Clubs Within the Club

Whether you’re an expert or a novice, newcomer or old salt, meet new friends who share your interests

At Naples Yacht Club, you’re sure to meet people who share your pastimes and passions through our “Clubs within the Club.” Learn fresh tricks and tips to expand your expertise, discover unexpected locales in the region, and share in new experiences. When you join a social club, you are sure to make new friends and create more indelible Club memories.

Car Club

Revvin’ it up

In 2018, a small group of members with an interest in cars thought it would be fun to arrange activities to bring together members with similar interests. It led to visits to local car collections, driving trips to points of interest and car events, discussion meetings, and, of course, our very own car show at the Club.

Our first car show was a big hit and even more successful in 2019. Both years, members

had an enjoyable time mingling among the cars lined up in our parking lot and were treated to a sumptuous alfresco lunch.

The 2020 car show was cancelled due to the pandemic, but it won’t slam the brakes on the event this year. We plan to have another car show at the Club in March. Our members have plenty of sweet collector cars to exhibit, many that have not yet been featured at our Car Club show. We are also planning a number of activities: trips to car shows, Sebring International Raceway, Grand Concours at Amelia Island, and visits to local collections.

The Car Club is a very informal group that is open to all members. You need not be a collector to participate. All you need is an interest in things automotive and a desire to meet with fellow members. If you are interested, call the Club for more information and be on the lookout for future announcements.

Bridge and Mahjong

Not an expert? No problem

If you are a bridge or mahjong player, head over to the Club on Monday afternoons for lunch followed by spirited games. Not an expert? No problem. Throughout the season, well-known bridge and mahjong instructors host educational seminars and workshops. In addition, there are duplicate bridge games and dinner on alternate Sunday nights. Ladies and gentlemen are invited to participate. Please refer to The Rudder and email blasts for upcoming dates and times. To reserve a table for bridge or mahjong, contact our reservationist at (239) 262-6647 or reservations@naplesyc.com.

Stay in the Know There are many ways to get the latest information on clubs and events:

The Rudder

Weekly email blasts Online calendar: naplesyc.com Naples Yacht Club App

Register: Register online for some events or contact: (239) 262-6647 or reservations@naplesyc.com.

Women on the Water (WOW)

Get outside

How does spending a morning on the water with like-minded female friends sound? How about guided fishing? If this is up your alley, you’ll want to join WOW. Throughout the season, the group hosts fun activities, such as guided fishing trips, kayaking adventures, and educational workshops for women of the Club and their guests through this informal group.

Most activities typically take place in the morning and are followed by lunch at the Club or a nearby restaurant, where participants often share photos and sightings from the trip.

Bocce

A timeless tradition

Bocce is more popular than ever in Southwest Florida, with many clubs and communities offering league and social play. The beauty of bocce is that anyone can play, no matter their athletic skill level, gender, or age.

Bocce is a great way to socialize and to meet Club members. Games can be played as singles or in couples. One reason this ancient game of skill and strategy has been passed down through the ages is due to its simplicity. All you need is a bocce ball and court to play on, along with something to sip and nibble.

We hope to have our opening event before Thanksgiving to discuss the games for the upcoming season and play a little bocce. Bocce is not just a great game to play with friends, it is a tradition—one that will likely continue to thrive at Naples Yacht Club.

Sailing (Catalina Racing)

Seasonal competition

During the winter, NYC’s fleet of Catalina sailboats takes to Naples Bay for an annual race. Held every Monday following the Boaters’ Lunch, typically 12 to 14 members sail out for some serious—but friendly—competition. Fishing

Drop a line

The Club’s fishing enthusiasts will find several opportunities throughout the season to take guided fishing trips with fellow members. Past destinations have been as close as Pine Island Sound and as far as Ninilchik, Alaska.

Cruising

All are welcome

Club cruises are an integral part of our social life at NYC. Cruise Captains put together an extensive itinerary of activities, excursions, and dining events. Sign-up is easy. Visit the Naples Yacht Club website, log in, and click on the cruising tab. This is the main hub of information for cruisers where you will sign up, view itineraries, and make meal and activity selections—all in one convenient location. See page 38 for the Cruising Calendar for more details on overnight and lunch cruises.

Types of Cruises

Lunch Cruise: Spend a morning on the water, followed by lunch at a local yacht club or restaurant with slip availability.

Overnight Cruise: Pack your bags for a getaway to a fun, regional destination, such as Miami Beach, Key West, or St. Petersburg. Trips include time to relax, explore landmarks or attractions, dine, and shop.

Cruise Lite: Set your course to a closer destination or neighboring club for a one-night stay. These excursions include dinner and a unique activity at each port of call. Destinations include newly renovated Pelican Isle Yacht Club, the exclusive Useppa Island, and Legacy Harbour.

Informal Option: Join boat owners for dockside cocktails (“docktails”).

International Cruise: This year, our world travelers will experience the historic treasures of the Mediterranean, Greek Isles, and Holy Land on a 13-night trip aboard the Crystal Symphony. See page 39 for cruise details. 

Ladies Book Club

Celebrating Our 11th Season

The Ladies Book Club is a special time for NYC ladies to gather in an informal setting and enjoy the company of fellow book lovers. We are treated to a unique “chef’s creation” luncheon along with a discussion of the selected book. If you’ve joined us before, we welcome you back for our eleventh season, and if you’ve never attended, please sign up to join one of the most popular of the “clubs within the Club” at NYC. We look forward to another wonderful season and many thanks for your participation and support!

Virtual Ladies Book Club

Every book club selection will have a virtual book club presentation. You will receive an email with the URL to experience the book club from wherever you are. Happy reading. —The Ladies Book Club Committee

November 20, 2020 The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

By Erik Larson

In the winter of 1940, as Germany’s brutal bombing campaign against Britain dragged on, Joseph Goebbels poured out his frustrations in his diary. “When will that creature Churchill finally surrender?” he complained. “England cannot hold out forever!” The Splendid and the Vile is the story of Winston Churchill’s first year as prime minister. Through the skillful use of intimate diaries and public documents—some newly released—Larson provides a fresh, fast, and deeply moving account of the turbulent 12 months of the German Blitz, stretching from May 1940 through May 1941.

January 15, 2021 Meet Me at the Museum

By Anne Youngson

Professor Anders Larsen, an urbane man of facts, has lost his wife, along with his hopes and dreams for the future. On an isolated farm, Tina Hopgood is trapped in a life she doesn’t remember choosing. He does not know a query about a world-famous antiquity in his museum in Denmark is about to alter the course of their lives. Annie Barrows, co-author of The Guernsey Library and Potato Peel Pie Society, calls this prizewinning debut novel “warm-hearted, clear-minded, and unexpectedly spellbinding.” February 19, 2021 The Silent Patient

By Alex Michaelides

This shocking psychological thriller probes a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and the therapist’s obsession with uncovering her motive after she falls completely silent after the fatal incident. Entertainment Weekly calls the instant No. 1 New York Times best seller “a mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy.”

March 26, 2021 The Beekeeper of Aleppo: A Novel

By Christy Lefteri

The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a novel for our times: The immigrant story of a beekeeper, his wife, and the triumph of spirit when the world becomes unrecognizable. This acclaimed novel reminds us that the most peaceful and ordinary lives can be upended in unimaginable ways.

April 23, 2021

Title to be announced

May 14, 2021

Title to be announced

2020-2021 Speaker Dinner Series

Cocktails, dinner, and conversation

Mark your calendars for Naples Yacht Club’s stimulating Speaker Dinner Series. For each event, a cocktail reception with the speaker begins at 5:30 p.m. in the ballroom. Dinner is served at 6 p.m., when the speaker takes the podium. We look forward to seeing you at one—or all—of these special speaking events.

Deceember 8

Steve Miller

NYC member Robert Steven “Steve” Miller Jr., who calls himself “The Turnaround Kid,” has spent his career leading and restructuring low-performing companies, including Delphi Corp., Bethlehem Steel Corporation, AIG, and Chrysler Corp. He currently serves as chairman of Purdue Pharma.

January 12

Charles F. Shreve

A life-long rare-stamp collector, Charles F. Shreve became a premier auctioneer of highquality U.S. and international stamps after developing an innovative style of describing and presenting stamps in auction catalogues. In 1993, he established Shreve Philatelic Galleries, and is now the director of Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, where he leads the international division.

January 28

Mike Parsons, PhD

Florida Gulf Coast University Professor of Marine Science Mike Parsons, PhD, serves as director of the Coastal Watershed Institute and the Vester Marine & Environmental Science Research Field Station n Bonita Springs. Parsons will discuss local water issues, such as red tide and blue-green algae, and current research projects.

February 11

Daniel Henninger

The award-winning deputy editor of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page, Daniel Henninger will discuss the November national elections. Among his many accolades and awards is a shared Pulitzer Prize for the Journal’s coverage of 9/11. He is a weekly panelist on the Journal Editorial Report on Fox News.

April 1

Tom Bulleit

Embrace the Kentucky Derby spirit with Tom Bulleit, founder of Bulleit Distilling Company and Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey in Shelbyville, Ky. In 1987, Bulleit left a successful law practice to revive a family bourbon recipe, inspired by his great-great-grandfather Augustus Bulleit, who made a high-rye whiskey between 1830 and 1860. Today, Bulleit’s bourbon is also made in the historic Stitzel-Weller distillery in Shively, Ky, which opened on Derby Day in 1935.

The cruising season was cut short, but still provided memorable adventures

Departures

’ T ween Waters: The quaint island of Captiva was host to a dozen of our members in October for the annual cruise to ’Tween Waters Island Resort. This cruise, which commonly serves as a preamble to the busy NYC cruise season, entails all of the traditional cruise activities on a smaller scale: a docktail party, bocce tournament, dinner with music from the

Hatboys, and dancing into the night.

Boca Grande: The Boca Grande cruise was packed with activity and fun. Members enjoyed a docktail party on the first night as the sun dipped below the horizon. Then they set out in golf carts to explore the island’s dining scene. The next morning, members enjoyed a chilly and early start to their day with a rousing game of bocce. After lunch in town, they were off to the races to see who could complete the Boca Grande scavenger hunt first. Dinner at the Eagle Grille, followed by a gentle lullaby rocking from side-to-side waves, wrapped up the cruise.

Legacy Harbour: On a short journey north to downtown Fort Myers, NYC members set sail for an educational visit. Some cruisers chose to partake in a private tour of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates or the River District walking tour, where they gained a deeper understanding of the rich history that Fort Myers holds. An evening of conversation and laughter ensued under the starlight at the Veranda Restaurant.

South Seas: With Valentine’s Day around the corner, love was in the air, especially the love for boating. Even before docktails began, NYC members were already gearing up their competitive spirit with a contest on the putting greens. The competition continued the next day with a traditional game of bocce. Mimosas and bloody Marys fueled the athletes as they rolled their way to victory. A delightful dinner at the Captiva Island Yacht Club wrapped up the South Seas cruise and unknowingly became the final dinner of the 2019-2020 cruising season. All participants ended the night in good spirits and plan to pick up where the good times left off this fall.

Legacy Harbour

South Seas Island Resort

Ports of Call

The Naples Yacht Club Cruising Program has become a cornerstone of the Club’s operation. The fun and exciting excursions that take place during the season are opportune moments for members to develop friendships that easily translate from regional adventures to inside the clubhouse walls.

Join your fellow members for an overnight, lunch, or cruise lite. There is a cruise to suit every lifestyle and schedule.

No boat? No worries. Take the land yacht out for a drive and “cruise” to a land-based destination.

The C lub promotes member well-being, so participants can expect appropriate changes to cruising traditions to accommodate increased safety and sanitation precautions.

OVERNIGHT CRUISES

’Tween Waters

Oct. 13-15, 2020

Cruise Leaders: Carol and Peter Girardin With a typical attendance of fewer than 20 members, ’Tween Waters is the Club’s most intimate overnight cruise. Members can enjoy the beautiful waters that surround Sanibel and Captiva islands. Take in one of the most spectacular sunsets in Southwest Florida while combing the beach for the most unique seashells along the abundant shoreline.

Boca Grande

Nov. 10-12, 2020

Cruise Leaders: Debbie and John Tisdel Visit the quaint residential community of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island. Explore the area under the banyan trees by bicycle or zip around in a golf cart. You will be charmed by the perfectly preserved Old Florida style of Boca Grande and the Gasparilla Inn & Club. 2020-2021 Cruise Season

South Seas Island Resort

Feb. 16-18, 2021

Cruise Leaders: Kathy and Rick Maxwell A Club favorite! Visit the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge for an afternoon of birdwatching or partake in a poolside cocktail. The island of Captiva and South Seas Resort have a lot of fun to offer. Join in an entertaining game of bocce or play nine holes with a waterfront view. Cap off the fun with a traditional dinner at the Captiva Island Yacht Club.

Sarasota

March 9-11, 2021

Cruise Leaders: Joy and Terry Smith Just south of Tampa, the charm of Sarasota and its fine sand beaches are sure to make for the perfect escape. Visit the Ringling Museum of Art, showcasing contemporary and classical masterpieces. Enjoy the eclectic culture and fine dining the city has to offer during the cruise.

Ocean Reef Club

April 13-16, 2021

Cruise Leaders: Mary and Tony Balsamo Ocean Reef Club is an exclusive Key Largo hideaway that offers every amenity imaginable, from a private airport to an outpost of Wynn’s Market. This luxurious stop is one of the most well-attended cruises in NYC history. Fun is sure to be had by all who attend.

CRUISE LITE

Pelican Isle Yacht Club

Jan. 19-20, 2021

Cruise Leaders: Libby and Rusty McKee Cruise up the Naples coast to Pelican Isle Yacht Club. Enjoy dinner and a cocktail with your fellow members as the sun sets over Wiggins Pass. Legacy Harbour Marina

Feb. 2-3, 2021

Cruise Leaders: Gail and Brett Pheffer Visit downtown Fort Myers and see why Thomas Edison and Henry Ford chose this city as their winter retreat. Take a walking tour of the River District and learn more about the rich history of the city founded in 1885.

Useppa Island

March 25-26, 2021

Cruise Leaders: Cathy and Rob Funderburg Enjoy Useppa Island—rich in history and unparalleled natural resources—located at the northern tip of Pine Island Sound. A paradise for anglers looking for the perfect catch!

LUNCH CRUISES

The Esplanade Marina

Jan. 27, 2021

Cruise Leaders: Jean and John Rothert A short boat or car ride from the Club, The Esplanade on Marco Island hosts several shops and CJ’s Restaurant. Enjoy lunch with your friends and members, and cruise through Port Royal on your way back to the Club.

Salty Sam’s Marina

March 2, 2021

Cruise Leaders: Cindy and Rick Balaz A Caribbean retreat on Fort Myers Beach, Parrot Key Caribbean Grill will have you adjusting your watch to island time. Cruise home and arrive back in Naples before dinner!

International Adventure

Cruise from Rome to Athens

Please consider joining your fellow Naples Yacht Club travelers for our next international adventure!

Assuming that international travel will again be safe by fall 2021, we are planning a spectacular cruise on the Crystal Symphony from Sept. 28 to Oct. 11, 2021. The 13-night cruise will take us from Rome and along the coast of Italy to Athens, with visits to several Greek islands along the way. This cruise visits six different countries in one trip, including Turkey, Israel, and Cyprus. A cruise highlight will be overnight stops in the Holy Land.

Fares are per person, based on double occupancy. For reservation information, please contact Naples Yacht Club reservationists, who will put you in touch with our Preferred Travel specialist, Karen Kelley. Please note that reservations will not be made directly through Naples Yacht Club.

All the best from your NYC Travel Team,

Jim and Gail Lozelle Rick and Kathy Maxwell Tighe and Kathy King

Crystal Symphony from Sept. 28 to Oct. 11, 2021