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A New Member Club Reflects on the ICOYC World Forum
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By Alison Newall, Honorary Secretary, and Kim Fata, Rear Commodore
ROYAL ST. LAWRENCE YACHT CLUB
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Our Club was thrilled with the invitation to join the ICOYC in June of 2022. Our Club values very much align with the values of the ICOYC, and we welcomed this new opportunity to exchange and learn from many of the finest yacht clubs in the world.
As we prepared for our first ICOYC World Forum at Royal Vancouver Yacht Club this past September, we weren't really sure what to expect. At our last executive meeting before the trip, we told everyone that we would likely be back with plenty of interesting information to share.
This proved to be resoundingly true: each of the individual presentations was packed with so much information that we will be downloading the documents shortly to solidify our understanding. (Ed. note: stay tuned for key presentations to be available on the ICOYC website!) All of the subjects presented were highly topical for us, from the information on marketing and social networks and best yacht club management practices to the presentations on clean regattas and environmental stewardship. We will be delighted to share what we learned with our Executive Committee.
An important realization for both of us was that, large and small, all yacht clubs that strive for and achieve excellence share a set of similar challenges. The combined knowledge and experience wielded by ICOYC Members acts as a springboard for developing a club’s culture and delivering a valuable member experience.
We greatly appreciated the warm welcome extended to us, the supportive, relaxed atmosphere, and the opportunity to meet so many people from around the world. As female officers from our Club, we were also delighted to see how many women were in the room. We happily joined the newly formed ICOYC women’s group.
We would like to extend our grateful thanks to our hosts at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club for their incredible hospitality. Their execution of the event was flawless, the meals and presentation were spectacular, and their staff was attentive to every detail.
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Thank you to everyone who made our experience so enjoyable. We look forward to being a valuable member of the ICOYC for years to come.
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AYC Hosts ICOYC Chesapeake Cruise
A group of 43 ICOYC cruisers joined up with a roughly equal number of Annapolis Yacht Club cruisers for a Chesapeake Bay experience with members from Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Royal Southern Yacht Club, Seattle Yacht Club, Southern Yacht Club, Royal Thames Yacht Club, Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Long Beach Yacht Club and St. Francis Yacht Club.
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Owners Lunch: Explorers, Scientists and Sailors Rendezvous
On the opening day of the Monaco Yacht Show, September 28, 2023, Yacht Club de Monaco convened top international leaders, scientists, explorers and 100 yacht owners at the club’s traditional Owners Lunch. On the occasion, an agreement was made.
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A Gala Celebration to Remember
Royal Perth Yacht Club’s Gala Dinner, held on September 26, was an evening of elegance, celebration and inspiration, with special guests from the legendary Australia II team, sharing untold stories and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from their historic 1983 America's Cup victory.
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ICOYC Well-Represented at NYYC Invitational Cup
Since its founding in 2009, the biennial Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup has attracted top amateur sailors from the world's most prestigious yacht clubs from 22. Held September 9-16, of the 19 invited club teams, there were 12 ICOYC clubs on the starting line—and one would go on to win the event.
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ICOYC Clubs on top at J/70 European Championship
Organized by the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, the J/70 European Championship was held September 4-9, 2023, with 48 teams competing. The American team from Newport Harbor Yacht Club, were first overall and the crew from Clube Naval de Cascais finished second overall to win the European title.
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A Spectacular Maiden Voyage
With 208 participants across various classes, the inaugural Salinas Sailing Week hosted by Salinas Yacht Club proved to be a resounding success, uniting sailing enthusiasts and showcasing the beauty of the sport against the backdrop of Salinas' breathtaking coastal scenery—a memorable start to what promises to be a long and illustrious tradition.
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World's Best at 2023 International Masters Regatta
The 41st International Masters Regatta returned to San Diego Yacht Club on October 20-22, 2023, with 12 invited skippers, including six representing ICOYC Clubs—Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, San Diego Yacht Club, San Francisco Yacht Club, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and St. Francis Yacht Club.
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Home Team Wins at the Annapolis YC 3-2-1 Invitational
For the second time in four years, Annapolis Yacht Club took the win at the 2023 Annapolis YC 3-2-1 Invitational. This unique regatta, which incorporates 3v3 team racing, 2v2 team racing, and 1v1 match racing, challenges sailors to adapt their jobs and strategies across these three disciplines. This year, five out of eight teams were from ICOYC—Annapolis Yacht Club, San Diego Yacht Club, St. Francis Yacht Club, Newport Harbor Yacht Club and San Francisco Yacht Club—and they were also the top five finishers, in that order.
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