From the Helm

Firstly, I wanted to thank you all for your participation and support of our beloved WRYC under my first year as Commodore. The year brought in necessary changes, many storms in which we weathered, but also saw our club gather, volunteer, and shine within our community. 

Sailing is at our core at WRYC, and we offer a sailing experience for all ages and levels of expertise as a benefit of membership. Per usual, our Junior Sailing Program continues to flourish as a much sought after youth summertime event, selling out quickly by the beginning of the year. Adult Sailing continues to increase in popularity with our Sunday series, and we expect it to grow in the coming year as word gets out.

A long-term campaign began this year to increase membership, by way of multiple events. WRYC was represented at the annual Daffodil Festival, to spread the word about our Club in the community. The Summer Soiree, Oktoberfest, and other events were open to the public to showcase exactly what our club has to offer with much success. We will continue this campaign in 2025 to attract new and younger members to continue our club’s legacy. 

As always, we need to improve our Club over time, and facility issues always arise. 2024 saw a storm during Governor’s Cup, leading to power outages, a fallen tree on our clubhouse roof, and of course lack of bathrooms. However, the show went on and the problems were quickly addressed. 2025 will also see significant issues will be on their way to being restored, such as the bulkhead and various repairs, with room for improvement in other areas of our club.

I cannot stress the amount of time and love that goes into maintaining our Club for members to enjoy. Consider donating your time to help get our Club looking and performing at its peak like I know it can. I give many thanks and appreciation to the Board members, Layne, and all members who have volunteered this year.