INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The parking lot and docks at The Moorings Yacht Club were all spit and polish Saturday for The Moorings-hosted Second Annual Wheels and Keels show. Visitors inspected and admired (but did not touch) the 60 classic, custom and antique cars and dozen classic and antique yachts on display for the Youth Sailing Foundation of IRC fundraiser.
The show is the brainchild of Moorings resident Gavin Ruotolo, an cheery fellow who says, “I’m a car person. I’ve been doing these events for years, and this (The Moorings) is the perfect venue.”
Linda O’Malley, wife of Moorings Yacht Club Fleet Captain George O’Malley, was snapping pictures of each gleaming beauty, with which she will create a commemorative coffee table book, with part of the book sale proceeds going to the Youth Sailing Foundation.
Alden Findley, 13, was one of several members of the local organization, the Latitude 27.39 Sail Club, selling chances to vote on the People’s Choice winners. Alden is a Junior Instructor and has been sailing since he was 7.
Fourteen-year-old Yaelle Olivier built her boat with her dad when she was 11.
“What a neat program!” said Moorings Dockmaster David Tecsi, who had shared the project with his 10-year-old son, Samuel.
In the lagoon, a few hundred yards off the dock, overseen by a “chase boat,” several young sail club members demonstrated their skills in boats they had built with their moms or dads.
The Foundation motto is “The kids build the boats, the boats build the kids,” and Charlie Pope, Foundation Chairman, elaborated.
Called Opti Boats, (designed in 1947 by boat builder Clark Mills for the Optimist Club of Clearwater, Fla.) the neat little crafts are 8 feet long, with a single sail, made from three sheets of plywood, weighing about 80 pounds.
Today, Pope explained, there are some 250,000 Opti Boats worldwide, in youth clubs “from Denmark to Dubai.” Although some clubs use Fiberglas boats, the local club boats are wooden, built from kits – “about a 40-hour project for a parent and kid, and we help.”
The cost is about $1,600, and kits are often donated so any youth, between 7 and 15, who wants to learn how to sail may have that chance. Currently there are about 40 students in the program, mostly boys, said Pope, adding that the sailing classes are free.
Back on land, the vehicles were judged in several categories, and, for this task, Ruotolo had enlisted the expert aid of James Redman, son of international champion driver and Motorsports Hall of Fame member Brian Redman.
First place trophies went to:
- Class 1, Chrysler: Frank and Jessie Marden’s 1949 Town and Country
- Class 2, Chevrolet: Rob Hardie’s 1957 Bel Air
- Class 3, Ford: Mickey Spillane’s 1963 Thunderbird
- Class 4, American Sports Car: Jay Storch’s 1955 Thunderbird
- Class 5, Mr. Seaman’s 1941 Packard
- Class 6, German Sports Car: Christian Nast’s 1962 300SL Mercedes Roadster
- Class 7, British Sports Car: Anthony D’Elia’s 2005 Aston Martin Vanquish
- Class 8, Italian Sports Car: David Nozvesky’s 1989 Ferrari 328GTS
- Class 9, Truck: Art Bosseti’s 1954 Dodge Power Wagon
- Class 10, Truck: Scott and Chris McGuire’s 1961 Morris Minor Traveller
- Power Boat: Tom Lockwood
- Dinghy: Jeffrey McGann
- Small Boat in Water: James Carney, Tillotson Pearson
- Large Boat in Water: Bill Chambers, Salty B, Fleming
The First Place People’s Choice Award went to Keith Reynolds and his 2001 Lotus Esprit V-8 twin Turbo. Second Place People’s Choice winner was the Austin Healey 100-BN100-4 of Phil and Abby Davison.
After luncheon was served poolside, all the beautiful vehicles joined in a Red Carpet finale, with Redman providing commentary as they paraded past, led by Sheriff’s Deputy Karri Spooner in her dark blue Mustang, an “undercover” powerhouse used to nail “the aggressive drivers.”
The Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and is in the process of relocating its headquarters from the City Marina, a project that is turning out be more costly than expected. For information on the Summer Sailing Camp or to donate to the program, contact Pope at (772) 567-9000 or cpope@ysfirc.org.