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Navy Yacht Club Celebrates

54th Annual Opening Day on Coronado Bay

avy Yacht Club San Diego (NYC-
NSD) celebrated its 54th annual
opening day of the sailing season on
March 5, at Fiddler’s Cove Marina — a
Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR)
facility in Coronado, Calif.
NYCSD is a nonprofit club that sup-
ports MWR’s sailing program efforts by
organizing races and maintaining club
facilities. Membership is available to all
active-duty service members, retirees,
Department of Defense employees and
their families.
Additionally, Navy Band Southwest
was on site and played each service Musician First Class Christopher Bour-
branch’s song during the service mem- geois leads Navy Band Southwest dur-
ing an opening-day ceremony at Navy
ber recognition portion of the ceremony. now moored in the marina. “We are also Yacht Club, located at the MWR Fid-
“The really great part about this integrated with the other San Diego-area dler’s Cove Marina on Coronado Island.
club is that it allows active-duty service yacht clubs; we do charity events and With more than 700 members now,
members, retirees, Reservists and MWR races with them, and we are committed Navy Yacht Club San Diego opened
participants who might not be able to to support and give back to the Navy in 1964 and supports MWR in offering
otherwise afford it, or have other barriers, community and the local community.” affordable access to sailing lessons,
to get into the yachting community,” said Annually, the club hosts dozens of boat races and club amenities.
Calder Epes, commodore of NYCSD. races and regattas, as well as fundraisers (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist
1st Class Will Gaskill)
“This is a sort-of gateway to get out on to support local and national charities.
the water and enjoy some of San Diego’s This sailing season, NYCSD plans to
natural maritime resources.” host a series of events focused on getting NYCSD donates more than $100,000
Epes is a prior enlisted service mem- service members’ children involved in to one particular national-level charity
ber and now serves as an aviation instruc- the sport with a family-focused sailing every year, as well as many other causes
tor on Naval Air Station North Island, series. the club chooses to support.
just miles away from NYCSD’s location. “This year, we are working on creat- The Navy MWR-managed Fiddler’s
The club comprises more than 700 ing a youth racing program,” said Epes. Cove Marina club site, also a campground
members, and according to NYCSD, that “This is a great way to get military de- and RV park, serves as a venue for sea-
makes it the largest club associated under pendent children out there on the water, soned and novice sailors alike to have
the Navy Sailing Association, based in in an affordable way.” an affordable and friendly way to take
Annapolis, Md. In addition to providing military part in an otherwise expensive pastime.
“We’ve been doing this since 1964 families with the opportunity to sail The boating season runs from March
when this marina was tiny — just a few with their club, NYCSD supports lo- until late fall, with weekly sailing and
docks,” said retired Navy Capt. Peter cal and national charities through vari- social events in San Diego harbor and
Hunt, a staff commodore at NYCSD, ous fundraisers it holds throughout the co-hosted by other yacht clubs throughout
while pointing to the hundreds of vessels year. For example, according to Hunt, the San Diego area.

14 MILITARY CLUB & HOSPITALITY | APRIL 2017