Commodore Remarks

Start spreading the news…… I want to be a part of it …. New York… New York …

If you haven’t yet heard the news, North Cove Yacht Club has been acquired by the prestigious New York Yacht Club. Similar to how marinas are being conglomerated into a monopoly, yacht clubs are next. It’s exciting news, but there are a few changes to our business as usual and as Commodore, I am pleased to be the first to announce a few of them:

The NYYC burgee will be flown above the NCYC Burgee on our flagstaff and also on any yachts hoisting the burgee.
Proper attire will be required at the club including blue blazers, tie, and Nantucket red slacks “or shorts” after sunset.
Ladies are expected to wear their pearls, and skirts must extend two inches below the knee.
At sunset, members will assemble in formation on the back deck as the canon is fired and we retire the colors to Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York.

I know you will all join me in embracing our new identity as a subsidiary of the most prestigious Yacht Club in the country!

Also, in the interest of transparency, I have included a letter to me as Commodore, from the Chairman of the Merger Committee of the New York Yacht Club, Commodore Baltus van Cleat, which I hope you will find as welcoming and informative as I did.

Commodore Louis van Rensselaer de Patroon Vinciguerra

NCYC

111 Sheffield St, Old Saybrook, CT 06475

My Dear Commodore:

The NYYC Merging Committee is reaching out to you in order to outline our requirements/rules/expectations regarding your merger with us.

First, let me explain that we are very happy that you understand the honor conferred to you by merging with NYYC-a very distinguished yacht club that was founded July 30, 1844 by the most foremost robber-barons and human exploiters in US/World History.

We believe that our merger will help NYYC members become closer to the working-class yachtsmen and yachtswomen, represented by NCYC, who would rather change their own engine oil, clean out their own yacht’s holding tank(s), personally dock and tie-up their yacht, and personally sail/operate their own sailing/motor yachts. Additionally, several of our members have requested access to a “fun” club (I admit to being puzzled; I can be quite jocular when the occasion calls for it.)

We believe this merger will help both of our clubs: NCYC membership dues will help subsidize the overtaxed, legacy families of NYYC–families who are currently stressed because of high inflation, high interest rates, high cost of liquor and illicit drugs, and increased difficulty making easy “bank” by receiving large biweekly checks from depleted trust funds. Simply put, we find it wonderful that NCYC members understand the privilege of merging with NYYC. Our yacht club has within its ranks the finest group of Yachtsmen with affected transatlantic accents and NYYC membership will train your members to speak with the requisite transatlantic accent-a rule at NYYC. (Which I personally think is fun, but opinions differ, apparently, on the nature of “fun.”)

The following are some of the rules that we will demand that NCYC members memorize and recite to NYYC members who may/will spontaneously subject you to gratuitous hazing:

NYYC Yachts are to be saluted by cannon when entering North Cove or the Connecticut River. The saluted yacht is to return the salute.
All NYYC flag officers are to be piped onto NCYC property, and their flags hoisted on the flag pole by the club’s attendants. The cannon is to be used to salute the Commodore when he arrives on club property.
The “Order of the Boor” award will be presented annually to the yachtsmen considered most representative of NYYC ideals and values.
A DNA test of all NCYC members will be necessary prior to the merger-–for no particular reason.
The NYYC race committee will govern all sailboat racing. The basic precept of the NYYC race committee will be to hamper and confuse the racing NCYC sailors in hopes that they lose most races.
The Moose Head Award will be presented to the yachtsmen with the most groundings, or navigational errors, or other displays of poor seamanship. This award is given in the spirit of fun and to embarrass the sailor into becoming a better yachtsmen.
All other yacht club rules will be published in the year book. The book must be memorized, and readily recited by arbitrarily picked NCYC members.

Thank you for merging with the NYYC. You and your family’s status in life will change for the better, and it is hoped that you will reap the rewards of being elevated to the ruling class in your community.

Yours truly,

Commodore Baltus van Cleat, Chairman of the NYYC Merging Committee, 1 Carroll Street, City Island, NY

From the Editor

To illustrate “proper attire” I have gone through past photos and marked them with a green check (acceptable/desirable attire) or a black circle and slash (definitely not appropriate attire) in the hope that this helps with any questions or confusion.

Vice Commodore Remarks

We are pleased to announce that we will be serving lunch and dinner, Wednesday through Sunday each week, starting in June. We have hired an excellent chef and are fully staffed!

Club Etiquette for Lunch and Dinner

Appropriate dress is required in the dining area. No bare feet, bare torsos, or bathing suits allowed. Hats should be removed. Children are not allowed to sit or stand at the bar.

The use of cellphones is discouraged.

Men are required to wear collared shirts and suit jackets for Saturday and Sunday dinners. Women are required to dress business casual (See Commodore Remarks for further elucidation on this.) Denim is acceptable* only in the bar area. *ahem, please bear in mind that “acceptable” is used as an euphemism here. “Barely tolerable” is more to the point.

After racing, racing attire is acceptable** in the dining area. ** In this case “acceptable” is given a nod of approval, as racers do not have the time or energy to change after a vigorous race.

Bar: 1800 to 2200 hours
Lunch: 1200 to 1500 hours
Dinner: 1800 to 2100 hours

Enjoy the beautiful cove views and congenial atmosphere of the Club!

Rear Commodore Remarks

From the wheel house of rear commodore NCYC:

I would like to bring to the attention of the membership what may become a dramatic change to the North Cove Yacht Club.
Last fall shortly after de commissioning the commodores were approached by the New York Yacht Club. The purpose for reaching out to us was a possible partnership or outright sale of the NCYC. At first we thought someone was pulling at our jib sheet, but after some verifying phone calls we came to realized they were serious.
In subsequent conversations the NYYC commodore and their lawyers, explained that they are trying to expand their satellite locations and that NCYC had an excellent location beween the New York and Newport club houses. They are also looking at clubs to the south, around Annapolis.
The two proposals talked about were an outright sale of the club, or an equity position in the club. The club as you know is owned by the members and the original bond holders. The second proposal was a cash infusion to the existing club to bring it up to NYYC standards. This would include a second story on the club for an expanded bar and restaurant venue. In addition to a remodeled clubhouse the parking lot and docks will be updated. We have seen the drawings and they are impressive.
The sale of the club is also being considered. I may add at this point that nothing is going to be done without the full vote of membership, as stated in the by-laws. We hope to have proposals ready for membership review prior commissioning so a vote can be taken at commissioning/spring meeting, so attendance is imperative. The cash offers for the club are also impressive and will be detailed at our upcoming meeting. I will peak your interest by saying that if I divide the total number of members by thier first offer, individually we could each realize a six figure payout.
The board of finance of the NYYC will be attending the spring meeting to answer any questions. They will also be assessing whether to extend membership to the NCYC whose dues are fully paid up on April 1, 2024. The cash payouts will also only be extended to fully paid up members. So with that in mind please act accordingly. I also highly recommend we dress for the occasion and bring something other than box wine and PBR beer.

PS -we are also working a side deal to sell off our spa quality North Cove silt, stay tuned $$$

Len (LV2)

Membership

Since being acquired by the New York Yacht Club, ‘exclusivity’ is the new watchword. Old money is preferred, but new money will be given consideration, although it may take several interviews to determine if the new money is quite “right” for our enhanced membership requirements. Membership fees will be increasing a little. Initiation fees are now $26,000 and dues are now $12,000 per year. We are happy to announce the new Intermediate membership class that is being offered to those between the ages of 21 and 39 years old with initiation at $7,500 and dues of $6,000 per year.

After hearing about the NCYC acquisition, we have been told that interest in membership in the NYYC has dramatically increased. The word on the street is that it is now the place to join. Once again, Beyoncé, Jay-Z and their three children (Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir) have applied to membership. Beyonce and Jay Z hope to moor their $70 million yacht 213-ft Galactica Star yacht in North Cove. Jay Z says they may have to dredge a little to get their yacht into the cove but they are looking for something quiet and out of the way of the paparazzi. They agree with the current NCYC members that it is the place to be.

Junior Sailing

With the new partnership between North Cove and New York Yacht Club, we have been able to make some great changes to junior Sailing for the 2024 season!

We have been able to add four more instructors to the staff, creating much smaller class sizes to cater to our sailors’ needs. Like many clubs in the City, these four instructors are coming from Ireland for the summer and will be provided housing thanks to NYYC. Get excited to see some new faces around the club!

We have also acquired a new fleet to add to our program: Moths! These cool, high tech, foiling boats will be for our most advanced sailors who are looking to take on the world of hydro-foiling racing!

We are looking forward to a fun new year of Junior Sailing!

Activities

ATTENTION ALL NCYC MEMBERS!

As you have heard, our little club has caught the eye of the New York Yacht Club and we have been acquired by it. Many changes are underway, but the most impactful will be our events, starting with our dress code. While our Commodore briefly mentioned this and our Editor helpfully provided “acceptable” and “unacceptable” photos of members attire, I feel I should go into a bit more detail.

Going forward, ALL events will require formal attire. Gents you know the uniform; blue blazer, khaki or “Nantucket red} slacks, button-down shirt and club ascot. If you are a smoker, a pipe clenched tightly by your teeth to one side of your mouth while speaking will be permitted as part of the ensemble.

Ladies, pearls and white gloves MUST be worn at all events. Smokers must use the longest cigarette holder possible.

The New York Yacht Club Fashion Police Committee of Buffy & Chad Worthington III and their children, Westley, Poppy and baby Basil, will be in attendance at the first couple events to ensure we dress appropriately, so please wear all designer labels on the outside.

Next, we will no longer need to bring our own set-ups. We now have “more money than God,” so the Events Committee is going to spend, spend, spend! We will be purchasing all silver services, sterling chaffing dishes, and crystal glassware. Any pot luck items brought to the club must be tastefully presented on either Bone China (24kt Gold or Platinum rimmed only) or sterling silver dishes. Otherwise, it will be re-plated to meet Club standards.

So say goodbye to casual club events! We will be making EVERYTHING as pretentious as possible! I for one am looking forward to tilting my head to the sky and looking like I smell something bad at our next event!

Pip pip and Cheerio!!

Cruising News

The members of the NYYC are very excited to see their Club houses go from two to three Club houses:

44th Street Clubhouse, New York City
North Cove Yacht Club on Sheffield Street
Harbour Court, Newport

For this year’s Annual Cruise, we are excited to announce that NCYC/NYYC members have two choices. For those members who do not want to cruise in their own boats, either because they don’t feel their lil’ yachts quite measure up anymore, or because they just want to shower daily and eat off china dishes, we offer the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Cruise. See below.

NCYC/NYYC/RITZ-CARLTON

Annual Cruise Itinerary Option

For those intrepid members who still want to rough it on a cruise, we will be planning a cruise to the Newport Clubhouse from July 13 to July 20. This cruise option has been designed to coincide with the NYYC Hosted 2024 Race Week At Newport Presented by Rolex. If interested in racing, the entry documents may be found: https://nyyc.org/2024-race-week-at-newport-presented-by-rolex.

NCYC Club boats may pick up NYYC moorings. In addition, all Club members will be able to book rooms at Harbour House. Reservations start at $1025 per night.

While all the details of the club cruise have not been hammered out, we do know the opening night reception will be held on the grounds of the Clubhouse.

Off Shore Racing

The 2024 season will be the 170th anniversary of NYYC’s annual regatta which features three days of separately scored races. This year, the Outer Light Classic will be scored as one of these races! We will be renting lots of tents to accommodate the influx of racers looking to participate in this historic event! Racers who are expecting high stakes and competitive environments will be treated to our very special Long Sand Shoal course! They can expect extremely light and shifty winds, variable current that few can predict, and the occasional pop up thunderstorm! It will be an exciting chance to show the larger world of racing that Long Island Sound is not for the faint of heart! The Outer Light Planning committee welcomes any new members to join the festive planning!

From the Board of Governors

New Facebook Profile Page!!

NCYC Members Facebook Profile Photo

We are excited to be affiliated with the New York Yacht Club and look forward to the many enhancements and changes in the future. One of the changes we will be initiating is the requirement for formal profile photos for members in our Facebook group. Please post new photos as soon as possible. Each one will be reviewed by the new administrator for approval. We’ve included a sample of a few NYYC members who are properly dressed for your convenience.

Click here to join and show us your ascots!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/674559057251079

Thank you,

Tom Tydeman, BOG

And now a few words from the new administrator, Judge Smails:

*“It’s easy to grin*
*when your ship comes in*
*and you’ve got the stock market beat,*
*but the man worthwhile*
*is the man who can smile*
*when his shorts are too tight in the seat.”*

From the Chaplain’s Quiet Corner of the Cove

“Mann Tracht, Un Gott Lacht” is an old Yiddish adage meaning, “Man Plans and God Laughs.” As we navigate the unpredictable course of life, may we always have good friends to laugh with when it's not smooth sailing.