2016 EYC Summer Sailstice
Every good cocktail has just the right blend of ingredients and, like the smooth, Gosling’s Dark ‘N Stormies served up at the Encinal Yacht Club at their 2016 Summer Sailstice, the event blended all the right elements for a energized day of celebrating sailing.
This is the 6th year Encinal Yacht Club has opened its doors, hoisted the flags, erected the tents, organized boat rides, showcased things such as the actual America’s Cup, held boat-building contests, fired off small boat racing, invited the public, called in the fire boat and hosted cruisers from around the Bay. To continue on with the list now would constitute sentence abuse. They once again nailed it with perfect summer weather making for idyllic sailing for first time sailors on the estuary and comfortable conditions for shoreside revelry.
Visitors to the event included some of the Bay Area Islander 36 fleet, the scow schooner, ‘Alma’ joining additional Master Mariner’s friends, an assortment of cruisers from around the Bay and one of the prettiest daysailors we’ve seen anywhere, the Maine built Picses 21, ‘Serendipity.’
Volunteer skippers took out almost 150 people for their very first sail – thy all came back smiling!
Event chairperson, Bill Nork, who followed up the event by racing the Pacific Cup to Hawaii, said, ‘The event has always been great for EYC as we get new members, grow awareness of our excellent junior program and generally welcome many new and old members of the community to everything EYC has to offer. As a club with a strong sailing heritage, Summer Sailstice is a great way for us to both celebrate the magnificent Bay Area sailing world and inspire others to discover the Bay right outside their doorstep. All our club members enjoy putting on the event and I have to thank members like Ray Thomas who arranged the appearance of the America's Cup, event co-chair Neil Weinberg who made the Cup appearance possible with support from Chubb Insurance and Twin Rivers Marine Insurance, Mark & Karen Brunelle who managed organizing almost 150 boat rides and many, many more volunteers who helped make the event a success. The event is great for sailing and great for the Encinal Yacht Club.'
Mark & Karen Brunelle coordinated the boat rides with a fleet of EYC enthusiastic volunteers who took people out on their boats for and endless parade of dockside 'pick-ups and drop-offs' of new folks discovering sailing on San Francisco Bay. Karen said, 'So many visitors are amazed that they can get a free sailing experience, that a yacht club is so open to inviting new people to on the water and how much fun it is to simply sail the Bay that is so close to their home. The adult keel boat operators and junior small boat sailors took out loads of kids, adults and families with many interested in returning to participate in our excellent junior program open to members and non-members alike.'
We all know sailing means smiling and every boat ride proved it!
The very pretty Pisces 21 ‘Serendipity’ thrilled a couple of Sailstice guests with a very pleasant sail on the estuary.
Members and guest appreciated both the support and the beverages supplied by Gosling's Dark 'N Stormies.
Captured live - some scenes from a day of sailing at Encinal Yacht Club.
EYC members put on a show with help from membership, junior sailing and the whole EYC crew.
Wendy Scheck covers the docks for the Encinal Yacht Club sailboat rides.
It was hard not to enjoy Summer Sailstice at Encinal Yacht Club.
Tucker Thompson and the America’s Cup gathered a crowd for the latest from sailing’s foil-born gladiators.
Junior sailors took on the job of entertaining and inspiring junior visitors to consider youth sailing and dispelling he myth that you need to be a EYC member to have your kids be part of the summer youth sailing camp.
For Encinal Yacht Club the Summer Sailstice celebration is an excellent opportunity to show off the club, invite new members and to reconnect everyone to escape, pleasure and adventure that comes with having access to sailing on the Bay. While currently enjoying the summer sailing season EYC members will also be looking forward to Summer Sailstice 2017 which will occur, the weekend following the solstice, on July 23/24. In the meantime, get on the water and hoist your sails!