As usual the Corinthian Yacht Club was a busy place in October. Of course the Tinsley Island Cruise was the highlight. The camaraderie as well as competitive spirit of the Clubs who attended is truly remarkable. The Tinsley experience is always a reminder of what fun it is to be a Corinthian.

In addition to the Tinsley Cruise there were many activities for members. Our annual fall regatta, the E. Ross Wood figure eight race around Angel Island and Alcatraz, a luncheon of The Corinthian Women reuniting its past presidents, and by the time you read this we will all have had the opportunity to enjoy Cabaret By the Bay produced by Robbie Cook, directed by Jackie Taylor, with performances of our members and friends. The 10th Annual Women’s Invitational Regatta had seven boats entered, and judging from the fun everyone had this event packed the punch of an Olympic event. This year the Tiburon Mile swim from Alcatraz to our beach in front of Tiburon Tommy’s not only had an Olympic champion swimmer, but a couple of Corinthian Yacht Club members who braved the chilly waters. Dick Slottow coordinated the “Corinthian Rowers” and Matthew Gorton provided assistance to some of the exhausted swimmers.

Those of you who have checked out CYC’s web site are already familiar with its informative and dynamic quality, but it’s sure nice to have this recognized in a competitive environment. The Canadian Society of Club Managers awarded the Corinthian Yacht Club of San Francisco in its annual Showcase of Brilliant Ideas competition, the Best Sports/Athletic Club Web Site in the web site division. Congratulations to our web site developer and manager, Bruce Powell.

The Board of Directors meeting held in October addressed a number of issues. As you can observe around the Club, many of our neighbors are undergoing construction projects. Our Lands and Property Committee, Port Committee, special committees appointed by the Board, as well as our Club Manager, have been charged with monitoring these projects and the effects they have on our Club. The House Committee reports that increases in the prices of specialty drinks and call drinks have been approved, and that Friday lunches are suspended effective after October 27th. They’ll be back in the spring.

Of major significance was the fact that the Pneumonia Alley deck has succumbed to extensive dry rot. Our wonderful facility is in constant need of maintenance and repair. As you have been appraised several times during the year, the Reconstruction Fund, which is used for the major construction projects, needs an infusion of funds. At the Annual Meeting on Friday, November 10th, you will have the opportunity to vote for an assessment to be dedicated to the Reconstruction Fund. The first priority remains the completion of our chair lift project. While this is of primary importance, the repair of the ramp, Health Department mandated repairs in our kitchen and bar area, as well as the dry rot in the Pneumonia Alley area, all need our financial support. The Board of Directors is unanimous in their support of this assessment and we need your support at the Annual Meeting.

As many of you have learned our long time Facility Manager, Jim Brooks, has resigned to accept a position as project manager for a construction company. Jim has been with our Club for over fourteen years and knows every inch of our grand old building. I want to thank him for the personal approach he took for the well-being of our Club. He will be greatly missed and we all wish him every success in his new adventure.

This hardly seems possible, but one year ago this month you elected the Flag Officers and Board of Directors of the year 2000 and now you are about to elect the Board for the year 2001. It has been both an honor and privilege to serve as your commodore. This has been a wonderful experience and I want to thank you for this prestigious opportunity. I value it more than I can express.

The Board of Directors did an excellent job managing the affairs of the Club. They often had to make difficult and at times unpopular decisions. Each member of the Board also served on one or more committees and accepted additional responsibilities when they were asked. I am truly grateful for the willingness of so many of you to step forward to serve on committees and offer your expertise and experience to enhance our Club experience. This is a great Club because of you, the members. I know each of you will join me in support of the officers elected to serve our Club in the year 2001.