Seabrook, TX: Lakewood Yacht Club will host its 65th Annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony Mar. 29, 2020.
"Participating members Dress Ship and provide a little history on their vessel and its name," says Fleet Captain Paul Dunphey. "They also invite friends and family to join them in celebrating the christening of their boat. This event is Lakewood’s most prestigious and traditional nautical event we host; it is simply a magnificent day."
All members, new and seasoned, are welcome to have their boats blessed. Those who've recently joined or long-term members who've not previously had their boats blessed are encouraged to participate in this fun celebration and formal blessing, a tradition among boaters dating back thousands of years.
The Club also plans to bless its new keelboat fleet that arrived in December. The 12 RS21 keelboats are available for members to use for Adult
Learn to Sail
classes, adult racing clinics, women's sailing, junior keelboat sailing, and team and match racing clinics and events.
The Blessing ceremony will take place on the Club's gorgeous 38 acres facility with members and guests dressed for the occasion. Traditionally, men don their white slacks and blazers, and the ladies wear their traditional nautical apparel.
Traditional Irish bagpipers, as well as the Clear Brook High School Marching Band, will be on-hand to help observe the occasion. Each Blessing participant will be introduced, have information about their boat shared with the crowd, and then receive a Lakewood Burgee, commemorative plaque and a bottle of champagne to
bathe the bow
.
The blessing of the Lakewood fleet marks the official opening of the Club's boating season. It includes a fun-filled weekend that consists of a crawfish boil on Saturday night, and then on Sunday, a Champagne Brunch, the Blessing ceremony, a poolside soiree, and a post-ceremony
Tour de Fleet
, where participants host guests aboard their boats.
