THE STILLWATER COVE’ER

Apr-May 2020

Commodore’s Log

Ahoy, Members! The Stil lwater Yacht Club begins its 72nd season with a proud look back to our Founders, Matt and Mimi Jenkins. Please take time to read their history in our Members Directory, due to arrive in your mailboxes in April.

Also, stop by the Beach Club office (when you are safely able) to see our Polynesian ceremonial teak Steering Oar presented to Mimi Jenkins by SFB Morse. It lists each of SYC’s 72 Commodores on brass plates on its huge polished surface. Quite a sight!

We had a successful Membership Season adding 21 new Members. Welcome! So glad you are part of SYC! Thanks to our Membership Chair Carl Meyer and his committee.

We star ted the 2020 Season wi th the announcement of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), which has altered all of our lives. Following state and federal recommendations, we have cancelled our March, April, and May social events. We hope to reschedule our Irish Night and Kentucky Derby Party when we are able.

Please stay tuned for more details. Since we are in a mandatory "stay at home" phase until at least April 30, the rest of May is up in the air. Our Vice Commodore and her Social Committee have planned many events with fantastic new themes and some new twists!

We hope that our Youth Water Sports Camp and Thursday Adult Sailing fun can begin in June. See

SYC Members Score a Win!By Robert Superko

At this time, when daily routines are upended due to the pandemic, we start this season with GOOD NEWS:

On March 8, the “Tune-Up Race” was held in Monterey Bay under the sponsorship of the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club. Seven Santana 22s competed through challenging winds and waves that drove the boats at maximum hull speed. Aboard the Leprechaun, the reigning SYC 2019 Santanarama champion, Skipper Charlie Kurtmen, and his capable crew, SYC members Elliot Cash and Robert Superko, positioned themselves at the mark. The race was a triangle course out to the Pinos Lighthouse buoy and back to the harbor entrance. Skipper Kurtmen positioned Leprechaun for a strategic start, getting off the line with a roar as the cold wind was blowing, the boats were heeling, and the spray flying. Crossing the finish line first was the Leprechaun with Charlie Kurtmen at the helm!

Having won the race, the excitement was not quite over. The outboard motor on Leprechaun failed to start. With the courage of an experienced sailing master, Skipper Kurtmen made the decision to sail back into the harbor without the motor despite the high winds! It took three narrow and FAST tacks to make it through the entrance, but success for this winning team was never in doubt! Congratulations!

Another Win For SYC

SYC won 4th place (out of 18) for our entry in the holiday Mon te rey L i g h t ed Boa t Parade! SYC covered the vessel, “The Ocean Pearl,"   in lights and blow up lobsters!  All crew and passengers wore lobster costumes, dubbing themselves “Lobsta Love.” They were a crowd favorite!Thank you Skippers Jef f

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Commodore's Log (continued from p. 1)

Pictured above: Our 2020 Membership Committee hard at work on 3/1/20 (before "social distancing" was a known term), but everyone still managed to pause and sing Happy Birthday to former Treasurer Marina Miller.

Welcome New Members!

Chris and Courtney Adamski           Damon and Anna Archer

Jim and Ellen Beck John and Carolyn Biasotti

Paul Cater and Donna GalanteBob and Erin Cook

Brian and Lindsey CurtisThomas J. (Jr.) and Susan Friel

Joan Hoover Brendan and Erica Hutchinson

Norman and Allison KlineGil and Aprille LuceroJim and Kellie Meyers

Dwight and Robyn Nelson Jamal and Cecelia Noorzoy

Ryan and Amanda PayneJohn and Nicole Prehn

Leslie Roemmer Joseph and Rebecca Rousso

Brian and Michelle Sours Ralph and Christy Zotovich

Message From the Membership ChairBy Carl Meyer

A special Thank You to all membership committee members who helped to ensure all dues were paid and c a rd s we re ma i l e d . P l e a s e con t a c t me a t membership@sycpb.org if you have not yet received your membership card.

For specifics in using your membership card while visiting other Yacht Clubs for burgee exchanges, etc., please consult our website: www.sycpb.org.

A note to all members: to ensure we can continue to reach you with timely information, please contact us at webmaster@sycpb.org if there are any changes to your contact information as it’s listed in the Directory.

A hearty welcome to all of our new members! Stay tuned for a special welcoming event to be held later in the season at the invitation of our Commodore.

Rear Commodore Peter Hanlon’s report (page 4) for details. Also, in June, we hope to begin our Pier BBQs and Regattas. See tentative dates in blue boxes on pages 3 and 5.

All these fun and exciting activities could not take place without our volunteers! Many thanks to those who donate their time. SYC could not function without you! I extend a warm invitation to all to help in some way. It is a great way to meet people and be part of our SYC community. Contact me at commodore@sycpb.org to volunteer or ask questions.

Wishing you all Smooth Sailing,

Commodore Judy Furman

Canepa and Charlie Kurtmen, decor technicians Bruce Graham, Dan Miller, and Denise Foderaro, and caterers Becky Kendall and Joyce Scampa. Let’s get more entries out on the water next year! 

Another Win For SYC (continued from p. 1)

Thank you to Lisa and Bill Cash for this stunning picture of our pier! Please submit any photos, historic or current, to the Cove’er, at editor@sycpb.org.

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with friends and family together, fog or shine, through the SYC, all of which created a special place in his heart for SYC.

Meanwhile, this crew of new SYC members bought their own Mercury sailboats - Charlie’s was white and black. Starting to sail in 1963, he got his first boat that year, along with most of the rest of the younger crew, and entered into the Sunday races. His family dove right into this life of sailing with him, and sailing continued to inform his family vacations later in life, resulting in several sailing vacations abroad.

Photo Below: Our Santana 22 Is Awaiting Christening!

Charlie’s children took the SYC summer sailing clinics and sailed with him on his Mercury. Today they do not sail much on their own, but two of his daughters have honored the family by naming boats

in the SYC fleet: Carolyn (with her husband, Zekai) dedicating one for Charlie to be christened this spring, Susan (with her husband, Jim) who previously dedicated another for his daughter Sally Jo Snorf, who passed years ago.

When he considers what has changed in sailing, Charlie explains that the boats are much fancier now when compared to the simple Mercury design. The Mercury was a great learning boat for mastering the fundamentals of sailing. Charlie would not change anything about how SYC operates today, as he finds it working great as is. The purpose is simple for the needs of its membership, bringing lovers of sailing together for summers of fun and recreational sport sailing. Commodore Charles Snorf hopes that SYC will continue to bring people together for more idyllic summers to come.

Idyllic Summer WeekendsBy Megan Mayer

Past Commodore Charles Snorf ’s preference for Charlie over Charles is the first indication of his relaxed preference for friendship over formality. It is this focus on the circle of friends Charlie made at Stillwater Yacht Club that marks his impact on SYC and his memories of years spent here.

C h a r l i e g r ew u p i n Wilmette, Illinois on Lake

Michigan. Though he grew up on the lake, Charlie was typically a passenger on sailboats. Charlie came to the peninsula in 1963 to start his orthopedic surgery practice, partnering with Jack Stein. Both Charlie and Jack joined the Beach Club but at that time, Charlie still had only been a sailboat passenger, and had not considered pursuing membership in the yacht club. He was part of a group of young professionals who had moved to the area and joined the Beach Club, creating an immediate circle of fast friends. Many of these younger, newer Beach Club members were not naturally drawn to SYC; it took the old guard to show them what they were missing.

The old guard developed a new guard of SYC sailors and leaders, including Tom McCullough who became Commodore in 1968; Charlie, who stepped up to the role in 1969; Ritchie Dunn in 1970; and Gerry Martin in 1974 and 1975, among others. They all learned on the Mercury fleet, a simple design that made learning to sail easier, according to Charlie. The older guard continued to sail and happily shared the administration of SYC to this crew, including running the Sunday races all summer long in the cove and on the ocean. 

Charlie quickly grew to love sailing, especially those isolated moments on the ocean on a calm, beautiful day, but it is the social aspect of SYC that brightens Charlie’s face as he reminisces about his years here. “The best part of being Commodore was being with those people; they were all good friends,” he says with a smile. Charlie describes dancing parties and beach parties at the cove with everyone’s kids and dogs. “Idyllic weekends in the summers,” he recalls.  He enjoyed those idyllic weekends

Potluck Pier BBQs(All BBQs are 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Stillwater Pier)

• Sunday, June 14

• Sunday, July 19

• Sunday, August 23

• Saturday, September 12

• Sunday, October 18

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Message From the Rear CommodoreBy Peter Hanlon

I am honored to welcome everyone to our 2020 summer season. Our original plan was to hold our Pier Opening party on May 16th from 4:00-6:00 p.m., with a blessing of the fleet and christening of our newest Santana. Due to coronavirus concerns, that date will likely be pushed back.

Thursday Evening Adult Sailing is currently scheduled to run from June 18th through September 17th, 5:30 p.m. to Sunset. There will be some short races in the Cove, but sailing experience is not required, so just bring a good attitude and prepare to have some fun. Information about our Youth Water Sports Camp is below, but is also subject to change due to the pandemic. Please stay updated via our website (sycpb.org) about the status of the pier and sailing activities.

Once we are safely able to open the pier, you can also use the website to refresh yourself on the logistics of signing waivers for equipment use, hours of operation, and signing up for sailing lessons and certifications with Charlie Kurtmen, our Port Captain. We hope to be back on the water before too long!

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Pictured above to the left: Stuart and Lena Clark exchange burgees with Ana C. Metade, Angra, Terceira Azores Islands Yacht Club.

Pictured above to the right: Mike Jones at the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club in Wellington, New Zealand.

Regatta Schedule MPYC Commodore’s Regatta June 20 & 21

Santanarama & Shields Regatta August 8 & 9

Labor Day Regatta (for Mercury Class Boats) September 5 & 6

Oh, The Places We’ve Gone!By Robert Superko

In December 2019, Brenda and Robert Superko sailed the British Virgin Islands on the 150 foot, t h r e e - m a s t e d Amer ican Sa i l i ng Association yacht, Arabella.

They visited Tortola, Cooper’s Island, and Jost Van Dyke, to name a few. The first day of sailing was wonderful with 30-35 knot winds (35-40 mph) and all sails up and hull down. Along the way, they had a chance to exchange burgees with the Royal British Virgin Island Yacht Club.

The islands still showed signs of hurricane damage and a 40-foot boat was still wrecked on land in their front yard. Hurricane damage was extensive and the first floor of the yacht club was unlivable, but thank goodness the bar was on the second floor and still had beer!

Thursday Night Sailing Schedule

June 18, 25

July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

August 6, 13, 20, 27

September 3, 10, 17

Pictured: Port Captain Kurtmen certified many of our members in ASA Sailing 100 last sailing season.

Message from the Editor

We rely on our members for Cove'er content! Please submit photos and article ideas, particularly those related to sa i l i ng , SYC h i s tor y, or sa i l i ng t r ips , to editor@sycpb.org. Thank you!

Burgee Exchanges

Stay tuned for our next edition, in which Dick and Mary George will bring you tales of visiting Antarctica.

Note: Please understand that any dates presented in this edition and going forward are subject to our ability to

proceed safely in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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What's Up (and Down) in Stillwater Cove?By Marlene Martin

SYC members know how interesting and important our cove is. For more than four decades, scientists at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) have also realized how interesting and important it is. Forty years ago, many were less aware of the value of ocean science. Some people even complained about the two white vans full of divers visiting Stillwater with nets, beach seines, and other suspicious-looking equipment. Fortunately, the MLML Director at that time, Dr. John Martin, was a Beach Club member. He explained the research to the Pebble Beach Company, who then warmed up to the science. For the past four decades, a host of MLML graduate students have used Stillwater Cove for their thesis research because it is well protected from wind and waves. Thus, they have year-round access to their research site.

MLML studies Stillwater Cove for several important reasons. You may have noticed, for example, that the kelp that once was so thick we could almost walk across our cove has diminished. What happened to it? Will it come back? And why should we care?

If we look below the surface, we will discover an abundance of sea urchins – many more than were previously there. Their favorite food? Kelp. Why is kelp important? It provides a nursery with food for many fish species. A loss of kelp means no nursery and thus fewer fish. Among the fish species important to both commercial and sports fishermen are those representing a rainbow of Stillwater’s rock fish:   blue, copper, olive, black, and China, for example.

Why is there a population explosion of kelp-munching urchins? Scientists at MLML want to know. Stay tuned to The Cove’er, and we will let you know what they are learning.

As you would expect, scientists at Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories cooperate on this type of research at Stillwater.

Most of the research at Stillwater Cove is done under the guidance of two MLML Professors:   Dr. Scott Hamilton and Dr. Diana Stellar. If you have questions about the Stillwater Cove research, please send to them to the author at mlmartin4@aol.com.

Message from the Vice CommodoreBy Denise Foderaro

Our Social Committee met in February with a robust set of volunteers and an abundance of ideas!...and then...COVID-19 hit! 

March, April, and May events have been cancelled and the rest of the schedule (page 8) is VERY tentative, with dates in red previously submitted to Pebble Beach but not yet approved. Thank you for your patience. Once we can proceed safely, we will notify you directly.

Our March event, "Pipes, Fiddles, and Beethoven" with Violinist Edwin Huizinga (pictured at left), will be

r e s c h e d u l e d . I n t h e meantime, he has shared a musical message of peace and unity as we shelter in place (Huizinga.mov). For those of us needing an added dose of music these days, grab some wine, heat up a creative meal, put on your bow tie or pearls, and s e n d a p h o t o t o editor@sycpb.org of you enjoying some musical d o w n l o a d s o r YouTubes. We suggest that you try  metopera.org, which is streaming nightly

Operas. And be sure to catch this heartwarming performance by two Mayo Clinic surgeons unwinding between treating COVID-19 patients (https://www.twincities.com/2020/03/25/mayo-clinic-doctors-comfort-a-nation-with-their-rendition-of-imagine/).  Does it inspire you to sing or play some music? If so, please send us a video and share! 

Our April event, "What-A-Burger B-I-N-G-O," has been cancelled. Chairs Bill and Lisa Cash and Dian and Peter Nielsen put together a fantastic gourmet, build-your-own (What-a-Burger!) menu! Until we can reschedule, no need to miss out! Build your own at home! Submit your photos and entries (with listed ingredients) to editor@sycpb.org, and we will feature them in the next edition. Missing that bingo game? We haven’t yet found online bingo, but you can try your hand at Bridge at www.Bridgebase.com. If you are not a bridge player, they will teach you online!  (Continued on p. 8)

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The conclusion of our 2019 season brought the retirement of four esteemed Board Members: (clockwise L to R) Dick George, Dixie Smith*, Jim Fuqua*, and Treasurer Marina Miller (* denotes Past Commodore). Some have served us for close to a decade! We thank them for their service. Many are continuing to assist our Port Captain at the pier and have already signed on to our Finance, Membership, and Social Committees. Past Commodore Fuqua has also accepted a nominated position to our Emeritus Advisory Board.  Thank you all! 

Thank You To Our Retiring Board Members

A Hearty Welcome To Our Newly Elected Board Members

Our November 2019 Commodore's Ball and election ushered in the installation of four of our members on the Stillwater Yacht Club Board of Directors. We welcome (clockwise left to right) Bruce Fairbanks, Secretary Joan Wood, Sharla Klingel, and Paul Hoffman. For more info, please consult our website at SYCPB.org to familiarize yourself with their bios. They are already hard at work preparing the 2020 season! If you are interested in future Board service, please join a committee and contact any one of our officers to get involved. We value your interest and future participation.

2020 Dues IncreaseA message from Commodore Furman

For 2020, we increased our dues from $200 to $250 per year. We had not raised our dues in three years, but due to new legislation, maintenance and safety expenses, we felt it prudent to recommend a modest increase.

There are new employment laws in 2020 creating the need for us to seek legal counsel regarding the status of our sailing instructors and interns. We must reclassify them as employees rather than contractors, resulting in additional payroll costs. We must adopt a sexual harassment policy and institute certain protocols for all activities involving children, and anyone who has contact with children must participate in a training seminar and maintain a current certificate (more costs).

CommodoreVice CommodoreRear CommodoreStaff Commodore

SecretaryTreasurer

Port CaptainFleet Captain

Webmaster Directors

Emeritus Advisory Board Members

Judy FurmanDenise FoderaroPeter HanlonDenise FoderaroJoan WoodJohn PfeifferCharlie KurtmenDick ClarkLeBon Abercrombie

David DayTom DuffyBruce FairbanksPaul HoffmanBruce Graham Becky Jackson Sharla KlingelCarl MeyerSherif MichaelTerry RusseyRobert SuperkoRalph Thompson

Jim FuquaDave GellatlyKay SullivanDon Watson

2020 Officers and Directors

We run a robust Youth and Adult Sailing Program. This past year we added one Santana, 2 FJs, and a replacement inflatable to our fleet. Our kayaks also need upgrading.

We are committed to “Safety First” in our sailing programs. We have upgraded our lifejackets, life rings at the pier, and replacements are planned for our sails and motors. For the pier, we have purchased a cardiac defibrillator (with maintenance plan) for emergencies.

We are a volunteer organization, but must seek outside services to assist us in boat maintenance, taxes, payroll, and set up/breakdown.

Thank you for understanding. We welcome any questions and appreciate your continued support in volunteering where you can!

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Dues Increase (continued from p. 7)

Please note that the dates in red have not yet been confirmed by the Beach Club, but our requests for these dates have

been submitted. Any unforeseen changes to this schedule will be communicated to the membership by direct email and will

be posted on the website at www.sycpb.org.

Vice Commodore's Message (continued from p. 6)

From the personal photo archives of fellow sailor Ed Schaupp: From Epidemic to Pandemic-100 years ago. One young gal, accompanied by a

friend, roller skates in Palo Alto during the 1918 flu epidemic.

We have posted our Member’s  Directory online (sycpb.org) so you may be in touch with each other. (Directories did go to print in March and should reach your mailboxes by mid-April or earlier.) Thank  you to our stellar Directory team: Jen White, Sherif Michael, LeBon Abercrombie, and Judy Furman. 

Please be smart and be safe sheltering at home. Your SYC family wishes you well!