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Vernon Yacht Club
Vernon Yacht Club is growing!
2016 VYC Boat Show
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Vernon Yacht Club
Vernon Yacht Club is growing!
2016 VYC Boat Show
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Vernon Yacht Club
Vernon Yacht Club is growing!
2016 Vernon Regatta on June 5
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Vernon Yacht Club
Vernon Yacht Club is growing!
Hyundai and KingFisher support the 2017 VYC Winter Carnival float.
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Vernon Yacht Club
Vernon Yacht Club is growing!
VYC Women's Regatta
By Pamela Miller
The Vernon Yacht Club’s membership is consistently rising and we have been able to accommodate members needing slips as they come in each year. It is always a balance for Fleet Captain Al Cuttriss to fit boats in and it’s this time of year, early spring, when most boats are assigned. In February, Al also generously offered the Hyundai garage space to decorate, and one of their vehicles to haul our KingFisher Winter Carnival boat.
On Crane Day, April 22nd, all boats in dry storage are lifted back into the marina. Then on May 2nd, Vernon Fire and Rescue hoses down and cleans the VYC parking lot to ready the space for the 2017 Boat & Watersports Show, May 6th & 7th. This year’s Boat Show we’re celebrating Canada’s 150th and will feature the best in boating and water sports gear and offer fun for all ages! Come out and see the Jet Ski and McLellan Formula 1 demonstrations, relax on our Sailing Rides, have fun at our many UnPlug & Play children’s activities, enjoy a bite to eat on our new patio and take in the many specials and demos at our Boat Show’s vendor booths.
The annual VYC Boat Show is a FREE public that accepts donations to the Salvation Army in support of the local Food Bank. To get to the show our Kal Tire Shuttle will run every 10 minutes and Sandman Hotel & Suites is offering special Boat Show rates. Outgoing chair, Rob Mathews has done an exceptional job organizing the Boat Show over the past four years and Fred Haight hit the ground running to chair the Boat Show for 2017.
We’ve made room for growth with the new 22’x34’ deck expansion added onto our existing 14’ x 70’ deck. The view is out of this world and now more people can enjoy it! The Vernon Yacht Club has also renovated and expanded the VYC kitchen, completed just over one year ago, to allow for a raft of new kitchen equipment so we can offer menu service to our members and guests.
With more space and food, come events and programs organized by our new Staff Captain, Pam St. Pierre in coordination with our Entertainment Director, Ken Hodgson. Ken carefully selects and books all the bands and music for the events a year in advance and has even added dance music to our Friday Night Dinners once a month in the slower season.
VYC’s very popular Ladies Nights was created by Debbra Butler who runs the event on the second Thursday of most months. New this is year is our membership with the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce and we have partnered with the GVCC to host our first Business After 5, April 18th.
VYC also arranges parties for Christmas, New Year’s, Halloween, Snow-Birds’ welcome home and send-off, St Paddy’s Day etc. During the boating season every year there is the infamous annual Rib-Off in May and an unforgettable Pig Roast every September. VYC and other yacht clubs host the Commodores Ball and Sail Past as well as various inter-club “Invasion Events”.
The Vernon Yacht Club has around 30 sailboats available to attend regular Wednesday Night Race nights, Women’s Thursday Night Race Nights and the 10+ Sailing Regattas held in many locations on Lake Okanagan. For 2017 VYC is hosting the Vernon Yacht Club Regatta June 2nd – 4th and is also hosting the Okanagan Women’s Regatta, July 7th – 9th. The Women’s regatta began in Vernon in 2008, has been held at the West Kelowna Yacht Club in recent years and is now back in Vernon!
New at the Vernon Yacht Club this year is our Educational Boating Program offering Sail Canada certified Learn to Sail Courses and Safe Boating Instruction. Visit our website for more information on this and all Vernon Yacht Club activities at vernonyachtclub.com.