Spring Meeting
Golden Gate Yacht Club
March 23, 2013

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

Clear skies and warming temperatures welcomed the Islander Fleet to the Spring Meeting weekend for 2013. We did not get an exact sequence of who showed up when, but Snowflower and Ophira were first, with Luna Sea & Freedom Won close behind, then add in I-41 Paradesia and the even bigger Because (Jeanneau 45DS) flying her I-36 Burgee. Add in Mai Pen Rai and new members Mike Tackaberry & Suzanne Kemmer's Morning Star, and the dockside count was eight.

An additional 19 boats arrived by land yacht for a total of 27 Islanders represented by 45 people. Here's the full list. (We've generally stopped using full names in picture captions so you can use the table to make associations.)

BecauseTim Shea & Summer Oliver
Bella LunaBob & Maria DaPrato
CalifiaTim Bussiek
CassiopeiaKit Wiegman
CelebrationKen & Miriam Rappolt
FalconBruce & Donna Hallberg
Freedom WonJohn & Nanci Melton & sister Pat
GejaAndrew Vic
Kindred SpiritsDon & Barbara Henderson
Luna SeaDan Knox & Myphi Alloy
Mai Pen RaiNoble & Barbara Brown
Morning StarMike Tackaberry & Suzanne Kemmer
OphiraGary & Pat Salvo
Pacific HighHarry Farrell
ParadesiaRick Vulliet
PegasusRobert Aston
SerenityEric Mueller
SnowflowerSkipper & Nancy Wall
Tacoma BlueRich & Takae Watters
Vanishing AnimalRick & Sandy Van Mell
White HorsesRob & Ruby Blenderman + Georgene
WindwalkerRich Shoenhair
WodenBob Knickerbocker & Maureen Drotleff
WoodbineRon & Karen Damsen
ZenithArt & Betsy Fowler
ZingaraSteve Swanson

Now, before you just skip on down to the pictures, let's follow how much fun it was to be at the opening of the 2013 season for the Islander 36 Association. To begin, it was sometimes a challenge just getting into the clubhouse because they are doing a massive renovation project and were pressure washing the deck with plenty of water flying around. But everyone gathered upstairs in the bar area for Attitude Adjustment, or enjoyed the full glass wall overlooking San Francisco Bay.

As we sat down for lunch, Commodore John Melton kicked it off with wonderfully understated light humor as the crowd was encouraged to sit at tables. First he welcomed new members Mike Tackaberry & Suzanne Kemmer and their boat Morning Star which they had sailed over Saturday morning. Also new on board is Victor Beltran, who recently bought Lean Times from Bill Pendola. It just so happened that Tim Shea, Lean Time's 2nd previous owner was on hand to also welcome Victor. Also present and having come the farthest were Ken & Miriam Rappolt from Honolulu, Hawaii (Celecration).

GGYC laid out a great buffet, starting off with fine salad with asparagus and strawberries, Tri-Tip or Salmon, a fluffy golden rice, and crisp beans. Since last year folks asked for "a little of each," this year we got a tag to trun in so everyone got their right choices! It all worked out well and the consensus was that this was one terrific meal. Thanks GGYC!

John called for the various committee reports and they followed in good order. Tim reported on the Fall Meeting formalities; Pat gave the Treasurer's report; Bob Knickerbocker said our new year renewals are down abit (so if you haven't sent in this year's dues, please get with it!); Ruby talked about the Cruise program and Time Shea, with a second from Dan Knox, offered to be the Cruise Coordinator for a Petaluma cruise July 6 & 7; and Kit Wiegman spoke about the option to get an individual PHRF rating certificate if that will encourage you to come out and race. Kit then turned the floor over to Tim Bussiek (Califia) and Tim outlined an International I-36 Regatta he is organizing with Sausalito Yacht Club. The target date is August 56 & 26 if they can get permits. The idea is for each boat to represent a country and have some fun.

Kit also announced that the Sail Trim Clinic (April 6th) is being moved to the Island Yacht Club in the Estuary because of the rennovations to GGYC. Basically, sign up, come, bring crew if you want, and learn how to set up your boat and get around the course. While this might sound like a racers-only pitch, it's equally as good for cruisers who would like to think about racing in the future or would like to test the waters by crewing on a boat in a race to see what it's like.

Our keynote speaker was GGYC Commodore Norbert Bajurin who gave a great presentation on this year's America's Cup. He acknowledged that Jimmy Spithill confided that indeed the reborn Oracle 17 has topped 43 knots! He wrapped up his presentation with a short clip of some of the action, and we caught it on cameera and it's at the bottom of the page.

The meeting adjourned about 1500.

Enjoy the pictures.

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Welcome...
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Beautiful Golden Gate ...
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St. Francis down the road
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GGYC ...
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bragging ...
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with pictures ...
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I-36 Fleet's in ...
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Luna Sea
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Freeedom Won
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Ophira
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Snowflower
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This big I-36 is ...
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Because...
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Morning Star
Mai Pen Rai
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Nimbus
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Paradesia
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All cozy.
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Welcome ...
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Say Ruby & Georgene
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Gary, Sandy & Pat
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Nancy & Skipper
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Rob & John hold court
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Harry & Ron
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Pat, Suzanne, Mike & Gary
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Robert & Commodore Melton
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Victor Beltran
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Takae, Rich, Nanci & Pat
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Dan & Myphi!
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Art, Skipper & Don
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The crowd ...
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is relaxed.
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Steve & Tim check in.
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Skipper with Mike & Suzanne
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Victor & Noble
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Kit & Tim
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Steve, Harry & Bob
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Eric & Andrew
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Takae & Rich
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Eric & Rick Vulliet
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Time to sit ...
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down for lunch ...
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good crowd ...
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full tables ...
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& good times.
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GGYC Commodore's table
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Barbara, Betsy & Art
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The guys have it!
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Ken & Miriam from Hawaii
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Maria & Bob
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Kit, Victor, Noble & Barbara
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Eric, Tim & Summer
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Suzanne & Mike
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Rick & Sandy
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John starts the meeting ...
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Ruby's Cruise report ...
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Kit's racing report ...
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Tim talks about ...
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an Internationals event.
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GGYC Commodore Norbert
Bajurin & Gary
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Norbert's first slide ...
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AC 45s fleet race ...
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Size Matters!!!!
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AC 72 - Oracle flips
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Reborn & foiling!!!
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what more to say!!!


Clip from Norbert's presentation
(Sound is LOUD .. so turn it down.)

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