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Flag Officers and Chairs
The Flag Officers and Chairs are responsible for conducting the member-oriented activities of the Club, including but not limited to, on-water programs including sail training, racing and cruising, social activities, recruiting new members and maintaining membership support activities, member communications, dock maintenance and cruise-ins.
Contact: syc-foc [at] sausalitoyachtclub [dot] org
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COMMODORE – JERRY TARPIN commodore@sausalitoyachtclub.org Jerry joined the Club in 1990. He retired from the shipping industry in 1996. Currently holds a Captains license and has worked as a delivery skipper.
Jerry has served on the Board for the last four years as Port Captain and Director at Large heading up the Business Advisory Committee, and this last year took over fleet management for SYC’s power boats. Two years prior, Jerry served as a member of the Finance Committee, and prior to that in 1996, he served on the Board as Bar & Galley Director. |
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VICE COMMODORE – ROSS BLANCHARD vicecommodore@sausalitoyachtclub.org Ross has been an active member of the SYC since 2005 and was previously a member of the Santa Cruz Yacht Club. He was a member of the Finance Oversight Committee in 2010. He currently has a Tayana 48 and has owned various power and sail boats for the past 25 years. He is an active Divemaster and he and his wife Tammy have traveled the world diving remote coral reefs. After returning from Vietnam as a Marine Captain, Ross began his business career at Johnson & Johnson in the Human Resource function. Subsequently, he held a variety of progressively Senior Human Resource management positions at Frito-Lay and PepsiCo both domestically and internationally. He also served as Vice President of Administration at Atari Inc., a division of Warner Communications. He then transitioned to the Executive Search industry and for the past 20 years has managed or owned his own firm. He is currently Managing Director and equity partner of Boyden Global Executive Search in San Francisco. Past President of Scotts Valley Rotary Club.
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REAR COMMODORE – MIKE FISKE rearcommodore@sausalitoyachtclub.org Mike has been a member of the Sausalito Yacht Club since 2002 and is a life long boater. He was born and raised in Mill Valley where he resides with his wife Patrice and their two children, Ian and Morgan. Mike graduated from the California Maritime Academy in 1976 and started his career with Chevron. He holds an unlimited USCG Chief Engineers License, Steam, Motor and Gas Turbine. Mike was Chief Engineer for Chevron USA, Marine Vessels, until he retired in 2002. You can now find him on the water around San Francisco Bay, Grind Stones Joe’s or Lake Tahoe on one of his boats.
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JR. STAFF COMMODORE – JIM GABBERT jrstaffcommodore@sausalitoyachtclub.org Jim has lived in Sausalito since the early 60′s, lived on a boat until the early 90′s. He has been the Grand Marshall of the Sausalito Lighted Boat Parade for 20 of the 21 years. Jim owns and runs the 85 ft Stephens Marine “Defiance” and also owns the 164 ft yacht Invader. Jim produced and hosted the 50′s Dance Party on KOFY-TV20 which he owned up until 1998. He has been on San Francisco radio and TV for over 53 years. He also has been a member of the Waikiki Yacht Club since the mid-70′s. Jim was President of the Sausalito Art Festival and served as President and Chief Lobbiest for the National Radio Broadcasters Association from 1970 to 1980. Jim was President and Chief lobbiest for the California Broadcasters Association in the 1980′s. He has been inducted into the Broadcast Hall of Fame. Also recieved a major award from President Kennedy for having been the first succesful stereo FM in the country and has recieved many lifetime achievement awards. He has owned many radio stations and KOFY-TV. He is currently the Chairman of the California State Emergency Communications Committee handling all of the State Amber Alerts and is a fill in talk show host on KGO Radio. Jim is Vice President of the Sausalito-on-the-Waterfront Foundation.
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SECRETARY – LARRY MORAES secretary@sausalitoyachtclub.org Larry is a California native residing in Marin for more than 20 years with wife Sharon. Larry is a business executive with 39 years of management experience in the wine industry. He has led sales and marketing teams, managed companies and developed vineyards and wineries. He also served on the board of several companies connected to the wine industry. Outside the industry he has served on committees, chaired committees and served as board president of non-profit organizations. A boat owner of more than 21 years and past PHRF Division Champion, Larry and Sharon have been members of the Sausalito Yacht Club since 2000 and look forward to many more great years at the club.
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TREASURER – JIM MERRILL treasurer@sausalitoyachtclub.org Jim, a C.P.A, is a principal of Merrill Accountancy Corporation. Jim has 40 years experience in both public and private accounting. He is a past senior V.P. in the banking industry and served as president of the S.F. chapter of the Financial Managers Society. He is active in the Auburn community, having served as president of the Rotary Club, president of the Chamber of Commerce and president of the Auburn Faith Hospital Foundation. He currently serves as chairman of the Auburn Rotary Club’s Investment Committee.Jim is a speaker to many groups on tax and business related topics. Jim and his wife Rosemary have lived in Auburn for 21 years.
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PORT CAPTAIN – BILL AUBREY portcaptain@sausalitoyachtclub.org |
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MEMBERSHIP CHAIR – JOHN LERNER membership@sausalitoyachtclub.org John joined the club in 2005. He is an investment banker specializing in commercial real estate. John has been part of the Sausalito maritime community since he built his first houseboat in 1978. He is a life long sailor having raced and crewed worldwide and got his start by helping manage the family marina and yacht brokerage in Annapolis, MD. John served in the US Merchant Marines in college. John is deeply involved in all aspects of the Sausalito community.John currently serves as Sausalito Park and Recreation Commission Chair, is past President and a current Board Member of the Sausalito Lions Club and is a past Director of the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce. John has demonstrated his commitment to the SYC through continued participation in club activities having served on countless work details and club committees including Opening Day. As a member of the Board of Directors John looks forward to his continued involvement as Membership Chair.
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RACE COMMITTEE CHAIR – DAVID BORTON race@sausalitoyachtclub.org Dave’s love for sailing began with dinghies on the many beautiful lakes of Wisconsin and Minnesota. After a move to the Bay Area, he purchased an Islander 36 and campaigned in YRA races. He now owns French Kiss, a Beneteau 350, which he races in SYC races with his two accomplished sons. Dave and his wife Hanne participate in club cruises; both also enjoy sailboat charter vacations in various parts of the world. Dave retired – twice. His first career was in engineering and engineering management positions for computer manufacturers; his second career was with Hanne as they owned and managed a large preschool in Novato. Dave has been a member of SYC since 1982 and looks forward to helping the club maintain and improve its strong race program.
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SAILING INSTRUCTION CHAIR -JOCK RYSTROM sailinginstruction@sausalitoyachtclub.org |
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CRUISE CHAIR – RANDI HARRY cruise@sausalitoyachtclub.org Randi Harry & her husband Sam Balsley have been members of SYC since 2007. They live in Fairfield but keep their sailboat in Sausalito. Randi has been a boat owner on and off for 30 years and has been active in the SYC cruise program as a frequent participant and cruise captain. Randi has 35 years of financial experience, first as a partner with the national accounting firm Ernst & Young and later as Chief Financial Officer of UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, from which she is now retired.
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ENTERTAINMENT CHAIR – CHERYL POPP entertainment@sausalitoyachtclub.org |
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AUXILIARY PRESIDENT – MARY SHERMAN sycapresident@sausalitoyachtclub.org |
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COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR – ROBERT STOEBER communications@sausalitoyachtclub.org Robert is a serial entrepreneur, having launched numerous successful technology businesses since the early 80′s. The common thread has been helping companies solve their problems, improve efficiency and save money by applying the right technologies. A new resident of Sausalito, Robert, his wife Jeri and three daughters moved to California in the summer of 2011 from Park City Utah. Youngest daughter Devon is also a club member and can be seen most afternoons training with the Tam High Sailing Team. While growing up, Robert learned to sail Sunfish on the lakes and reservoirs around New Jersey. He now charters 30 and 40 foot boats on weekends. Robert is also an avid motorcyclist, instrument-rated private pilot, scuba diver and part-time ski instructor.
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