Setting Sail Into the Future with CYC’s New Website | | |
Clearwater Yacht Club is proud to unveil our newly redesigned website—an exciting milestone in our ongoing commitment to better serve our members. Officially live this month, the new site offers a modern, intuitive experience that makes it easier than ever to stay connected, informed, and engaged with everything CYC has to offer.
This launch marks an important first step in a broader effort to modernize the technology that supports our club community. Designed with members in mind, the website reflects the quality, character, and vibrancy of Clearwater Yacht Club, both on and off the water.
What’s New?
Members will immediately notice a fresh, visually appealing design paired with improved organization and navigation. Whether you’re looking for dining information, upcoming events, regattas, or details about our facilities and reciprocal club privileges, everything is thoughtfully arranged so you can find what you need in seconds. Content across the site has been refreshed to ensure information is current, clear, and easy to access.
An Enhanced Members‑Only Experience
One of the most significant upgrades is the redesigned Members Only section, which brings essential resources together in one convenient location. From here, members can:
- View the club and dining event calendar
- Make dining and event reservations
- Access monthly statements
- Browse the member roster
- Review club policies and bylaws
- Stay up to date with important announcements and resources
Accessing the New Site
Because this is an entirely new website, all members will need to register for a new account to access the Members Only section. Previous login credentials will not carry over. Registration is quick and straightforward—members simply need their member number and name as it appears on their monthly statement. Please note that each family will use one shared user ID and password.
Once registered on the website, members will also need to update their password in the CYC mobile app to match their new login credentials.
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Explore What’s New
We invite all members to take a few moments to explore the updated website and enjoy the improved layout, navigation, and functionality. Our goal is simple: to make your online experience as seamless and enjoyable as your time at the club.
Visit the new Clearwater Yacht Club website today and see what’s new.
| | | | The CYC Bridge welcomed spring in true tradition with this year’s Burning of the Socks celebration. Members gathered for the lighthearted ritual that symbolically marked the end of winter and the return of warmer days on the water. Rooted in a nautical tradition that began in the 1980s, the event blended history, humor, and camaraderie. It was a fun and fiery sendoff to the cold season and a great way to kick off spring at the Club. | | | | CYC’s Annual Blessing of the Fleet brought members together for a meaningful day of tradition, reflection, and celebration. The event featured a Blessing of the Fleet ceremony followed by a festive parade of boats, with many vessels beautifully dressed for the occasion. Members enjoyed gathering both on the water and dockside, where Father Bob also offered individual blessings. The day concluded with a lively dock party, making it a memorable kickoff to the boating season. | | | | Thank you to everyone who joined us for the “Miss Your Face” party to wish Peter Jutis farewell as he begins his next chapter. It was wonderful to see so many members and friends come together to share stories, laughter, and well‑wishes during his Clearwater Yacht Club send‑off. Peter will be greatly missed, and we are incredibly grateful for the leadership, dedication, and many accomplishments he achieved during his time at CYC. We wish him the very best of luck in his next adventure and thank him sincerely for everything he has done for our club. | | | | |
The votes are in—and Project Keelstone has passed. Of 214 ballots cast, 89% of members voted in favor, exceeding the required majority under our bylaws.
This milestone reflects 18 months of research, planning, and member input, and we thank everyone who participated. Next steps include finalizing financing, advancing architectural design, launching the Member Bond Program, and continuing regular updates from the LTPC.
This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Clearwater Yacht Club as we build for the next 50 years.
| | | | The April FCYC Newsletter is here, featuring the most recent updates and important club information. Inside, you’ll find what’s new, what’s been updated, and a look at what’s ahead. Take a few minutes to read through and stay informed. | | | | |
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our sponsors and donors, Clearwater Yacht Club is proud to share that funds raised through last year’s Holiday Lighted Boat Parade have been donated to support the Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast. These contributions will give local boys and girls the opportunity to attend summer sailing camps at the Clearwater Community Sailing Center, introducing them to the joy of sailing, teamwork, and life-long skills on the water.
This meaningful donation was made possible through event sponsorships and individual donations, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed. Your support helps create unforgettable experiences for youth in our community—and makes a lasting difference beyond the parade itself.
We are already looking ahead to continuing this tradition in 2026. The 52nd Annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade returns on Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 6:30 PM, bringing another dazzling night of illuminated vessels and holiday cheer to Clearwater. More than just a beloved seasonal celebration, the parade directly supports youth sailing scholarships at the Clearwater Community Sailing Center, benefiting children from the Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast.
Thank you again to our sponsors, donors, and participants for making this impact possible. We look forward to celebrating with you—and giving back together—again next year.
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We’re pleased to welcome a new leader to the Clearwater Yacht Club team at an important moment in our Club’s growth. As we prepare for our new facility, strategic membership growth will be key to our long‑term success.
Please join us in welcoming Lindsey Edwards, who joins CYC as our new Director of Marketing, Membership, and Events on June 1.
With more than 18 years of experience in marketing, sales, and event strategy, Lindsey brings a strong track record of building engagement, driving growth, and creating memorable, high‑impact experiences. Her expertise spans branding, communications, events, and member engagement.
A Pinellas County native and University of Central Florida graduate, Lindsey loves being on the water and looks forward to becoming part of the Club’s vibrant community.
Lindsey is excited to help strengthen connections, enhance member experiences, and support the continued momentum of Clearwater Yacht Club. You can reach her at lindseye@clearwateryachtclub.org.
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Commodore's Corner
As your Commodore, I was pleased to see so many of our members at the historic vote on a new building. We have not had a vote of the membership, other than our Annual Meeting, as far back as anyone can remember. The membership voted overwhelmingly to move forward with an 89% YES vote. I want to thank our Long Term Planning Committee (LTPC) for all the hard work that began 18 months ago with a trip to Sarasota Yacht Club with VC John Minton, RC Rick Broom and myself. The goal of presenting to the membership all the information the committee gathered in that period was successful. I am proud of the hard work of all the people involved in all of the committees.
We have enjoyed a wonderful April celebrating a joyful Easter, Burning of the Socks, Blessing of the Fleet, voting for a new building and many more. I look forward to exciting months to come this year with all our friends and family. Please come and support the club and share the experience as we proceed with the next steps of Project Keelstone! We are saying thank you to Peter for all his hard work and looking forward to the leadership of Scott as we move forward.
Fair winds and following seas,
Rod
| | | Kurt Greissinger, Director & Compass Editor | | |
Recently I had the honor and privilege of serving as an auditor for the Project Keelstone vote for a new CYC clubhouse. Led by Chairperson Shannon Tusek and supported by Secretary Jennifer Howard, Steph Koren and an independent accountant, the team did an amazing job of not just accurately counting votes but defining a process and procedure that can be used for future club votes of significance.
As the hours went by in the Board Room opening hundreds of envelopes, logging, counting, tallying, checking and re-counting, the tension was building above us with throngs of attendees eager to hear the results that were to define the future of the club. After all of the ballots were accounted for and summarized, the team proceeded upstairs with the certified results and entered a room where the excitement was palpable. The energy felt like that of other major election nights in America with revelers eagerly awaiting the results. Even children, who will hopefully grow up to be legacy members, stayed awake hours past their bedtimes to witness the historic moment. Somewhere, even before any results were relayed, a champagne toast was being prepared by the staff in anticipation of a positive outcome. Cheers to everyone who has worked the past year and half to get us to this point and for all of those who supported the bright future of this fine club!
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Sarasota Swap
By Karen Watson
The Sarasota Yacht Club swap with Clearwater Yacht Club in April turned into a bit of musical chairs this spring due to the usual unpredictability of seafaring adventures. Initially, over a dozen CYC yachties jockeyed for a coveted spot at the very swanky Florida Gulf Coast club. Five lucky boaters from Sarasota harbored in our slips while an unfortunately lower number of 3 boats made it to theirs.
You could swab the deck with the number of tall tales told of woefully inadequate circumstances preventing the voyage, but an undeterred trio still found their way down south despite the Master’s Tournament on many a golfer’s mind.
A boat load of people showed up for Friday’s fun; it just happened to be by car. Over a dozen more revelers graced Sarasota’s Grand Buffet and happy hour. The complimentary hors d’oeuvres are truly to drool for next to the generous buffet featuring a carving station, stuffed flounder and many other options. Eventually the diners moved from their patio placement to enjoy the music offered inside. No surprise that the only dancing feet belonged solely to the friendly faces of CYC members.
Those lucky enough to stay at the marina took advantage of breakfast the next day in the Neptune lounge overlooking the water and marina with coffee and pastries set up gratis for the overnighters.
A full day was planned Saturday thanks to hosts Paul and Betty Keller with co-hosts Catherine and Craig Bleakley. The ladies headed off for shopping at St. Armands Circle and lunch at Tommy Bahamas while the gentlemen channeled their inner Master’s desires at Popstroke. Fortunately, enough time in the afternoon was set aside for pool, tiki or nap time.
It seemed that an entirely new dozen swapped with Friday’s sailor’s dozen on Saturday. Happy hour and bountiful Margaritas were available at the Bleakley’s boat before everyone headed to Crab & Fin for dinner.
| | | Kate Wall, Chair, Yachting Committee | |
Yachting Committee Update
Greetings from the Yachting Committee! April was a month dedicated to planning and strengthening our commitment to sailing and community engagement. We are excited about the progress on the new clubhouse, which will enable us to host larger regattas in partnership with the Clearwater Community Sailing Center (CCSC). Our committee is actively working to foster a closer relationship with CCSC so that our members can benefit from enhanced opportunities. Over the summer, we will focus on increasing regatta collaboration, expanding volunteer efforts, exploring hosting and hospitality options, managing parking overflow, providing educational training days for the race committee, and much more to serve our CYC members.
April Event Highlights
The Florida Women’s Sailing Association (FWSA) Rainbow Regatta was April’s major event, featuring 64 competitors. We are proud of the 18 CYC volunteers who contributed their time and effort to ensure a smooth experience for all sailors. Tish Wold, CYC Official PRO, led the Sunfish fleet of 42 competitors, while Margo Currey, Windlass Official PRO, managed the Opti/Pram fleet of 22 competitors. These regattas require significant support from staff and volunteers; the dedication of our Yachting Committee is essential to their success.
Special thanks go to Reinhard Opitz for consistently providing a signal boat, Steve McNally for overseeing maintenance of support boats, Stephan Keller for volunteering his boat for safety and marks, and Susie Loiselle for keeping the volunteer spreadsheets organized and everyone informed of their duties.
Looking Ahead
Our plans are just beginning to take shape, and we are preparing to offer educational opportunities for those interested in race committee duties. We have training available for safety boat and mark boat roles—perfect for those who enjoy being on a power boat. If you are interested in scoring and action on the water, you can join the signal boat team to learn flags, starts, and scribing. For those who prefer land-based roles, managing our master calendar spreadsheet for volunteer sign-ups is essential for a full season. If you have a knack for organization, annual clean-up days, flag shed maintenance, and updating race bags are great ways to get involved. We also need early risers to deliver sandwiches and breakfast to the club for RC volunteers. There are opportunities for everyone to contribute to the success of our club and events.
If you are interested in joining the excitement, we invite you to attend our Yachting Committee monthly meeting, held every second Wednesday of the month in the drydock boardroom.
Cheers,
Kate Wall
Chairperson, Yachting Committee
| | | Christy Poorman & Anne Grace | | |
One Fantastic Day on the Water!
Marine Max came out in full force with Captain Keith, Scott, Doug and Kimberly to help us have our first Women on the Water class. Sponsored by the Bow Chasers. Many thanks to Bow Chaser, Kate Wall, for orchestrating this great day together with Marine Max. Thirty CYC sea-loving women got together on Wednesday, April 15th for a morning of fundamental boat safety, information on navigation, discussion on anchoring and learning how to tie the elusive bowline knot! Once the classroom work was behind us, we left the dry dock and disembarked on 1 of 3 boats that Marine Max brought to CYC; a 32 foot Aviara, 28 foot Aviara and a Boston Whaler 33 Vantage. Each boat was equipped with a joystick. CYC women got some time at the helm maneuvering the vessel with the state of the art joystick. Then each Marine Max captain took their crew out on the inter-coastal for a fabulous ride. I think we can all say it was a fabulous day on the water!
This program filled up quickly, so keep your eye out for another one in the future. It’s well worth it for skills and confidence building on the water.
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Rainbow Regatta
The Bow Chasers, along with the Windlasses of Dunedin, hosted the 2026 Florida Women’s Sailing Association (FWSA) Rainbow Regatta, held at the Clearwater Community Sailing Center on April 27. 9 pram sailors, 15 opti sailors and 42 sunfish sailors from member clubs in Florida competed on a beautiful day on the intercoastal. Pram sailors for CYC were Cathy McNally, Kate Wall and Anita Cafferty. CYC placed well with Cathy McNally taking home second place in the pram division, and Kate Wall taking third!!
The night before we held a cocktail party at the tiki. Approximately 30 FWSA competitors came. They ate, drank, and danced until the band stopped playing. A fabulous evening by all accounts.
Huge thanks to PRO’s Tish Wold and Margo Curry from the Windlasses for running a smooth regatta.
3 Spectator Boats organized by Sailabiltiy brought out City officials,
Attendees from Dunedin were City Manager Jennifer Bramley, Deputy City Manager Jorge Quintas and Commissioner Steven Sandbergen. And, the Clearwater City Manager Jennifer Poirrier.
The event was enjoyed by all and they look forward to our next event. All were impressed to see how our cities and organizations worked together to host this amazing event.
Thanks to our dockmaster James for his help in prepping for the regatta, going so far as to serve on race committee for us!
Also, many thanks to all the volunteers who show up, work hard, and do what needs to be done to run a successful regatta. We can’t do it without all the many hands that make it all come together.
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Pram Sailing Activities
This spring has brought some beautiful weather to go out on the “itty bitty” sailboats. Racing and practicing skills and a curious dolphin once in a while keeps us heading out on the water. The Bow Chaser Sailors have also been working on some boat maintenance and sprucing up to get ready for the Rainbow Regatta.
As we approach the end of the sailing year, it is a time for reflection and celebration. This season has been marked by teamwork, dedication, and memorable moments on the water. Whether you participated in races, training sessions, or simply enjoyed our get togethers, each experience has contributed to making this year special.
Thank you to all sailors, volunteers, and supporters for making this year a success. Let’s finish strong and look forward to new horizons together!
Stay tuned for announcements as the Bow Chasers plan future events!
| | | Follow our Social Media to stay up-to-date with the current happenings at the CYC. | | |
2003 Richard & Susan Emslie
2010 Don & Richele Collins
2012 Collin & Abbey Heimensen
2012 Branch & Joanne Moeling
2012 Curtis & Judy Witherington
2013 Bob & Sherry Harmon
2013 Don & Cathy O'Brien
2014 Todd & Amie Crosby
2014 Al & Kristin Schreck
2014 Nathan & Jennifer Weatherilt
2015 Bob & Becky Griffin
2016 Dave & Wendy Gattis
2016 Guy & Cindy Kreps
2016 Deb Mattson
2017 Mario Andretti
2017 Nick & Teri Galambos
2018 Chris & Ashley Arbutine
2018 Max & Terry Radford
2018 Sam & Elena Slobounov
2018 Ruthann Voelkert
2021 Ricky & Chelsea Allison
2021 Tina & Mitch Borst
2021 Kathleen Cocking
2021 Tommy & Mary Jane Dee
2021 David & Hanny Hartley
2021 Street & Sherri Lee
2021 Keagan & Kandice Pennycuff
2021 Mike & Carolyn Rubio
2021 Alex & Ruth Schoenherrr
2021 Ken Teifer & Fleming Ford
2023 Adria Abrams & Greg Bradley
2024 Lane Knight & Chris Annadale
2024 Nick & Deborah Trimpe
2025 Charles & Carol Geraci
2025 Mark & Lynn Richard
2025 David & Catherine Prince
2025 Kathy Mannone
2025 Stephan & Heather Keller
2025 Mark & Kelly Aleksin
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| | We’re thrilled to extend a warm welcome to the newest members of the Clearwater Yacht Club family! If you spot a table displaying the CYC burgee, it’s a sign that our new members are dining nearby. Please stop by to say hello and help us make their first experiences at the club truly memorable. Let’s show them the spirit of CYC—friendly, inclusive, and full of camaraderie! | | |
Fredrick Colman & Blythe Epperson - Largo, FL
Christopher & Amy Scotto - Indian Rocks Beach, FL
Michael & Desiree Moreton - Montverde, FL
Bill & Julie Fite - Clearwater Beach, FL
Bobby Rowe - Clearwater Beach, FL
Tony & Peggy Gatliff - Belleair Beach, FL
Rich Peterson & Michelle Lindsey - Clearwater Beach, FL
Joe & Gail Raczka - Bedford, NH
David & Maribeth Amo - Clearwater Beach, FL
Kathleen & John Merril - Indian Rocks Beach, FL
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Office
Monday: Closed
Tues. - Fri.: 9 - 5 pm
Sat. & Sun.: Closed
Dockmaster
Mon. - Sun.: 9 - 5 pm
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Main Dining & Grille Room
Monday: Closed
Tues. - Thurs.: 11:30 - 9 pm
Happy Hour: T, W, Th 4-7 &
Fri 4-6
Fri. & Sat.: 11:30 - 9:30 pm
Sunday: 10 am - 2 pm
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Tiki Bar/Dry Dock Bar
Monday: Closed
Tues. & Thurs.: 4 - 9 pm
Friday: 1 pm - till
Saturday: 11 am - till
Sunday: 11 am - 8 pm
Last Food Order at 7 pm
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