COMMODORE’S LOG

Hello Friends.....I am happy to report that interest in our Club is at an all-time high. Many of our events sell out quickly. Participation in our Clubs Within a Club (special interests groups) is booming. Wine S ociety membership is fully subscribed. Availability of parking can be sometimes challenging and allthough the ability of our kitchen facilities to serve our growing membership is being tested, many other aspects are operating at full throttle.

Your Board of Directors wants to deliver the highest possible level of membership experience to our members. To address these capacity issues, the Board has recently made some important decisions. A target membership number has been established and a waiting list for new memberships will be instituted. Initiation fees for new members have been increased as well. In an attempt to provide adequate parking for our members, the amount of parking resources allocated to nonmember functions is being monitored and controlled. The House and Grounds Committee has recommended that an automated entry gate system be installed in the parking garage in order to discourage unauthorized non- member parking. The new gate system is scheduled to be installed this month. You will be receiving more information on the new gate system via emails in the upcoming weeks. Please be on the lookout for this information. Due to the logistics of distributing access devices to our members, the system will not be fully operational until sometime this summer. We are hopeful that the result will bring greater availability of parking for our membership.

February was a busy month for our Club. The St. Petersburg Motor Classic was a smashing success and the weather cooperated. Congratulations, and thank you, to Andy Evans and his committee for organizing this event. The Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series was reported to be the largest regatta ever for this Series. Thousands of sailors descended upon our Club and had a great time on and off the water.

I hope you got a chance to see our youth sailors in action in the Valentine’s Day Regatta. Seeing all of those boats on the water is a special experience. March will also be an exciting month with the Grand Prix Celebrations, March 3rd - 5th including hosting the Green Flag Lunch, Adobe Road Wine Event and our SOLD OUT Garage Party. The Pennington Cup is scheduled for March 4th. On March 20th, the big race to Pensacola Yacht Club will be held. And don’t forget the Annual Yachting Recognition Awards program on April 4th.

Stay tuned for more information regarding the dock replacement project as well as information on progress made by the Master Facilities Planning Committee. Hope to see you around the Club.

Cordially,

Brian K. Smith, Commodore

Mission Statement: The St. Petersburg Yacht Club provides preeminent yachting and social experiences for members, their families and guests, and honors the Club’s rich yachting heritage in a welcoming environment.