Junior Sailing Spring Regatta & Fundraiser

On Saturday morning, the 21st of November, VYC’s young sailors gathered outside the Club preparing themselves and their boats for the day’s series of races proceeding the Fall, 2009 Junior Sailing Fundraiser Dinner. 

When Coach Maria Elena Vivas received the word  from Randy Hough, the PRO aboard his boat Yamaya, the Optimist division boarded their boats and headed out the harbor and on toward the race course.  The winds were unusually light at around 10 knots, so the entire fleet of Beginners, Intermediates and our Advanced racing team shared a common start and course.

Following the completion of the series of races, VYC members started to arrive at the Club to support the Junior Program and to have so much fun at this semi-annual Junior Sailing Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser.  Preceding the night’s program, Dan Green, the Director of VYC’s Junior Sailing, briefed the attendees as to the progress and the recent accomplishments our young sailors. Taking a break from selling last minute raffle tickets, most of the Junior Sailors dutifully assisted Auctioneer Doctor Jim “Toothpick” Nordstrom in impartially drawing the names of the winners of several of the many raffle prizes and providing a roving display of the items being auctioned. Nearing the completion of the raffling and live auctioneering of over 60 items, “Toothpick” called a break in the raffling process to give his voice a needed pause and to turn the microphone over to Dan Green and Randy Hough to announce the results of the day’s regatta. The awards which were presented to the top three finishers in each division were either donated or deep discounted from, Zaragoza Marine, Port Supply,  the newly opened SG Vallarta Yachts chandlery and McLaughlin Boats. Included were sunglasses, racing wrist watches, dry bags, and rigging knives.  Divisional awards were made as follows:

Note:  Full results and points earned are posted on the Yacht Club bulletin board.

The Laser sailors did not race this day since they were receiving a two day clinic conducted by the International Sailing Academy.

Once again, the parents of our Junior Sailors recruited sponsor gifts aplenty with many sought after items ranging from home baked goods to weekend stays at luxurious resorts,  Boutique Hotels, spa treatments, adventure trips, complimentary marina slips and dinners at local restaurants including Brazil’s and Riviera Grill.  Jim Nordstrom’s hidden auctioneering skills were at their best, instigating much spirited bidding.  As an example, Harbormaster Dick Markie and wife Gina engaged in their own bidding war to win another plate of Edna Gill’s home-made brownies for $100.00 US Dollars.  Upon winning this coveted plate, Dick and Gina passed them out among the crowd.

Even though attendance was somewhat low (likely due to the proximity of Thanksgiving), the generosity of Vallarta Yachts’ Nick Rau financing the meal ingredients, the excellent job of the Club Staff in expediting the intentionally inflated priced drinks of the night, the exuberance of the kids efforts to pre-sell raffle tickets, the successful matching-cash contributions and of course, the excellent auction results, the Fundraiser again attained its financial goals.