CYC Home
By Bruce Sherman
CYC Commodore
Two important initiatives underway at CYC this year might eventually be as or more effective in bringing in new members than our traditional marketing campaigns of recent years.
Our junior program and team racing program are filling big gaps in the club's offerings by appealing to demographic groups we have been, for the most part, neglecting.
The junior program, led by board member Michael Cenname, already is putting almost 10 Optis on the line Thursday nights, and many of those youngsters probably will join CYC because they can race free on weeknights if they do.
And this coming Saturday, the club will have a parent-junior event at Sail Sand Point, getting moms or dads and their kids in the same boat for casual racing in Optis or double-handed dinghies. The event also will feature a barbecue.
Any families out there? Take advantage of this opportunity to bring your spoouse and kids into the boating side of your life. Details of this weekend's regatta appear elsewhere on the web site.
Apart from a Sea Scout group associated with the club, CYC hasn't had much of a junior program since our Leschi-based sailing school migrated northward and morphed into Sail Sand Point about 10 years ago.
Cenname and his junior committee have elected to move back into junior sailing slowly, offering events like next week's and starts, when our committee is already on the water, while not competing with established schools.
But while the club may be taking baby steps in junior sailing, we are establishing an important on-ramp for long-term association with the club for junior sailors and their parents.
The team racing program led by Rusty Lhamon and Joe Burcar, could provide another important on-ramp - for 20-somethings that might have been involved in team racing in college and are looking for a local opportunity to do it.
These young people might not have the means or the desire to buy a boat, but when they do, they will have an already-established relationship with the club and a ready-made fleet racing program waiting for them.
Our membership efforts traditionally have focused on our annual open house, displays at boat shows and person-to-person contact. We have talked up our racing program, already second to none, our wide variety of fleets, cruising opportunities and reciprocal privileges at other clubs.
But the junior and team racing programs take a different tack. They take aim at sailors we have been neglecting, and losing, by offerring them sailing opportunities that aren't available from other clubs or, if they are available, aren't as attractive as what CYC can provide.
The enthusiasm we're seeing among the leaders and participants in both of these programs is impressive, and each is gaining momentum. Support them, and help the club live up to its motto of providing "Sailing at its Best."