The First 100 Years

1994

A 6.8 earthquake in Los Angeles caused widespread devastation on January 17. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at an all-time high of 3,978.36 on January 31. Paula Jones filed a sexual harassment suit against President Clinton on May 6. O. J. Simpson was charged with the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and a friend of hers on June 17. His trial began on September 26. Salary caps and other issues provoked a strike by major league baseball players in August. The rest of the regular season, the playoffs and the World Series were canceled this year. The National Hockey League didn’t open their season on time in 1994 because the owners and players could not agree on a contract. The Republicans controlled both houses of Congress after the November 8 elections by narrow margins. Despite dissension between the political parties, the California Desert Protection Bill was passed at the last minute. This bill elevated Death Valley and Joshua Tree national monuments to national parks and created the Mojave National Preserve. It was the largest land conservation bill ever for any state but Alaska.

Ninety-one Bay Area Yacht Clubs were PICYA members in 1994. The FCC planned to increase the radio license fee for boaters from $35.00 to $70.00 for a five-year license. A diesel fuel tax for pleasure boats was added this year. Commercial vessels could buy dyed, untaxed diesel fuel, but pleasure craft could only purchase clear, taxed diesel fuel. This created problems with recreational boaters finding fuel in many areas because diesel distributors who had only one pump usually chose to stock only larger volume commercial diesel fuel and could not sell it to the smaller volume pleasure boaters.

The Vallejo Yacht Club fleet consisted of 53 powerboats and 154 sailboats in 1994. There were 128 Corinthian members or members between boats. Tom Newton on Captain Hooke once again won the Triton YRA One Design Season Championship in 1994. Ray LaVoie was named California Boater of the year in a ceremony held on March 26. While serving as Division 5 captain, he performed 65 operational support missions and put in 361 hours of operational patrols in 1993. He also conducted courtesy marine boat inspections and taught public boating safety classes during that time.

Vice Commodore Harry Templeton and his crew continued to landscape the front of the clubhouse, planting shrubs and flowers. Harry also provided the boat for the ladies cruises, which were hosted this year by various members. The beginning of 1994 saw the food service contract with Pacific Hospitality terminated. Member sponsored dinners and brunches were held throughout the year. Several members continued to participate in the $um Future Investment Club, and a bridge club met twice a month at Vallejo Yacht Club. Cruise Director Dave Snoddy continued the tradition of champagne and hors d’oeuvres dock parties around 4 p.m. Saturday, and Assistant Cruise Director Bob Gish began a tradition of serving mimosas with strawberries every Sunday morning on the cruises.

The south seawall was repaired this year, and work was done to repair several of the docks. Motion sensor lights were installed several places in the harbor to augment security. The heads were remodeled in 1994, mostly by member volunteers. Paul Latimer, Paul Ramsey, Don Searle and Bill Bird provided the bulk of the labor. The hardwood floors in the clubhouse were refinished, primarily by Steve Goodwin and Don Searle. A popcorn machine was acquired for the bar. Dogs being walked in the north storage area became a problem again this year and members were requested to clean up after their pets. Many cars in the parking lot were vandalized or stolen this year, and details of these incidents were being kept to help justify fences or other security measures for the club. There were 14 members of the Vallejo Yacht Club Chapter of the Blue Gavel in 1994.

Robbie and Tony Heaney sailed from Cozumel to Texas and met Larry and Barbara Hancock there during the winter. They planned to sail around the Gulf of Mexico to the Bahamas in the spring. Pat and Janet Lane were settled in Annapolis, Maryland and looking for a yacht club to join there. Bob and Rosemary Hull were still in Mexico in 1994. Articles about both the Hulls and the Heaneys appeared in “Latitude 38″ at different times this year. Clarence and Ida Tyer spent a month in Hawaii early in the year, then spent June touring Italy and Switzerland. Pat and Dave Tiefenbach traveled to the Yucatan Peninsula. LeRoy and Barbara Taylor vacationed in Hong Kong. Sal and Bev Cardinale and Bob and Kathy Carden took separate cruises in Norway during May. Gabe and Ines Gabrielson journeyed to Italy this summer. Don and Mary Searle went to Australia on their annual cruise. Cal and Iris Pannell on Ferra were cruising the east coast. Dennis and Kay Scherzinger flew to Guaymas, Mexico in October to meet cruisers Bob and Rosemary Hull.

“Bring Back My Bobby to VYC”
Lucy Ochs, Ida Tyer, Janet Evans, Darcy Evans, Maureen Snoddy and Cindy Detweiler lead the singing at Anzelones’s going away party at Vallejo Yacht Club in January of 1994.

“Pasta” Bobby and Denise Anzelone (pictured) moved to Southern California in January due to a change in Bobby’s job. He resigned as Rear Commodore, and Joe Carver was appointed to serve in that office. Under the pretext of a “pasta party,” Anzelones were lured to a surprise Italian going away party held in their honor at the clubhouse. Members donated their culinary and musical talents, and many shipmates roasted the Anzelones or presented gifts to them at the party. The Juniors helped serve at the annual Crab feed held on January 29, where 212 people consumed around 660 pounds of crab. The Junior Program was $660.00 richer thanks to the raffles at the event. Walt McComas died in January. His Sea Foam had been the Geritol cruise boat from 1982 when the cruises began to 1989 when the boat was sold.

The traditional Sweetheart Cruise to Martinez Yacht Club took place on February 12-13. Thirty-four boats and 95 members enjoyed the cruise. A President’s Day theme dinner featuring a costumed serving crew and a “Name the Presidents” contest was held at the clubhouse on February 18.DJ Jason played music for listening and dancing at a Shipwreck party on February 26.Members were invited to dress in appropriate costumes.By the end of the evening, the DJ and several members entertained the other die-hards by walking around the clubhouse and singing with great abandon.

Las Vegas Casino Night was the theme of the March 12-13 cruise to Benicia Yacht Club. Twenty-eight boats and 48 members took part.ick Jensen supervised the Jiggs Dinner that was cooked by Margot MacKerrow and Ines Gabrielson on March 19. Lucy Marlett organized an Irish music program, which featured several members singing solos and in both men’s and women’s choruses. Costumed waiters served the meal, and the evening continued with DJ Jason playing for dancing.

Betty Frye, Janet Evans, Cindy Detweiler, Lynn Miller, Pat McCarthy, Maureen Snoddy and Joan Handrich sing Irish songs at the1994 Vallejo Yacht Club Jiggs Dinner.

Fire broke out on “A” Row between Dave Lastufka’s and Bob and Donna Mielenz’ boats during the night of March 20. It was put out with fire extinguishers, but not before some of the finger pier and dock were destroyed. March 24 was the annual Vallejo Yacht Club Day at the Races chaired by Toni Borges and Anita Bird.

Delighted children searched for 144 hidden eggs at the Easter Egg hunt on April 2. Jeff Anderson played the Easter Bunny this year. Petaluma Yacht Club was the destination for a cruise on April 9-10. Those going on Friday sailed in the rain, but by Saturday it was sunny and windy, and everyone made it in time for the champagne dock party held on the Petaluma Yacht Club deck. Dinner and dancing capped the evening. Vallejo Yacht Club Opening Day had a Cajun theme in 1994 with Zydeco music and Cajun dancing, barbecued ribs and jambalaya. J.D. Sweitzer and Todd “Woody” Hill decorated the work barge Shirley and won first prize in the decorated boat contest. Ken Hall’s Lady Hawk won second prize, and Lee and Glo Cox’s Papagayo was third. Despite rainy weather, over thirty boats participated in the Blessing of the Fleet and the boat parade. “The Seven Seas” was the theme of the PICYA Opening Day on April 24.

Smoking in the clubhouse became a heated issued this spring, especially after many cities and counties including Vallejo adopted strict smoking policies, and a petition to ban smoking inside the club was presented to the Board of Directors. A special meeting was held with any member wishing to speak on the subject invited to do so with a time limit for each speaker. The Board then voted on the issue, and, going with the majority opinion, declared the clubhouse smoke free as of July 1.

The YRA Vallejo race and the party afterward at the beginning of May went smoothly and the racers seemed to enjoy themselves as usual.Thirty people signed up for a Mother’s Day brunch on May 8, and 60 were served.arp music was provided by Terri Campbell, and Doc San Filippo supplied roses for the event. An Open Boat party on May 21 featured the following boats and owners:

Earl and Colleen Trumbull doing dinghy adventures at Spinnaker Yacht Club on the Vallejo Yacht Club cruise in May 1994.

Treasure Island Yacht Club, then Spinnaker Yacht Club were the destinations of the Memorial Day cruise in 1994.ighlights of Sunday at Spinnaker Yacht Club were El Toro races with Dick Williams rounding the mark then taking it with him, and Allan Miller demonstrating that one cannot successfully stand on the gunwale of an El Toro in the water and have the boat and boater remain dry. wine and cheese tasting party sponsored by Sutter Home and a fashion show courtesy of Shirley Hausley and The Embroidery Factory took place on June 4. The Father’s Day brunch on June 19 featured harbor cruises on the work barge Shirley narrated by J. D. Sweitzer with champagne served by Woody Hill, and a fishpond in the north area where kids of all ages could try their luck at hooking dinner. Thirty boats in all took part in the Delta Cruise that started on June 25 at Caliente Isle Yacht Club.

Harbor Cruise on the Shirley Father’s Day 1994
Left to right: Bob Emerick, Dorothy Ingham, Roy Ingham, Cathy Emerick, Pat McCarthy, Jim McCarthy

Margot MacKerrow and Ines Gabrielson were hired as galley crew and began serving Friday night buffets and Wednesday night dinners for the racers at the clubhouse.Members who would clean up after dinner were offered a free meal. Sailing lessons for the Junior program started on July 9. Their season ended with a regatta in September. Jim and Pat McCarthy hosted their 25th Wedding Anniversary 50’s party at the club this month. George Van Dolson’s Newport 30 Zinfandel broke her mast in a Wednesday night race in August.Scherzinger’s old boat Windfall was back in the harbor when her new owners Lori and Jeff Collins joined Vallejo Yacht Club. Thirty-two boats made the trip to Treasure Island Yacht Club for the Commodore’s Cruise on August 13-14. Over 80 dinners were served to the participants.Even though only 26 signed up for the event, over 80 dinners were served at a beer tasting and Western night on August 20. Berthers from the Vallejo Municipal Marina joined with Vallejo Yacht Club to put on the 4th annual Flea Market on August 27.

The first ever Vallejo waterfront Jazz Festival took place on September 3-4 with various establishments along the waterfront hosting the music. Vallejo Yacht Club sponsored a beer and wine booth staffed by members. The annual luau took place on September 4.hirty boats cruised to South Beach Yacht Club on September 17-18. This was also the start of the Blue Water Cruise, which saw 17 boats heading out the Golden Gate and turning south early Sunday morning. Stops on the cruise included Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Elkhorn Yacht Club at Moss Landing, and Monterey where Greg Baldwin and Patricia Ellerbrook were married on Jambo, and the very last of the going away parties for Coxes on Papagayo was held. Lee and Glo Cox left for Mexico as the rest of the boats headed back to Vallejo. Ray Alstrom helped the Sacramento Capitols, his 70’s softball team (the players were over 70), win their division AAA World Championship Softball title by batting over 600 in the competition. “No Wake” signs were placed on the sea wall in hopes of deterring the worst of the offenders.

Norm and Barbara Owens held a dock party to celebrate the beginning of an extended cruise to Mexico and beyond on October 2. The Change of Watch was held at the clubhouse on October 8. Paul Latimer was named Shipmate of the Year. Fifteen past commodores attended the dinner and ceremony. The Art Taylor Group played for dancing after the dinner. “Vicious” (or “Varnishing”) Voss and “Rambunctious” Riker paired off for Laser races at a chili cook-off held on October 15. Since the race ended up with both racers in the water, a clear winner was hard to determine, but Rick Riker nominally won the race. Commodore Karen Ramsey retired from the Fish and Game Department this month. Twenty-five boats, nine cars and three motor homes brought 90 people to the Solano Yacht Club for a cruise on October 22-23. Attendees were pleasantly surprised by the renovated area and the new slips at the Yacht Club and at the public marina in Suisun City. The children’s Halloween party was held on October 30.aul Latimer died on October 30.

A proposed increase in house dues and harbor fees as of January 1 was rescinded at the October Board of Directors meeting, but members were warned that the increases were coming soon. Don Bishop on Connie Won took the fourth place season award in NCPCA racing. His son, Terry, from Driftwood Yacht Club took second place. Twenty-six members turned out on November 12 to clean out the second story rooms of the clubhouse and the north and south dock storage areas. Former member Betty Abramowicz died in Florida on November 18. Racing and cruising awards were presented at the Awards Dinner held on November 19. Around 120 members and guests attended this event.
Season racing winners were as follows:

Several boats enjoyed an impromptu Thanksgiving Day cruise to Angel Island where they shared a traditional dinner and later a very bumpy night on the moorings as a storm front came through the area.

The first ever Christmas Lights cruise to South Beach Harbor was held on December 2-3. Despite threatening weather, four boats made the trip with two other boats joining them on Sunday.Seven hearty souls braved the rain to watch iceskaters at the Embarcadero rink create wakes in the water standing on top of the ice. Norm and Barbara Owens left on Barbara Ann for Mexico at the same time as Sue Ann left for the cruise. Both ended up back at Vallejo Yacht Club when a jib sheet became wrapped around Barbara Ann’s propeller and Harry Templeton towed them back into the harbor. Mike Pretzer celebrated his retirement after 32 years of law enforcement with a party at the clubhouse on December 3. There was no Social Chairman with the Change of Watch, therefore each event was chaired by a different member. Tina Verchiani and her crew decorated the club for Christmas. Dave and Pat Tiefenbach hosted the Harbor Lighting on December 11. The club provided turkeys for a potluck dinner, and each person attending was requested to bring a toy or food for the Salvation Army.

Winners of the decorated boat contest were:

1st, Flamingo, Dennis and Kay Scherzinger
2nd, Sea Salsa II, Jim and Pat McCarthy
3rd, Solo, Bob and Peggy Phillips

Past Commodore Bill Hanley passed away on December 11. Toni Borges and Anita Bird sponsored the children’s Christmas party on December 17. Santa Hal Boex handed out stuffed bears, reindeer or penguins to the youngsters attending the celebration. The Rhythm Sheiks played music for dancing at the New Years Party on December 31. The club food service headed by Margot MacKerrow and Ines Gabrielson served 89 dinners, and more members joined the party later to welcome 1995.