Not your standard opening ceremony for Yacht Club's 126th start
With a sky diving team landing on the lawn, representatives from the Coast Guard and Air National Guard on hand, classic sailboats on static display, a famous Long Island Sound racer with local roots by the dock and officers and past commodores arriving by club launch, this year’s annual commissioning ceremony at the Shelter Island Yacht Club was not just another start to one more summer season.
It was the club’s 126th commissioning ceremony, held Saturday, May 28 a little after 6 p.m., marking the club’s 125th season. About 450 members, family and guests congregated on the Dering Harbor waterfront for the half-hour ceremonies, which were followed by cocktails and hors d’ouevres and later dinner for about 200 in the clubhouse.
The ceremonies featured the renowned Old Bethpage Brass Sextet, an Air National Guard color guard and members’ boats decked out with signal flags for the occasion.
“We had a great time,” said Peter Dinkel, chair of the committee that started planning the ceremony a year ago. He credited his Vice Chair Susan Brewer for her planning and organizing efforts. “It was a great way to start the summer and celebrate our 125th year,” he said.
The event began with the arrival of club officers and past commodores aboard the club launch. They filed onto the dock and up to the flagpole as the Old Bethpage Sextet played “Hail, Columbia.”
There was a slight delay before the next big moment: three jumpers from the Long Island Skydiving Center in East Moriches landed in succession on the north side of the club grounds.
“Commodore,” Fleet Captain Brian Carey said as he saluted Commodore Steve Schram, “The Shelter Island Yacht Club is ready to be commissioned for the 2011 yachting season.”
“Fleet captain, proceed with the invocation,” Commodore Schram replied, returning the salute.
The band played the National Anthem as the American flag, the club’s burgee and the commodore’s flag were hoisted by the color guard from the Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing based in Westhampton.
After the firing of the club cannon, and the salute of the flag, past commodores, trustees and officers were formally presented and saluted by the commodore.
Town officials and visiting dignitaries were introduced, after which the commodore requested the club secretary to read the names of members who died during the past year, each name punctuated by a toll of the club bell.
During the cocktail hour, members and guests inspected classic sailboats on display around the grounds.
A special attraction was the wooden Herreshoff sailboat, Dolphin. Launched in 1914, with many race victories to its name when it was based at the club, the classic racer was brought home for the event by its current owner, the Oak Cliff Sailing Foundation.
Among other boats on display were Wade Badger’s Wood Pussy, Therapist, and Chris and Sara Mulligan’s Doughdish Hawkeye.
Special guests included Jim and Ellen Sanders of the Eastern Long Island Yachting Association, of which Mr. Sanders is president, and Joan Worthing and Bruce Dinsmore, who is vice president of ELIYA. Olaf Nuebert, vice commodore of the Breakwater Yacht Club in Sag Harbor, also attended, as did Chief Warrant Officer Michael and Mrs. Derevjanik of the U.S. Coast Guard.
