By Ron Weiss, Chair, Storm Trysail Club Sponsorship and Communications Committee
Five decades of crew were well represented at the gala, and practically a “Who’s Who” of racing are in this picture. Many more personalities – some gone, and some not able to attend – were remembered. Flanking the half-hull model are Jonathan Nye (left with beard) and his wife Karin to his left, and (at right) Rives Potts, representing the two “regimes” of Carina’s ownership. © Ron Weiss
The final numbers are in for Storm Trysail Foundation’s Annual Sailing and Legacy Fundraising Dinner – Honoring 50 Years of Carina – and the results are truly as impressive as the race record of the yacht being recognized; a net of $110,000 was tallied via ticket sales, as well as silent, online, and live-bidding auctions. The event was held on November 15 at Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, the original home of Carina when she was commissioned by the Nye family. Over 180 attendees enjoyed the evening, which began with a tour of Carina on the docks, as well as one of the Collegiate Offshore Sailing Council’s Figaro2s. Growing the fleet of the 33-foot one-design sloops and providing them to a broader range of colleges is one of the Foundation’s main objectives, and the gala gave that initiative a major boost.
Amidst a trove of silverware won over the decades by the famous yacht (and infamous crews!), the family and friends of Carina gathered and old shipmates reconnected over Dark ‘n Stormys (the featured and sponsored drink of the evening by Goslings) while a video loop of photographs of many of Carina’s special moments throughout her illustrious history was shown.
Johanna “Joey” Moffitt, Dinner Chair for the gala, was gratified by the results of the night. “Carinahas been an icon for everything that Storm Trysail Club stands for and supports: ocean racing, offshore cruising, safety at sea, the Corinthian spirit, and the promotion of good fellowship among blue water and ocean racing sailors. She has given countless offshore sailing opportunities to family, youths and accomplished sailors over a long and continuing career and her legacy is an inspiration to be celebrated. It seemed to be a fitting focus for the gala and we could not be more pleased by the response.”
Current owner of Carina, and Safe Harbor Marinas’ COO, Rives Potts has campaigned the famous yacht for 25 years. Under his helmsmanship, she has won dozens of important regattas – including the St. David’s Lighthouse trophy in the Newport Bermuda Race, twice in a row! Potts is also an America’s Cup veteran, and as a young man sailed in the 1979 Fastnet Race aboard Ted Turner’s Tenacious. This night he shared just a few of his favorite Carina stories. Many other crew told their own tales – some dramatic, some funny – but all were enthralling. © Ron Weiss
Joey welcomed all of the guests and then introduced the Chair of the Storm Trysail Foundation and former STC Commodore, Rich du Moulin, who emceed the event with humor, calling upon Jonathan Nye (grandson of the original owner of Carina, Dick Nye, and son of the next owner Richard Nye), as well as current skipper and owner Rives Potts, to share some of their fonder memories of ‘growing up’ on the McCurdy & Rhodes-designed sloop. The 50 years of Carina’s existence are split evenly between the Nye family and Potts. Du Moulin opened the auction with a surprise item; a marine toilet from Carina that had been restored and repainted in Carina’s colors, decorated with the yacht’s name. “Some of the world’s greatest sailors have had their finest moments sitting on this work of art!” he remarked to great laughter in the room. The auction then proceeded on to items including luxury vacation homes around the world, a high-end cruise package, offshore sailing passages on Carina, and a variety of other items and experiences.
Storm Trysail Foundation Chair, and emcee for the night, Rich du Moulin unveils the refurbished marine toilet from Carina to start off the auction. A large number of the guests in attendance have graced that throne over the years, and the bidding was surprisingly lively. Flush with success, du Moulin went on to generate a stream of bids for the remaining auction items. © Ron Weiss
The newly appointed Annual Fund Chair for the Foundation, Steve Minninger, was elated by the event’s success. “The evening was tremendously successful in recognizing Carina’s embodiment of the core principles of the Storm Trysail Club. Thanks to the audience’s generosity, as well as that of our sponsors, we raised over $110,000 to further support the Foundation’s Junior Safety-at-Sea program, the Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta, as well as our Adult Hands-On Safety At Sea events and other educational outreach programs. I would like to thank all of the attendees, as well as our event sponsors Safe Harbor Marinas, Goslings, ShopRite of Carteret, and Trident Studios. Additionally, auction items were generously donated by many organizations and individuals (too many to list them all), but we’d like to thank American Cruise Lines, The Royal Ocean Racing Club, TeamOne, North Sails, and USA1200.com Country Homes.”
The Storm Trysail Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to support the education of young sailors, junior and adult safety at sea, and intercollegiate big boat racing. The Foundation educates young people as they bridge the gap between learning to sail and becoming accomplished blue water sailors, through a national program of events including approximately ten Junior Safety-At-Sea seminars per year in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, California and Michigan. In addition, Adult Safety-at-Sea and Hands-on Adult Safety-at-Sea seminars are also regularly organized. For more information on these invaluable and life-saving events, email Whitney Kneisly at execdirector@stormtrysail.orgor log onto https://www.stormtrysailfoundation.org.
The Storm Trysail Club, reflecting in its name the sail to which sailors must shorten when facing severe adverse conditions, is one of the world’s most respected sailing clubs, with its membership comprised strictly of skilled blue water and ocean racing sailors. The club is involved in organizing or co-organizing various prestigious offshore racing events including the annual Block Island Race, the biennial Block Island Race Week, The Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race, the Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race, The Down-the-Bay Race in the Chesapeake, The Mills Trophy Race in Lake Erie, and the upcoming Wirth Munroe Race (December 6) from Miami to Palm Beach, Florida. They were also one of the four organizing clubs of the 2019 Transatlantic Race. For more information about the club, visit https://www.stormtrysail.org.
