You can say whatever you want, but there is nothing better than an evening race at Manhattan Yacht Club to set everything straight in the world.  After a busy spring of finding a new home and beginning our rebuilding process, I was fortunate to be inspired Luigi Galbiati (center in picture) to start racing again in the summer series.   We formed a team with new members Eivind Karlsen and Malcolm Forbes and have been competing on Tuesday evenings on Boat #8.  Once per week.  When Eivind or Malcolm are out of town, Sam Breier, Jennifer Taylor or Will Fortenbaugh (left in picture) have filled in. 

I'm sure its not just for me, but Tuesday evenings have been the happiest moment of every week!  The camaraderie is great.  Racing has been close and competitive.  The harbor is spectacular.  J/24s have a great feel at the helm.  Our new docks are calm and protected. 

The only thing better than messing around in boats is racing them around the buoys or cruising in a flotilla!  Thanks to everyone who has been a member to help build Manhattan Yacht Club into our harbor's recreational leader.  More thanks to every skipper and crew member who have been showing up on Tuesday & Wednesday evenings to participate in the races.  It has been very rewarding.  Special thanks also go to TJ Shea and his volunteers who anchor our Race Committee.

These are special days.  Many people do not recognize special days until they pass.  It is frequently only in hindsight that people see clearly.  These are special days.  Thank you to everyone and let's take things to the next level.  Onward and upward.  Full speed ahead.

The biggest harbor event of the summer was the Hermione Parade on July 4th.  This was a great kick-off to the holiday weekend.  Manhattan Yacht Club was well represented during the spectacular event.  Six Club J/24s participated and another 6 powerboats also were involved.  Several experienced Fleet Captain members also served as Safety Vessels helping to coordinate the parade from on water.

More than 120 total boats gathered south of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to start the parade.  Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh served as the Parade Commodore and Arabella was the Command and Control vessel.  She escorted Hermione up the entire harbor with acommunication team of Club Members and US Coast Guard and Navy representatives who worked from the upper deck.

At 12 noon exactly, Hermione reached the Statue of Liberty and the flotilla sounded their horns of welcome.  The French Ministers of Defense and Culture were onboard a US Coast Guard vessel observing the spectacle.  At 12:05, two Navy fighter jets thundered over the Parade, culminating a crescendo of spirit and enthusiasm. 

All in all, it was a great triumph of organization and naval skill.  The vessels operated successfully in close quarters throughout the Parade.  They fireboats Frefighter II and John J Harvey did their traditional salutes.  The Flying Wedge, led by Pilot boat New Yorker kept the parade on schedule.  The Spirit of Lafayette rang through the fleet.  There was a huge outpouring of French pride and flags.  The long standing relationship between France and the United States was once again reinforced and cemented as Hermione passed one of France's greatest gifts to our country, the Statue of Liberty.

Operation Optimist sold out many weeks again this summer with 26 kids participating.  The launch service was provided from Pier 25 in Tribeca thanks to the support of Liberty Landing Marina and the Hudson River Park Trust.  New kids also joined the program from Jersey City.  A highlight of this summer was our Race Team which sent 4 sailors down to the Junior Olympics in Island Heights, NJ where 2 of the sailors finished with medals.  This was a great achievement for our program.

The Teen Sailing camp is held on J/24s.  We had up to 4 full boats of kids sailing this summer.  They an become certified to Basic Sailing and Basic Coastal Cruising.  The also hold a Lucky Dog Race every Friday.

Many years ago, when I took a helmsman course in Club Universitario de Buenos Aires (C.U.B.A.) I had to travel to New York due some work obligations. During that weekend I made some time for a leisure walk. I could tour the Big Apple and I can say I almost stumbled on the Manhattan Yacht Club (MYC) by accident. At that time the MYC was nearby Wall Street. I was with all the energy and enthusiasm of my helmsman course, I remembered to shoot many photos of its J24 fleet and dreamed someday to sail in the waters of the Hudson River. I honestly never thought that dream would come true several years later. 

 A few weeks ago when I was coordinating a business trip to NY.  Before booking the plane ticket and final itinerary, I received the announcement letter of our C.U.B.A. Commodore, announcing the new reciprocity agreement between our beloved club and MYC. I immediately got in contact with the MYC, I sent my cover letter as required by the process of reciprocity and with the coordination of Commodores from both clubs and with the great  help of Lisa Bowers, I was invited to sail with Sonya Mesommonta, a member with category Skipper, with vast experience in navigation, tactical racing and coaching. 

 Coordination with Sonya was by e-mail and Whatsapp and Sonya offered graciously to find us on the 13th Path station which was very close to our hotel.  From there we went straight to the Grove Station in New Jersey, where MYC  is currently located. I was the only member of C.U.B.A., but I asked if 2 of my colleagues, without nautical experience could participate on the ride. They had already visited NY several times and this was going to be a completely new experience for them. Sonya and Lisa graciously accepted, so with Sonya as Skipper and I as experienced crew, the ride became almost a kind of navigation class for the brand new and highly motivated crew. 

 We rigged the boat really quickly. Sonya commanded with great talent and provided clear instructions (in English). We get out of the pier (all manoeuvres on port were with motor  due to the strong current) heading to the Hudson ,and no sooner left the Hudson, raised the mainsail and headsail. The first thing one sees is the south of the island of Manhattan, Liberty Tower and all of Wall Street, is really shocking, We had current and wind against us. It was not supposed to blow, but we had 16 knots and it was gusting. We went up slowly, away from the south of Manhattan, until we got to the Statue of Liberty. I was at that time already at the rudder, commanding the boat, and I could not believe it. For two reasons, first because while I had visited NY several times, I had never visited the Statue and secondly, because I was doing it from a sailboat, doing what I like the most, sailing. No matter the tack or direction, the scenery was incredible, of a film. After passing the statue we were still sailing upwind and we reached the mouth of the East River, where the current is even stronger. We tacked few more times,  heading to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, but we didn't reach it. This is the limit that MYC is allowed to sail, as far as I understood. The wind began to loosen near 15:00hs, when we turned back, downwind and sailing all the time to the Liberty Tower. Strange to say and incredible to live it.
 

I want to mention that the traffic is very intense, seriously intense.  You can see all kinds of vessels and we  have to be with our eyes wide open, looking permanently,  because there are high speed taxis,  boats tours (the Shark and the Beast) , which pass close to each other at  full speed and making waves,  transatlantic cruise passengers, ferries with several lanes, breathtaking sailboats and cruisers, plus jet skis everywhere. Sonya was teaching a class of navigation and was so good that my colleagues learned to "tack, gibe, lookout, steer, pull, etc.," and they did really really  well. As icing on the cake, we had very good  cameras that left us incredible  memories of our course. 

 After mooring, Sonya said, "lets go for some drinks". As soon as we got into the bar, facing the MYC marina, we were introduced to several MYC members, all of them  very friendly and could chat and exchange nautical experiences. They were all very interested in our club and our history. A couple of hours later Sonya offered us to go to the Honorable William Wall, their distinguished floating Club House. We did not have to pay to go there due our reciprocal treatment  but anyone who wants to go has to pay around  20 dollars to get on board. Currently their  clubhouse is now open the general public. So, we said good-bye to Sonya  and our new friends and we went on a very comfortable motor boat to their club house. This was our final destination. The Honorable William Wall  is anchored north of Ellis Island in the Hudson River. The view is incredible,  we took our best photos of Manhattan from there and near dusk we returned to New Jersey and from there, back to Manhattan. 

The only thing one could say it was short ... good things come in small packages ... I will wait for the next trip to try more of it.  After an intense week of work, sailing is the best plan one can have.   No doubt I'm really keen to welcome Sonya or any member of the MYC in Buenos Aires and take them to sail in our Rio de la Plata.   Thanks to C.U.B.A. Commodore and everyone who made this agreement possible, which is really a privilege. 

- Walter Arrinda. 

C.U.B.A. Member and Skipper.  

Women's Championship - Aug 25

12 Meter America II Event on Clubhouse - Aug 25

Shorthanded Regatta - Aug 26

Maritime Services Regatta - Aug 27

Member Mixer on Clubhouse - Sept 15

US Sailing Adult Championships at MYC - Oct 9-12

Dave Simpson & Michael Connolly taking visiting sailors from the Nord Deutsche Regatta Verein for a sail in the harbor.

The ITG corporate spinnaker sailing in the harbor.

One of our sailing school boats teaching new adults how to sail.