Hawaii Yacht Club News

‘Whale Wars’ Makes Pit Stop In Hawaii

Captain Simon Avery and Crew Speak at Hawaii Yacht Club

October 17, 2012 (Honolulu, Hawaii) - Some familiar faces of Animal Planet’s hit show “Whale Wars” have made a pit stop in Hawaii. Captain Simon Avery of the Brigitte Bardot and his crew will be giving an impromptu talk in Honolulu tonight at 7 p.m. at the Hawaii Yacht Club. The high-tech “Batmobile” of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s fleet is currently docked at Kewalo Basin for repairs. “Whale Wars” documents the exploits of the marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd. The show follows “42 crazy die-hards with a mission” to end Japanese whaling off the coast of Antarctica. The show has helped to raise the group’s profile and their ocean wildlife conservation efforts that don’t just focus on whales. Visit the show’s official website for more information at http://animal.discovery.com/tv/whale-wars/.

Aloha and Farewell, Jim Heil

Our friend, and long time Hawaii Yacht Club member, Jim Heil, passed away Christmas Eve, 2010, at the young age of 93.

Jim was born in Baltimore, MD, six months before the end of WWI. Joining the Army himself in 1940, Jim went on to lead his troops thoughout the African and Italian campaigns.

Following World War II Jim spent several more years years in Europe, overseeing all of the skiing, restaurants, bars and other recreational facilities in Austria and nearby vicinities.

Following his service in the Korean War, Jim retired from active duty in 1962. [more]

Mark Towill Places 3rd in Inter Collegiate Sailing Association Races
Dec 30 2010
Commodore Bud Curtis Reporting

On November 18-19 MARK TOWILL, representing Brown University, garnered 3rd place in the two day Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association event.

Mark competed in a field of ten entries sailing in the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association races, in the waters off the US Maritime Academy in Great Nech New York.

Mark and his crew of four represented Brown University, where he is a student.

Mark got his sea legs at HYC and went on to be selected to crew on MORNING LIGHT in the 2009 Transpacific Yacht Race.

Congratulations Mark!

2010 CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE A BIG SUCCESS

The 16th Annual Boat Parade bookings started out slow because of the rainy weather and rough seas. BUT, our HYC Yachtswomen In Charge, Barbara Mednick and Normajean Cavell, had no fear of the deep briny seas. They somehow knew that Saturday December 11, 2010 would be one of the best days at sea.

Barbara Mednick and NormaJean Cavell pulled off the BEST PARADE we have had in many years. They had 21 Yachts signed up and money in hand, by the night of the Captains meeting.

Yachties and their crews were decorating like crazy to meet the deadline, all showing up in front of Hawaii Yacht Club at 17:30 hours Saturday evening to form the parade line…showing their stuff to the HYC members and guests on shore.

The flotilla left the Ala Wai Harbor in great fashion and amazingly stayed in line throughout the parade. [more...]

Lighted Boat Parade Photos

2010 Awards Banquet

Click here for photos!

Click here for the Program and results.

Mahalo to all participants!

Beau and Roz Hunt - Beau's 100th Birthday, Beau and Roz's 76th Wedding Anniversary

Hawaii Yacht Club spent the afternoon of September 6th, 2010, paying tribute to Beau and Roz Hunt. We celebrated both Beau's and Roz's 76th Wedding Anniversary, Beau's 100th Birthday, celebrated their friendship, long-time commitment and many contributions to HYC.

Photos Here.

Aloha, Richard Witte

Richard Witte, Hawaii Yacht Club Member, avid sailor, and power boat enthusiest, died on May 12, 2010, in Chon Buri, near his Thai residence in Pattaya, Thailand, from a lung infection. He is survived by his daughter Sandra (Sandy), grandson O'Shea (Shaker), and granddaughter Christy Jones, all residents of Las Vegas, NV.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Richard loved to travel and he loved the ocean. Richard was a retired Math teacher at James Campbell High School. He was an athelete who excelled at basketball, football, and tennis. A proud member of the Hawaii Yacht Club, Richard owned Wind Barin, a boat in the Ala Wai Boat Harbor, and also enjoyed a close friendship with Kewalo Basin's Blue Nun Sport Fishing, and owner, Bob McCowan. Richard was a member of the Ala Wai Tennis Group, made up of tennis players from throughout the island of Oahu.

A celebration of Richard's life is pending the return of his ashes from Thailand.

Richard Witte will always be rememebered by his tennis family as warm, friendly and welcoming. The names of his yachting, fishing, and tennis families are too numerous to list. They will certainly say in unison:

Aloha, Richard Witte...Aloha...We love you. We will always love you for your genuine kindness.