Boating enthusiasts recently dropped anchor at the Moorings Yacht and Country Club which served as the venue for this year’s Florida Council of Yacht Clubs. The prestigious event is hosted by a different yacht club every six years.
Established in 1960, the FCYC is comprised of 36 member clubs from all over the state and is “dedicated to encouraging the sport of yachting and general club activities while promoting beneficial legislation and safety afloat.”
They also enjoy having fun on and off the water.
A weekend of activities kicked off Friday night with a Sunset Social. Then on Saturday, visitors had a slew of options, including a private tour of the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, nine holes of golf on the Moorings Golf Course, and a program by third-generation treasure hunter, Melvin Fisher Apt, who spoke about the history of the Treasure Coast and his own family’s famous discoveries.
The weekend also featured the business side of things, with meetings of the executive board, and with the 36 FCYC directors, as well as an educational component.
“The organization is really to promote the sport of boating, the safety behind it and the education. We come together and share best practices and skills,” said Jim Turcotte, MYC vice commodore, during Dinner Over the Lagoon, the festive Saturday evening event.
Turcotte co-chaired the event committee along with Kent Soukup, immediate past commodore; Anne Lewis, representing the MYC as its FCYC director; and Sara Duff, FCYC alternative director.
“Today we had the sheriff come in and talk about how to clean up derelict boats, for instance.
Florida just passed new laws and they took us through that process. Somebody else might talk about hazards or missing signs out on the waterways,” said Turcotte.
“We also share something about the town that we live in, so we had Mel Fisher’s grandson on the history of treasures. It was fantastic, and people really enjoyed it.”
He noted that while most of the 36 private yacht clubs are located around the perimeter of Florida, there is actually one inland; the Lake Baresford Yacht Club, as it has a connection to the St. John’s River.
During the dinner, Turcotte pointed out several of the hardworking Moorings team who contributed to the successful weekend: Craig Lopes, general manager/CEO; Executive Chef Tim Clinton, Jacob Oswald, food and beverage director; and Ursula Gunter, director of membership.
“I have the honor to really thank the team that put this together. We hope that when you leave here, you felt the warmth and hospitality of the Moorings people. That was really our goal,” said Turcotte.
“So again, thank you to the Moorings community at your tables, because they all contributed in one way or another,” said Turcotte, before turning the microphone over to FCYC Commodore Chris Jones, of the Davis Island Yacht Club.
“Thank you on behalf of the council for all your hard work. You did a fantastic job,” said Jones, before handing out their traditional prizes.
The Eau Gallie Yacht Club in Melbourne went home with two awards: The Most Boats (three) and Traveling the Farthest Distance.
And the prize for The Most Members from Another Club was awarded to the Vero Beach Yacht Club.
Following a fabulous gourmet dinner, guests closed out the evening dancing to the sound of Johnny Nicks and, before weighing anchor the next day, departing visitors enjoyed a Sunday Brunch.
Moorings Yacht Club operates within the Moorings Club with its own dues-paying members, who represent about a third of the Moorings Yacht and Country Club membership.
For more information, visit TheMooringsClub.com.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
