2025 Commodore’s Party Message
Dear EYC Members,
We call the gathering at the end of the summer season the Commodore’s cocktail party, but I feel it is not about the Commodore or even in celebration of the Commodore. It is the Commodore’s opportunity to recognize, honor and celebrate skippers and crew, who race in the weekly race series throughout the season; volunteers, who are generous with their time, resources and talents; and benefactors who contribute financially to the EYC. It is a celebration of EYC staff who bring it rain or shine. It is a celebration of the EYC Community who are the heart of the club.
I’m heavy hearted that a tornado blew away our opportunity to gather in celebration. Skipper of the party Julie Watkins with crew Claudia Werner created a whimsical and beautiful space which was awe inspiring! The string of life jackets and apple branches captured the essence of our gem of a sailing club which is nestled upon the Door County Peninsula. I am incredibly sad we could not gather to celebrate the accomplishments of the racers, hard work of volunteers and EYC community in this gorgeous setting.
EYC Racing was robust this season. Congratulations to all winners of the Weekly Race Series, you know who you are and so will the EYC community because we will list the winners in a blog and Fall Eagles Cry. I’m sorry we could not present your plaques to you in person, but that does not take away from your racing achievements! I hope to see you all racing again next Summer and winning plaques to add to your trophy wall and cups to add to your barware collection.
EYC is committed to the vision of building a sustainable, life enriching sailing education experience that positively impacts the community and reinforces a desire to preserve sailing’s Corinthian values. We give the Sportsmanship award to an EYC youth member who embodies this vision. I believe the Sportsmanship Award is one of the highest, if not the highest honor an EYC youth member can achieve. I am honored to present the 2025 Sportsmanship Award to Gus Braun.
As a volunteer run club, EYC only stays afloat when members raise their hands to chair fundraisers and gatherings; serve on committees; and pitch in last minute and behind the scenes. Volunteer of the year honors the EYC member who has a long history of taking on volunteer jobs that are often not highlighted or shiny. For years and years, the winner of this award has been behind the scenes making the EYC better because of all her tireless efforts. I am honored to present the 2025 Volunteer of the Year award to Carol Fiedler.
Thank you to Lisa Forsman who has served as Social Chair for four years. I believe the social gatherings allow for community building and that is what makes the club so special. Thank you for organizing and assisting Chairs and volunteers for the many social events we have during the summer! I appreciate all you’ve done to make EYC a party on the dock.
I would be remiss in not taking this opportunity to thank Geoff Werner for the many years he has served EYC on the BOD and in the Merchandise Chair Role. He created upscale classic designs for the club. I proudly don my EYC sail bags, foul weather gear, vests, polos, and t-shirts in Connecticut and get stopped by many asking if I belong to Eastport Yacht Club. When they read the fine print, Ephraim Yacht Club, they are intrigued, as they should be, because even though we only have a small clubhouse with a dock, we provide first class sailing education and racing opportunities.
I am very proud of what we achieved together at the EYC Gala this year. A huge thank you to Jane Lacy who chaired the Gala and served up the fun. No detail was left to chance and we all kicked up our heels and Lifted up EYC! Our goal was $25,000 and we raised almost $30,000. So thank you members who contributed generously!
Thank you to the EYC Board of Directors with whom I serve the EYC. It’s a pleasure to work with each of you in the summer and off season. We may close up the Clubhouse on Labor Day, but we labor for the EYC all year round.
Thank you to all Rear Commodores. I am honored to be in your company now and to have kept what you poured yourselves into afloat.
To make sense of Saturday, I look to the Tibetan custom of mandalas. In Tibetan Buddhism, sand mandalas are meticulously created as temporary works of art, only to be ritually destroyed shortly after completion. This destruction, often referred to as “blowing away,” symbolizes the Buddhist concept of impermanence and the ephemeral nature of all things. The process of creating and then dismantling the mandala serves as a powerful visual lesson in the transient nature of life.
What Julie created for us on Saturday was a work of art. The destruction blew it away, but this provides clearing for new. As EYC Commodore, I was inspired to honor the past and at the same time trim EYC sails for the future. The course is clear and I wish the best for EYC and Commodore Marta Fonseca as we sail into the future together.
With a warm heart,
Lisa Gifford