VERO BEACH – The Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County (YSF) will hold its third annual Rock The Boat Gala at the Moorings clubhouse on Sunday, March 18, beginning at 5 p.m.
YSF seeks to empower local youth and encourage them to achieve their full potential by teaching critical life and social skills through the sport of sailing. By offering a variety of free sailing programs to resident children ages 9-18, YSF currently reaches approximately 100 children every week, which is double last year’s enrollment.
This gala event will support their expanding programs and help maintain their fleet of over 66 boats.
Aptly named “Rock The Boat”, the evening will include a demonstration in the cove by the Vero Beach Varsity Sailing Team and the newly formed Shelby Racing Team, who will show off their skills with the 14-foot Club 420’s and 8-foot Optimist dinghies in which they compete across the state of Florida.
The Moorings clubhouse balcony provides an excellent vantage point for this exhibition.
Silent and live auctions will feature a variety of exciting and unique cruises, excursions, art, and experiences from local donors and merchants. Offerings include a signed, original pencil drawing of YSF racing boats by Vero Beach artist John Payne; a bird’s eye tour of the Treasure Coast by seaplane; a two-night stay at the prestigious New York Yacht Club Harbor Court Mansion in Newport, R.I.; and an 11-day Pearl Seas cruise to Cuba.
John Moore will once again entice lively and generous bidding as the evening’s guest auctioneer.
Also available to eager bidders will be naming rights for a Boston Whaler power boat and three Club 420 racing dinghies in YSF’s fleet. A gift of $2,000 will fund the maintenance and operation of each boat for five years.
Winners will attend a special commissioning ceremony where they will christen the boat and meet its crew for the upcoming racing season.
Rock The Boat tickets are $200 per person, including a $100 per ticket tax deductible donation to YSF. The evening includes cocktail hour, full-course sit-down dinner, live music and dancing. For tickets or more information call 772-492-3243 or email: info@ysfirc.org.
