the Club’s history, the Mallory trophy to both Doc Clarke surer thanked both General Manager John Meager for his and Larry Earhardt for their outstanding contributions and leadership role, and Club Controller Steve Rucci, who was their commitment to Race Committee work, and finally, the instrumental in providing insight into the finances of the Yachtsman of the Year award to Bill Tripp. club’s operations. The final words shared by the Commodore was to recog- After the Treasurer’s report, the Nominating Committee, nize some of the new members who attended the meeting, chaired by Commodore Furnary, put forth Paula Schae- including Michael Tauber, Pamela Singh, and Sue Hull, fer, Matthew B. Fahey, and Thomas W. Tobin as pro- among others. posed Trustees for the Class of 2018. All candidates were Submitted by Matt Fahey

4 Entertainment Committee Wrap-Up

After a busy December featuring a series of holiday celebrations, we now turn our sights to 2016. The Entertainment Committee already is working on making this year a fun one for all! Our Opening Party has been scheduled for Saturday, March 5th - and rather than coming up with a great theme, we’ve opted to secure a great band instead, Mike Milazzo and his band Broken Arrow! Mike, an accomplished singer, songwriter, and lead guitarist, blends folk, blues, rock and bluegrass music into an original, yet familiar sound… some even call it distinctively “American”! With a dark resonance in his voice, he sings with an honesty that feels like home. Many of his songs receive regular airplay on local and satellite radio. His solo career is aug- mented with extensive collaborative work with the Broken Arrow band, and other bands, on occasion. He’s also including a fiddler as part of the band for a Celtic touch! We’re looking to get some good old fashioned fun. Come as you like - dress is casual. While we still haven’t yet finalized plans for a Summer Bash, we’re thinking another beachfront Clambake, which was quite a hit last year! Submitted by Chrissie Rupp and Carrie Lockton

Separated at Birth? Alan Borst and Monty Stubbs compare sartorial notes at Holly Cocktails.

5 Archival Discoveries

Recently, efforts have tenders). The Navy appears to have started this practice begun on protecting and in the 1850s, and it was first formally documented in the organizing the archives Navy Regulations of 1864. The reason the ensign sports 13 of the Club. Archives can stars and instead of the ten-current 45 starred national flag be as mundane as mem- (Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii bership lists throughout were still not in the Union in 1897) was for identification. the years, or as valuable The Navy wanted a simple means of identification for small as original signed docu- craft with smaller flags. The 13 stars were easier to see from ments of noteworthy his- a distance compared to the national flag. The larger “ships torical events, but they of the line” flew much larger ensigns (some as large as 35 provide a historical value feet by 70 feet!) By the early 20th century, the US Navy’s to us as to who we are as first submarines and destroyers in the early 20th century a yacht club, and where also started using the 13-star ensigns. we came from. In addi- In 1912, President William Howard Taft formally recog- tion to numerous boxes nized the Navy’s longstanding use of the 13-star ensign in of records, scattered his Executive Order 1637, which specified the flag’s pre- throughout the Club are cise dimensions. Yet the formal recognition of “boat flags”, a number of paintings, as they were known, lasted just four years, as President prints, models, and his- Woodrow Wilson’s Secretary of the Navy Josephus Dan- torical works of art that iels promoted the cessation of the practice. In 1916, with have been collected over his Executive Order 2390, Wilson specified that all ensigns a number of years. Em- were to have the full complement of stars. However, many ployee Mario Rodriguez of the 13 star flags remained in the supply system well until has recently been assist- the 1950s, and the “boat flags” were used by private ships, ing in the efforts to docu- which often still use 13 star flags as yachting ensigns, with ment these many items. a wreath of 13 stars surrounding an anchor. The Club’s Here, he provides some “U.S. Ensign No 6. American Flag” was presented by AYC interesting insights into member Robert P. Stieglitz, skipper of THREE BELLS two of these artifacts af- and winner of the 210 Class Race in 1964. The “boat flag” ter his ongoing research. displayed in the front hall reflects the longstanding rela- American Yacht Club has a rich history dating back to its tionship between the traditions of the United States Navy founding in 1883. There are hidden gems within the Club- and the sport of yachting. house waiting to be discovered. I have been archiving and documenting these gems for over a year now, and two items that highlight my fascination of AYC’s history are the U.S. ensign hanging in the front hall of the Clubhouse, and one of the many paintings by Frederic Schiller Cozzens (com- monly shortened to Fred Cozzens). Each item tells a story about our Club and our country’s history. The U.S. Ensign No.6 American Flag is an artifact with many interesting facts. It is encased in a glass display with a 36”x 63” wooden frame. The flag itself is 26” x 53”. The flag was first commissioned in August 1898, and was raised over the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The other item I find particularly interesting is Fred Coz- zen‘s painting In the Narrows - A Black Squall. Several paint- During the 19th century, the U.S. Navy used a 13-star ings by Cozzens can be seen throughout the Clubhouse. flag which became known as the “boat flag” due to its pre- His watercolors depict various aspects of the yachting life dominant use on smaller vessels (i.e., launches, gigs and in the mid to late nineteenth century. Cozzens came to fame

6 with his lithographics in Ameri- can Yachts: Their Clubs and Races. Published in 1884, the book has descriptions of about the paintings and a commentary on the yachting life in the late 19th century. Many of the lith- ographic prints are still highly prized today, even though Coz- zens replicated many of his plates. Cozzens was born in 1846 in Livingston, Staten Island. Growing up with a great view of New York Harbor in the mid-1800’s allowed him to wit- ness many regattas and yacht races. His paintings were cen- tered around New York Yacht Club activities and In the Nar- rows - A Black Squall is no exception. Cozzens captures the action of the NYYC’s annual regatta of 1877. The two schooner yachts “Rambler” and “Wanderer” were caught in a wind shift coming from the narrows. The race started on a sunny and breezy day, but as the yachts were sailing out of the Lower Bay towards References the Verrazano Narrows a “black squall” came up. The heavy black cloud made for poor visibility, and Cozzens Kelly, J.D. Jerrold. American Yachts: Their Clubs and Races. caught the precise moment when the yachts were entering New York: Charles Scriber’s Sons, 1884. the Narrows and getting hit by the squall. “Stieglitz Takes 210 Class Race,” New York Times, August 16, The painting is located in the formal dining room between 1964, accessed on January 9, two other paintings: Rounding the Lightship and For the Amer- 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/1964/08/16/stieglitz-takes- ica’s Cup-1881. There are several versions of In the Narrows, 210-class-race.html but the one on display in the Clubhouse is the original wa- “Vallejo Gallery” last modified 2005. tercolor painted on wood in 1883. Cozzens’ signature is on the lower left of the plate, signed as “Fred S. Cozzens”. http://www.vallejogallery.com/artist.php?name=Frederick_S._ Cozzens was a prolific painter, with many exhibits during Cozzens&id=219&suid=&client_id= his life. His paintings are on display in in scores of maritime museums like Mystic Seaport. Contributed by Mario Rodriguez In the Narrows and the U.S. Ensign Number 6 are only two of the many items throughout the Clubhouse that provide a glimpse into the past. The stories behind the artwork and artifacts in the Clubhouse are what make working in the archives so rewarding for me.

7 AYC at War The American Yacht Club has survived quite a bit in its 132 years of operation, including near-constant threats from storms, economic booms and busts, several wars, fires, and floods. The history of the Club is tied quite closely to the history of the country, and parts of that history are quite intriguing - not many of us know, for example that a top- secret operation was carried out on an AYC vessel just 10 years after AYC was founded, when U.S. President Gro- ver Cleveland “enjoyed” a cruise on AYC member E. C. Benedict’s SS ONEIDA up the East River. While the press lambasted Cleveland for spending time aboard a luxurious 132 foot steam yacht during the Panic of 1893, they did not realize he was aboard to have his entire upper left jaw surgically removed. The original founders of our Club really were the movers and shakers of their day. The intense economic growth that H. M. Flagler’s steam yacht ALICIA was re-named HORNET by the US Navy, and saw extensive action in the Spanish American War began shortly after the Civil War led to the creations of vast fortunes during the Gilded Age. The U.S. jumped to feet, and 16 “naphtha yachts” (powered launches) ranging the lead in industrialization worldwide. By the late 1870s, from 20 to 40 feet. Just a few years later, the largest vessel the explosion of factories, railroads, mines, oil, and other was 272 feet long - a luxurious bark-rigged “sailing” ves- sources of economic power created the possibilities of lei- sel with steam propulsion, when needed. The size of the sure activities for more and more individuals. The number vessels, while impressive, pales when one considers that of yacht clubs across the country grew rapidly, as did golf most any vessel over 80 feet required a number of full-time clubs, tennis associations, intercollegiate and professional crew to maintain and operate the ship. Some had as many sports, and social organizations. as twenty, with a typical crew consisting of a sailing master, In those days, members who had the means built large lux- mate, four to six sailors, two engineers, four to six firemen, ury steam yachts. In 1893, the club counted 32 such steam two stewards, two cooks, and one or two maids. For the yachts, ranging in size from 42 feet up to 248 feet in length, first few years of the Club’s existence, life just got bigger with an average yacht size of 120 feet. There were an ad- and better. ditional 22 sailing yachts, ranging from 20 feet up to 113 It couldn’t last, of course, and the Panic of 1893 severely damaged the nation’s economy, driving up unemployment and causing a large number of business failures. Running an enormous ship with full crew must have been trying for many of the owners. By 1896, the economy recovered enough to stabilize the country’s gold reserves, but the damage to the psyche of the country continued to haunt bankers, business owners, and politicians. The next big event that helped M. C. Borden’s SOVEREIGN, renamed SCORPION by the US Navy, also saw extensive action in Cuba. The ship remained in the shape American Yacht Club US Navy until 1929, and performed a variety of tasks promoting American interested, including assisting in relief efforts for two sepa- was the Spanish American rate earthquakes, (one in Turkey, one in Italy), and helping Americans caught up in the Balkan Wars. She was detained by Turkey during the first three years of the Great War. After the cessation of hostilities, she steamed around the Mediterranean Sea. War, which originated with

8 It sounds hard to believe, but once they bid adieu to their floating palaces, most owners did not actively seek their return. It could be that their financial circumstances had changed during the years of the Spanish American War, or perhaps they had no desire to see the damage such fine vessels must have suffered during their months of service. What is most likely, however, is the changing tastes of the members were turning to sailing as the members learned there was a more affordable and manageable pursuit for competing on the water. In 1895, American joined discus- sions with other clubs that eventually led to the Long Is- land Sound Yacht Racing Association, of which American is still a proud member. The U.S. Navy also learned a valuable lesson. Following The only remaining privately owned steam yacht is the 257’ DELPHINE, constructed the Civil War, many admirals in the Navy thought wooden in 1921 for Horace Dodge, an automobile magnate. She served in a variety of roles during the 20th century, including a stint as an Admiral’s flagship during WWII, and was sailing vessels should be the primary focus of shipbuilding. completely restored in 2003. She is now on the market for a mere $28 million. Sadly, the Thankfully, one master global strategist (Alfred Thayer purchase price does not include the crew of 55! Mahan) argued successfully on the importance of modern a Cuban rebellion that had strong popular support in the armored ships to defend American interests. His seminal United States, partly driven by economic interests, but also work “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History” is con- promoted by several newspaper publishers. But with the sidered by naval scholars as the single most influential book sinking of the USS MAINE, sent to Havana to protect in naval strategy, and led to an arms race in the early part American interests, intense patriotic feelings reached fever of the 20th century. pitch. As part of its war planning, the Heavy reliance on a re-fitted civilian fleet Department of the Navy searched the for support craft created a number of lo- register of yachts for any private vessels The three-masted schooner yacht Guinevere…was gistical, engineering, and efficiency chal- fit for active duty. lenges. While the proximity to Cuba gave Several of American Yacht Club’s larg- converted to a subchaser for the U.S. a huge advantage over Spain er vessels were called up for service, use along the Atlantic Coast when it came to fighting on the Atlantic, including: the 140 foot ONEONTA “where German U-Boats the challenges faced in the Philippines (which had actually been construct- were sinking shipping at a proved that a motley fleet of converted ed to Navy regulations), VIKING frightful pace.” pleasure craft could not possibly be the (122’, served in the blockade of Cuba); best way to meet worldwide naval chal- KANAWHA (114’, served as supply lenges. Several years after the end of the ship for forces occupying Cuba)’ BUC- Spanish American War, Teddy Roosevelt CANEER (116’, schooner-rigged steam yacht owned by (himself a participant in the Battle of San Juan Hill on W. R. Hearst, only in commission for three months, with Cuba) ordered the newly built Great White Fleet on a cir- duties unknown), ALICIA (184’, and renamed HORNET, cumnavigation of the globe to demonstrate the naval might she saw extensive action, sank several Spanish ships and of the United States. was almost destroyed, but suffered no loss of life), and By the time the America entered into the Great War, the COLUMBIA (194’, rechristened WASP, and active in Club had been transformed from a club focused largely on providing covering fire for shoreside troops during a hos- steam yachts for the uber-wealthy with a few smaller boats tile landing near Havana). Other vessels that served in- for sailing enthusiasts, into a sailing club with a few residu- cluded STRANGER, RESTLESS, SOVEREIGN (212’, al steam yachts, but a plethora of sailboats of all sizes. Once re-christened SCORPION, and stayed in the Navy until again, though, American steam yachts joined the war ef- 1929), and STILETTO (converted into a torpedo boat). fort, though all but one were assigned the task of patrolling While all appeared to have survived their time in the Navy, the home shores. few returned to Milton Harbor.

9 The New York Yacht Club reported the cancellation of races during World War I as concern about German submarines “brought on-the-water activities to a halt.” Up- wards of 90 yachts in the New York Yacht Club squadron served in the Navy, some under the command of members. In fact, the club’s by laws were adjusted to permit members to lend or charter boats to the Navy. Meanwhile, the American Yacht Club offered its clubhouse, boathouse and landing to the Secretary of the Navy. The club invested in Liberty bonds and set up a Junior Naval Reserve Train- ing program to help the recruiting efforts of the Navy and Merchant Marine. The focus of both Yacht Clubs, as with all Yacht Clubs particularly on the east coast, was support- ing the naval war effort. Interestingly, because of the cur- tailment in racing during this period of time, steam yachting went in to permanent decline.

Yacht Clubs were equally as supportive during World War Owner’s stateroom, DELPHINE. Most AYC steam yachts would have II despite the modernization of the naval fleet well beyond been similarly furnished the level of recreational yachting. Both AYC and NYYC sub. It did regular runs between Nova Scotia and Boston, yachts were pressed in to service as “sub chasers” and pa- though never saw active duty. trol craft. The three masted schooner yacht Guinevere, which belonged to Edgar Palmer, Commodore of AYC in New York Yacht Club reported that half the club’s squad- 1915- 1916, was once again pressed into duty and convert- ron, or 250 yachts, did service as Navy Patrol Craft. Not ed to a sub-chaser for use along the Atlantic coast, “where only charged with sub chaser duties, these yachts often German U-boats were sinking shipping at a frightful pace.” conducted echo-sounding surveys in order to produce The Guinevere was 197 feet long, was built in 1921 and charts of waters around possible invasion sites. Each vessel constructed of steel. On board were several machine guns “was provided with a small caliber machine gun, a primi- and two racks of depth charges that dated back to World tive sonar device, a radio to talk to patrol planes and one War I. It did have a “listening device;” however it was ca- or two depth charges to kick over the side if a submarine pable of use only when the boat was under sail and was was sighted.” Despite good intentions, it is unclear whether unable to indicate the direction or distance of the enemy these boats truly aided the naval effort. At the very least, their presence on the water, often 100 miles offshore, acted as a deterrent. This past December 2015, the media reported on a new stealth destroyer class that is undergoing sea trials off the New England coast. The destroyer is virtually undetect- able by radar. Needless to say, it is unlikely that the Navy would consider our fleet for duty. Clearly, we simply can enjoy the fact that the American Yacht Club did play a role in Naval history! Sources: The First Hundred Years of American Yacht Club, 1883-1993 The New York Yacht Club, A History, 18454-2008

Submitted by Betsy Robertson and Matt Fahey

DELPHINE’s salon, showing the the luxurious style of steam yachts

10 Frostbiting The AYC Frostbite fleet took advantage of an unusually warm fall to get in a lot of sailing! Over seven days of sailing in the Fall Series, the 36 sailors competed in a total of 45 races, thanks to the leadership of PROs John Fryer, Chris Russell, Rich Hulit, Sandy Weil, John Mayo-Smith, and Kevin Grainger. A remarkable 27 sailors competed on December 13, when Dave Perry joined the fleet to do some coaching on the water and a video debrief in the bar afterward. Even more impressive is that a handful of additional sailors gave up the chance to sail that day in order to help with mark boats and safety and rescue. The fleet would not work without such volunteers, and special thanks is due to Paula Schaefer and Eileen Hanlon for doing scoring. Kevin Broome and staff set marks and provided much needed support for the fleet. The frostbiters had a front row seat for the dredging in De- cember, although it came at the price of splitting the fleet – with some sailors keeping their boats on a float moored out toward the channel, while others beach launched their boats every week. We almost lost Don Dowd one week when he got sucked into the mud off the beach at low tide! Other highlights for the fall included the Fifth Annual AYC Women’s Cook 11 Regatta, won by Michelle Lahrkamp, and the Under-25 Regatta, won by Will Florio. As is usual for the frostbite fleet, results in the Fall Series were tight. Andy Giglia won two days of racing and had the high score for the fall, but fell short of the minimum to qualify for the series. The top three qualifiers in A Division were Clemmie Everett (two daily wins), Rob Fear (three daily wins), and Don Dowd. Adam Rowbotham won B Di- vision, ahead of Conor O’Driscoll and Libby Jelliffe. The Winter Series began on December 27 with one final warm day of sailing before the New Years Day Regatta kicked off racing for 2016 and real winter, as snowflakes fell while the competitors were on the water. Frostbiting continues every Sunday through the end of March. Charter boats are available for use and we’re always in need of assistance on race committee and safety and rescue. Please get in touch with Kevin Broome or Clemmie Everett if you’re interested in joining. Submitted by Clemmie Everett

11 Paddle Tennis Update: Off the Screens The AYC Paddle season has hit its the winners trophy’s namesakes watch- mid-point and the buzz has continued ing. The match was a seesaw battle with into the New Year. Warm weather neither team letting the other get too far through the Christmas holiday only ahead. Team Mackenzie looked to be helped to get people out on the courts. in command, up a break at 9-7 but the Long time members as well as recent Cameron Brother‘s fought back to tie it joiners all agree that they have never at 9. The tiebeaker was equally close and seen the court usage at these levels. extremely well played but the Cameron’s The new Paddle hut has also drawn stayed focused and prevailed. Sam Ab- rave reviews with extended sight lines ernethy said the exciting final was fitting and additional length, while the courts for such a great day of Paddle. themselves are playing as well as any Men’s Team in Rye. The Men’s team sits tied on top of the Rye Men’s Member/Guest League with a 7-1 record. The Point is The improved AYC Paddle facilities no longer welcome stop for Rye League hosted its first “major” championship on December 19th. opponents. The team continues to be the talk of the league The only thing better then the crisp, cool paddle weather and boast a 14-2 record since Christmas 2014. Saturday was the action on the courts. The Men’s Member-Guest morning practices are open to players of all levels and have was decidedly different this season for a couple of reasons. had strong attendance every week this season. If you have To start with the champions will have their names etched questions about the team, please contact Monte Stubbs or on the inaugural Abernethy-Peters Trophy. Aptly named Joe Mooney. for Sam Abernethy and Jono Peters; true stewards of rac- Women’s Team quets sports at the club as well as their fine play and dedica- There are two Women’s team at the club, both are also off tion to the Men’s team over the years. to great starts and building on last years success. They play There was a full field of twelve teams, including two time a great inter-club schedule and are looking for players. If defending champions; Tom Wey Jr. and Michael Holmes you are interested in playing, please contact Claire Walsh vying for dynasty status with a third win in as many years. or Suzie McNamee. There is a weekday commitment so Perennial finalists Bruce McCarthy and David Ellis hoped please keep that in mind when signing up. another finals bid would bring the Championship they Sunday Scramble’s longed for. The field was broken into three divisions and For anyone looking for a more social Paddle experience, seeded according. The Wey Jr. team looked to be the top there are Mixed Doubles Scrambles on Sunday afternoon spot in Group A. Men’s team reigning MVP; Scott MacK- from 1600 to 1800. Sunday Scrambles is a long standing enzie, looking to add to his Men’s Singles Tennis title was tradition at AYC and continues to provide players a great lurking at the top of Group B with a fellow Williams tennis combination of social and competitive play. alum. Group C, referred to as the “We are Family” Group had three sets of brothers and a father-son team. First Tournaments: round matches went off as expected but the next rounds Men’s Team Event: Milton Point Championship; February got really interesting. Monte Stubbs rolled in with a “busi- 6th, 2016 ness associate” that happened to be ranked top 60 in the Mixed Doubles Championship: March 5th, 2016 US in Paddle and blew up the seeding’s. Stubbs and the smooth lefty knocked off the defending champions before If you want to book a court, you can do so on the AYC sending the perennial finalists packing. Website or by calling the front desk. Please use the website whenever possible, it helps the club to track usage and only The semi-finals were set with Stubbs and Co, Team MacK- takes a few minutes. Courts and Paddle Hut can also be enzie, the Cameron and Mooney Brothers. Team MacK- reserved for socials functions by calling the front desk or enzie quickly dispatched the Mooney’s while Stubbs and emailing the club manager. Please keep an eye on the clubs Cameron’s played an instant classis with the Cameron weekly, “On the Water” email for updates and events tak- Brothers winning in a tiebreaker. The stage was set for the ing place in the Paddle world. finals, a standing room only audience, fine beverages and Submitted by Joe Mooney

12 Are You Ready For Summer? Calling All Campers Ages 5-8! Jr. JAYC Summer 2016 (June 27th – August 5th) Information Meeting Camp Registration It may be cold outside, but we are already planning for the 2016 Jr. JAYC online camp registration begins Sunday, best, fun-filled Jr. JAYC summer yet! Get ready to enjoy February 7th. SPACE IS LIMITED and will be filled on a all the exciting events and engaging activities scheduled FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS. Please visit the throughout the summer. To hear what we have in store AYC website and sign up online under the Jr. JAYC tab. and catch up with your fellow Jr. JAYCers, please come Note: Completed applications must be received by March to an Informational Meeting on Sunday, February 7th 1 or will be subject to a $200 late fee. from 1-2:30pm. Parents can relax with friends and have If you have any questions, please contact Maria Hargraves any questions answered while the children decorate heart at [email protected], Sapna Santos-Canet at shaped cookies for Valentine’s Day. [email protected] or Claire Griffiths at cbgriffiths@gmail. com.

Sporting Clays The weather gods has been extraordinarily kind to AYC shooters this year. We have three shoots under our belts and have not yet had to break out the winter clothing. With just one shoot remaining, Orvis Sandanona on February 6th, we have very close races for the seasonal trophies in several categories. Seasonal winners are based on best 3 out of 4 scores. Many thanks to Cameron Jackson for running the Dover Furnace Shoot and to Frank Luciano for running Pauling Mountain Club. Also, thanks to Rich Aube for once again sponsoring us at PMC. Ed Collins will be the Principal Shooting Officer for this years last event at Sandanona.

Dover Furnace Shoot #2 Results Level J (Under 16) Level C (Ladies) Level A 1st Place - Eddie Collins (50) 1st Place - Melissa Schoonveld (29) 1st Place - Bob Flood & Cameron 2nd Place - G Mosconi (36) 2nd Place - Kristina Jacobson & Trish Jackson (80) 3rd Place - Gabriella DelBello (20) Mosconi (26) 2nd Place - Stuart Beringer (77) 3rd Place - Margret Arquit & Jill Del- 3rd Place - Marshal Beringer (73) Pauling Mountain Club Shoot #3 Bello (25) Results Level B Level A Level J (Under 16) 1st Place - Wilson Hunt (69) 1st Place - Cameron Jackson (84) 1st Place - Eddie Collins (57) 2nd Place - Chris Nichols (66) 2nd Place - Bob Flood (73) 2nd Place - Aiden Cunningham (44) 3rd Place - Nick Philip (52) 3rd Place - Stuart Beringer (71) 3rd Place - G Mosconi (36)

Level C (Ladies) Level B 1st Place - Melissa Schoonveld (31) 1st Place - Dan Philip (57) 2nd Place - Trish Mosconi (27) 2nd Place - Brian Stengel (56) 3rd Place - Suzanne Hull (26) 3rd Place - Patrick Schoonveld (54)

We hope for a great turnout at Sandanona. Remember, Keep it Safe, Keep it Open! Gerry Mosconi & Cameron Jackson Shooting Co-Chairs

13 A Commodore Looks Back…

Bill Ketcham, a member since 1982, served as AYC’s Com- members. So we asked how the membership wanted to pay modore from 1998 to 2000. We recently sat down and asked for it in a member survey…surprisingly, most did not want him to give his views on the challenges – and rewards – of to take on much debt, and preferred to pay for it with as- heading up a pre-eminent yacht club. sessments over a few years. We set the assessment at a ju- How would you characterize your experience as commodore, perhaps dicious level that we deemed would be comfortable for all, in comparison to other positions of responsibility you’ve held, within and made up the difference with a modest amount of debt. or beyond the volunteer worlds? The biggest surprise in the project was the cost estimate to build the bath house based on the original design. It was Getting to lead an institution that is important to you and structurally complex and drove the costs significantly high- has been a big part of your life, with people you know well er than the initial budget. We started over and designed an and like, is as good as it gets. efficient structurally engineered building first, making it Speaking mainly of your years as com- aesthetically appealing second. Costs were cut by about a modore, how would you describe the agenda third, and the results look great. you started out with, and what you accom- As commodore, how did you deal with plished by the time you handed over the AYC’s sometimes divergent needs gavel at your final annual meeting? Were and missions? What there any changes in focus or unexpected might the future challenges faced along the way? bring, in your view? I spent a great deal of time with the The Leadership Agenda Board getting clarity on what the mentioned above gave us great con- Club’s strategy should be, using a text for dealing with divergent needs…either model that we developed at Pepsico they fit the blueprint, or they didn’t. As far as the fu- International (attached below), called ture, the trend in yacht racing is away from classic racer- a “Leadership Agenda.” If you know cruisers and toward smaller one design boats such as the where you want to go, it is much easier to make decisions, J-70. We need to resource for that. The dry-sailing area is because you have context. For example, how did we com- a particular problem from a boat storage standpoint, as is pete for sailing families in a shrinking market? We offered lift capacity. Another trend is away from sailing and more them the best multi-sport facility, but focused membership towards power boats. The qualifications profile for a pow- on the sailing community only. That is how we justified our er boat membership candidate should be carefully thought non-sailing assets. How did we build the brand? We at- through… were they ever a sailor, do they have serious tracted the top sailors, ran the best local events with great knowledge of seamanship and the boat’s systems… or are race administration, and we only did selective major events. they simply Rodney Dangerfield? This approach led to a kitchen re-build early in my term, How were you involved in property-use debates? What’s ahead? As and then the Century Project. We started with a complete commodore, how were you involved in changing patterns of sailing at waterfront and grounds facilities plan that included ex- AYC and elsewhere? Any thoughts on what’s ahead? panding our docks significantly, building the bath house, and plans for powerboat docks at the Gibbons property As part of the Century Project, we tried to broker a deal north of the town pier. The plan was approved by the City to trade the Town of Rye pier for the northern lobe of the of Rye, with the exception of the zoning change needed Gibbons property, giving us contiguous property. The City for the Gibbons property docks (that came later), and we of Rye was particularly excited about the Town of Rye’s began executing. Funding was a big issue, and we were plan to make the traded property a park. We engaged concerned that a large assessment would result in a loss of every constituency in the process, and got close. In the

14 end, Shenorock changed their mind and wouldn’t support cause the member base isn’t growing. As a result, the Club it. Instead, they invested a great deal of money to refurbish has become more expensive than it once was, because dues it, which was a win for the City of Rye (not us). This did, increases are the easiest way to cope. It would be useful to however, set the stage for our getting the Gibbons property project fixed costs out five years, and see what the member- re-zoned into a “club zone,” rather than residential, giving ship level would need to be to deal with it, or what dues us more flexibility to use it in the future. I am still intrigued would become if membership remains flat. Then play with with the concept of installing docks off the Gibbons prop- the mix of the two to find the best solution… the solution erty for shallow draft power boats. might be a larger member base. The trick is building that base without losing the focus on yachting activities. Other ruminations on your Club…its past, present and likely future…from your perspective of years in its leadership would be most welcome. The Club faces two big challenges: first, the stagnation of the sport of sailing, and second, the acceleration of fixed costs (property taxes, insurance, the critical employee base). The first puts limits on membership size, which will create challenges in dealing with fixed cost increases be-

American Yacht Club Leadership Agenda AYC Vision AYC Broad Strategy AYC Imperatives AYC Operating Defines what we aspire to be Broad Strategy Imperatives Guidelines/Goals Operating Guidelines/Goals • Be the greater New • For yachting families… • Empowered profession- York area’s favorite add value by leverag- al club management • Club Operating Cash yacht club ing AYC’s extensive in excess of $400k multiple-sport facilities, • Encourage family par- creating competitive ticipation in yachting • Positive “Income Before advantage activities Depreciation” • Build AYC’s reputation • Provide physical assets • All initiation fees to as a world class racing that add the most value capital budget to the membership club • Measure improvement • Top sailors with an annual survey of member satisfaction • Best local events • Stable to growing mem- • Best race administra- bership base tion • Build within our means • Selective major events • Develop unmatched operating excellence • Superior service to members • Efficient

15 Safety at Sea Seminar The American Yacht subjects and be available online to attendees prior to the Club has always pro- seminar. Attendance at the seminar will earn a US Sailing moted competitive Safety at Sea certificate, sailing, from Optis all designed to meet the the way up to big boat, Safety at Sea require- long distance racing. ments for the Newport Families join our Club to Bermuda race. It is, primarily to enjoy wa- therefore, necessary for ter sports, to introduce anyone interested in their children, and perhaps spouses, to the beauty of being doing serious off-shore offshore, and to engage with others with similar tastes. racing, but also invalu- able to anyone who’s in- However, as with many recreational activities, there are terested in being a better certain risks involved in being out on the water. Drown- overall sailor, as a water- ing immediately springs to mind, but there is no shortage borne crisis can hit anyone at any time. It’s best to prepare of other dangers while aboard or afloat – blunt-force trau- before the challenge comes. ma, crew overboard, severe dehydration, heat exhaustion, hypothermia, sunstroke, fire, lacerations, flooding, punc- Previous SASS events had the attendees focus on four ar- tures, and in extreme cases, starvation. Most of us never eas of focus - fighting fires (which can start from engines, face these dangers, and quell our fears with the knowledge stoves, or faulty electrical wiring); pyrotechnics (used for that we can always “call in the cavalry” with a quick VHF signaling others when in distress); damage control (think transmission to summon help from either the Coast Guard of all the possibilities for failure from rigging, sails, spars, or Sea Tow. steering, electronics, mechanical, electrical, structural, etc.); life vests and life rafts (if the boat sinks, your “Plan But what if you’re B” better deliver!); and Man Overboard drills (falling off halfway across the is the easy part – getting back on board can be quite chal- Atlantic, with no lenging, particularly without assistance). one around to come bail you out when Attendees can also achieve full ISAF certification by suc- your hull springs a cessful completion of a test on all the subject matter. At- leak, you lose your tendance, open to both racers and cruisers, is limited to mast or steering, 300. The admission fee is $295.00 and includes breakfast your watermaker pastries and coffee, lunch, and afternoon snacks and re- breaks, you’re run- freshments. ning out of food, or worse, running out of beer? There’s an Interested? Sign up at http://www.stormtrysailfounda- app for that. It’s called the Safety at Sea Seminar, and it’s tion.org/safety-at-sea.htm being hosted by the Storm Trysail Foundation on Saturday, April 16th at SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx. Coin- Previous attendees found the once-a-year seminar “hands- cidentally, this is the same day as Commissioning – what on”, “professional level training”, “a giant leap forward” for could be better than bellying up to the bar knowing you’re safety at sea, and “a clear example fully ready for another season of aquatic challenges? of accomplished sailors going to great lengths to give back to the This one-day US Sailing sanctioned event provides hands- sport”. on experiences, with attendees learning how to recover a crew overboard, setting storm sails, firing off distress The Storm Trysail Foundation is flares, rigging up emergency steering, putting out fires, a 501(C)3 charitable organization climbing aboard a liferaft when fully clothed and in foul dedicated to support the education weather gear with or without PDF, and combatting hy- of young sailors, junior safety at pothermia. The seminar will be supported by educational sea, and intercollegiate big boat videos produced by US Sailing and Gary Jobson, long racing. time Storm Trysail member. The videos will cover required Submitted by Andy Giglia

16 AYC SPEAKER SERIES & AYC GREEN COMMITTEE PRESENT: ‘Kissing the Sea

on the Lips’Léon-Paul Fargue

Marvel at the essential oyster with James Beard award-winning author Rowan Jacobsen

Thursday, March 3 7:00 Photos by David Malosh American Yacht Club, $58 A tasting of exquisite oysters, then dinner & discussion of the lore & destiny of this environmentally vital creature.

17 Chef ’s Corner from Manager John Meagher Forget strawberry shortcake! Cold days and nights call for heartier treats. Here’s a terrific ending to a winter meal, and it’s easy! Let cool and enjoy with a warm spiced cider or glass of sauterne.

Spiced Apple Struedel • sauté apples with 1 Tsp butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 2oz sugar on high heat for 2-3 min- 4 sheets phyllo dough utes. 4oz melted butter • strain raisins and add left over rum to apples, contin- 1 Tsp Butter ue cooking until most liquid is evaporated. Let cool 1lb golden delicious apples (peeled and sliced) • lay out one sheet of phyllo dough and lightly coat 2oz golden raisins (soaked in spiced rum for 2hr) with melted butter. Place next sheet of phyllo on top and coat with melted butter. Repeat steps until all 2oz sugar four have been layered. 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg • mix raisins into apples 1 tsp cinnamon • Lay apple mixture on phyllo dough and roll into log 1/2 tsp salt shape making sure that dough overlaps. 1 tsp cinnamon • Paint top of strudel with melted butter and sprinkle with mixture of cinnamon and sugar. 2 Tsp sugar • Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 until golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes

Featured Wine of the Season When you are down for dinner, please consider ordering this won- derful selection from the Robert Mondavi collection. The wine is perfect pairing with steak, a chop or a burger, but complements a salmon or swordfish dinner as well. The wine is fruit forward with flavors of ripe cherries, strawberries and plum. Its deep purple color matches its aroma of dried cherries and vanilla. This is a friendly wine and we hope you enjoy it!

18 From the Commodore continued from page 2

So in a few weeks our beautiful Club will reopen and in the not too distant future, we will be enjoying the front lawn again. Remember on Saturday, February 6th, we have our Robbie Burns dinner and on March 5th our opening party, which I know will be a very memorable evening, as our Entertainment Committee has been hard at work and has landed a great band. Finally if you ever get the chance do go to Key West Race Week you really should, as the sailing is excellent, between the conditions and race management. Key West itself is a very unique place, which one definitely needs to experience once in a life time. There were a number of AYC folks down there this past week, both competing and on the Race Committee. Kudos to Mike Bruno and the Wings team for winning the J-88 class.

All the best, Peter.

Trivia Corner Again this month, there were no winners to our trivia question, “Why was the name American chosen?” The founding members sought to promote steam yachting at the national level, and in order to attract enough members, steam yacht owners in all parts of the country were contacted and invited to join. The fifteen incorporators were all men of consider- able wealth and influence, and included the son of a President, an ex-Senator, bank presidents, railroad presidents, and stockbrokers. This month’s trivia contest question is: What is the wingspan of the eagle atop the flagpole, and how high is it?

Responses, due by February 29th, should be sent to AYCTrivia@gmail./com. Winners will receive credit for a free bottle of house wine, to be used within a month. Only one answer per family, please! In the event of multiple correct responses received by the due date, the winner will be randomly selected by the Newsletter editors.

Newsletter Co-Editors: Betsy Robertson, Matt Fahey Staff: Chris Duncan; Ellie Braun; Lori Giglia; Jan Hodnett; Anne Barton; Sheila Cameron; Ron Thompson; Anne Thompson; Lindsey Wetmiller; Tom Young Cover Photo: Matt Fahey Other Photo Credits: Anne Barton, Karen Bresolin, Ron Thompson, Sheila Graber, Kris- tine Stoker, Chrissie Rupp, Sheila Cameron, Eric Asgeirsson, Paul Moore, Drew Fung Please submit all articles for inclusion in our next issue by November 9th. Files should be in WORD format. Photographs may also be submitted via e-mail or on a disk or zip drive in JPEG format, highest resolution possible. Articles e-mailed to AYCNews@americanyc. org, [email protected], or [email protected].

19 American to Host the International Women’s Keelboat Championship

The International Women’s Keelboat Championship changes have been made to speed up the action. The for- (IWKC), dormant for the last few years, is returning, and mat consists of fleet racing with a “team racing” twist, fea- American will be hosting the J/70 class sailboats from Au- turing two flights of six boats each with teams rotating af- gust 14th to August 20th this summer. ter every two races. Each team will race an equal number of races against the others. Races will be approximately The revitalized US Sailing Championship is aimed at 15 minutes in duration. Host clubs will ensure quick rota- maximizing opportunities for women sailors to participate tions and on-the-water judging, in addition to an improved in high caliber regattas against top international sailors. viewing experience for spectators. With the goal of attracting more international teams, the championship will rotate each year to venues within, and The International Women’s Keelboat Championship was outside the U.S. More than ever, this championship will inaugurated in 1985 through the efforts of US Sailing’s offer women keelboat and offshore sailors high quality Women’s Championship Committee. The event became racing on the international stage. Twenty-four teams will one of the premier women’s sailing event in the U.S. and be selected through an application process. Half the teams worldwide, known as “The Rolex” after its former title selected will represent North American countries and half sponsor. will represent countries from around the world. American looks forward to re-introducing this competi- To ensure a fast and competitive racing format, additional tion to the international sailing community!

Dredging in the harbor area, a dirty, smelly and loud business, was completed in December, and rock removal in the dry-sail area was wrapped up shortly after New Year’s Day