General Manager’s Log

by: Rhett J. Robicheaux, CCM

As we settle into fall with the holidays fast approaching and the weather in St. Petersburg becoming much more bearable, please remember all the outdoor options we have for dining and events. With that said, we still ask for your patience as staffing continues to be a challenge. We have hired some great new staff members which are still in the training mode but, from what I am observing they are looking to become valuable additions to our team. We anticipate a very busy holiday season.

Dock’s Update – Our new docks have arrived from Sweden! Next steps... after the J/70 Worlds we will continue with the demo which will take approximately eight weeks. Once this is complete the actual building of the docks will begin. During this time frame we still have obstacles to attend to, such as the holidays, the Helly Hansen Regatta World Series in February, and the Grand Prix in early March. With that said, this continues to be a process that will look like things are moving along well, then, a pause. Once the docks are in place and they look usable the utilities must go in. Your continued patience is very much appreciated. We all want the same result here, which is a World Class Dock Facility we can all be proud of.

Back of the House Tours – Several weeks back we had a request from a few members to see our back of house operations. The intent was to get a better understanding of how we came to the decision to replace the Clubhouse in the future. Chef Christian, our Facilities Director Steve, and myself put together a tour for this group showing them our kitchen operations, storage, overall flow inefficiencies and opportunities, laundry facilities, mechanical room, water tower and all the challenges Steve deals with on a day-to-day basis of running an aging facility. The tour was a huge success and quit mind blowing for the entire group as to the complexity of our operation. Since that time, we have conducted five tours and will continue every Friday for as long as we continue to have members sign-up. The tours take place every Friday after our Bell Ringer Lunch from 1:00 to 2:00 pm. These tours have been selling out each week as it’s a max of 10 members at a time.

Building Replacement Oversight Committee (BROC) – This committee has been formed and has met a few times to start what’s to be a long, thoughtful process over the next several years. The first steps were to investigate what our potential options are with a new building, zoning, setbacks etc., so we engaged a surveying firm to get this process started. Once we have this information, we can then start with a conceptional exterior plan. As mentioned earlier this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, so be patient and the Club will be communicating with its membership at each stage of the process. The St. Petersburg Yacht Club – “Built on Tradition, Embracing the Future”

In closing, we are honored for the ability to host the J/70 Worlds and as you read this article, we will be closing in on its completion and success of this World Class Event. Thank you to the entire Team here at SPYC for knocking it out of the park! One last note... Congratulations to the Club leadership, members, management and staff for once again having been selected as a Platinum Club of the World 2024-2025. This represents the Top 1% of private clubs around the globe. I look forward to seeing you around the Club soon.

Cheers,

Rhett J. Robicheaux, CCM, General Manager, COO

Contact Us

General Manager - Rhett J. Robicheaux,CCM, COO (727) 823-1219 | gm@spyc.org

Chief Financial Officer - Colleen Finney, CHAE (727) 823-1061 | controller@spyc.org

Waterfront & Club Communications Director - Corey A. Hall (727) 822-3113 | Waterfront-director@spyc.org

Member Relations Manager - Kerrie Paquette (727) 892-6888 | Membership@spyc.org

Facilities Director - Steve Partridge (727) 892-6892 | facilitiesmgr@spyc.org

Food & Beverage Director - Jason Hooper (727) 892-6896 | FBDirector@spyc.org

Executive Chef - Christian Mayrhofer (727) 892-6889 | executivechef@spyc.org

Catering Director/Clubhouse Services Manager Shannon Nylander, CPCE ,WSET2 (727) 892-6882 | catering@spyc.org

Catering Assistant - Caroline Stehr (727) 892-6897 | cateringinfo@spyc.org

Executive Pastry Chef - Natalia Nunez Torres (727) 822-3873 ext. 223 | pastrychef@spyc.org

Beverage Manager - Pierre Dumaine (727) 892-6891 | pierre@spyc.org

Member Services/Marketing Coordinator - Leah Wieter (727) 892-6893 | member.services@spyc.org

Pass-a-Grille Clubhouse Coordinator - Delora Croteau (727) 360-1646 | Pag@spyc.org

Harbormaster, Chase Hudspeth & Dockmaster, John Toberman (727) 822-3227 | harbormaster@spyc.org - dockmaster@spyc.org

Youth Sailing Director - Todd Fedyszyn (727) 896-8101 youthsailingdirector@spyc.org

Housekeeping/Valet/Security Manager - Maritza Villanueva (727) 892-6894 | housekeeping@spyc.org

Downtown Clubhouse: (727) 822-3873

Pass-a-Grille Clubhouse: (727) 360-1646

Snell Isle Marina: (727) 895-8142

Downtown Marina: (727) 822-3227

Sailing Center: (727) 822-3113

Business Office: (727) 892-6883/892-6884 | www.SPYC.org