Well, it is definitely a new year at BHYC. This column has been in hibernation since December but the club has not. We are blessed to have Tom Serino return as general manager. At the January board meeting held this past Saturday he told us that all of our dedicated and gifted staff will be returning. Chef Raymond, executive chef, will yet again dazzle us in the kitchen. Hristo Ivanov will return as dining room manager. The truth is that Hristo burned many midnight lamps last season filling in wherever he was needed. Dave Schoentag will continue as our brilliant “mixologist” in the bar. Geoff McCuskey returns as our adult sailing director. Chris Liberti will join us yet again as junior sailing director.

Commodore Liz Rettenmaier, Vice Commodore Michael Smith and Rear Commodore Jon Dunsford are securely manning the helm as winter initiatives move full speed ahead. A special cudo is due for Kitty Chapman. As treasurer, she has breathed a new light into the establishment of a very exacting and concise accounting and bookkeeping system for our club. Thank you Kitty for the many, many hours you have volunteered to right our course. Along with Finance Committee chair Marion Flores and her team, we have a clear vision of half of the next decade’s finances.

RC Jon Dunsford and youth sailing team lead Charlie Cochrane have an early handle on all of the many aspects of that program. This program is not limited to BHYC members and their youngsters. It is open
to the entire community. Parents whose children are enrolled in the sailing program are welcomed to enjoy the dining room and bar.

Racing is returning as an important element of BHYC. As the 125th anniversary of BHYC approaches, our theme is: “Hind Sight is 2020.” Each event of the season is encouraged to be anniversary centric. There will be a 2020 anniversary costume ball on July 25. Attendees are encouraged to choose a costume representing the decade of their choice. Prizes will be awarded for the Most Authentic, the Most Colorful and the Most Clever. Of course, my co-chair Carole Cochran and I will be icing the event with many surprises.

Chef Raymond will be encouraged to offer menu selections reflecting the early pioneer days of our club as well as milestones along the way such as the visionary move to Western Avenue and the purchase of the casino which still stands as a reminder of the Sixties. George Whitten saw the potential and worked with the club to acquire the last vestige of Oak Grove Hotel. Many decades later we have numerous visionaries to commend for their commitment to creating what we now proudly refer to as Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club’s campus.

A humbling site is the new black granite commemorative plaque in the Sailing and Education Center. The names of the many generous benefactors who raised the funds for our newest building is impressive. For 125 years our club’s members have risen to any occasion for the betterment of the peninsula. Happy 125th Anniversary BHYC.