Hawaii Yacht Club
General Manager's Farewell Column

February 15, 2012

To the fantastic members of HYC,

As you all know I have outlined the very challenging financial future for your club. Difficult decisions have to be made for the benefit of the organization.

The Board of Governors is faced with the task of meeting our financial obligations and often you do this by growing revenues and trimming expenses. Unfortunately we have not seen the required growth in membership needed to sustain the expenses. I have accomplished significant cost reductions and spearheaded the Dues increase in order to keep HYC solvent. However with recent turns of events I have predicted a financial shortfall for 2012.

Effective immediately, the BOG has chosen to reduce costs by eliminating the General Manager's position. Therefore I am no longer your Club Manager and I will not be seeing you on the job.

I will miss many of you, as we have become friends.

Thank you for the exceptional opportunity to assist HYC this past year.

Many wonderful friendships have come about this past year. I would be honored to keep in touch with my many friends at HYC. Farewell and God bless to you all. I will miss you. Retirement isn't so bad.

Sincerely
Chris Laletin
808-772-2133
chrislaletin@mac.com

January, 2012

December was an exciting month for the Hawaii Yacht Club. Sure the summer Transpac was exciting; but for me, the Year End Sailing Awards Banquets (HRYA & HYC) were fantastic. These events really are what HYC is all about. The room was set beautifully with white linens, the menus were delicious, all the trophies were polished and displayed, the presentations were excellent, and there was a feeling in the air that oozed with excitement and pride. Not only for HYC but mostly for those members and their children that participated all year long on the water doing exactly what our mission is: yachting. Top it off with the Wounded Warriors Fishing tourney and we know that it is events like these that are the culmination of dozens if not hundreds of members and volunteers working towards a common goal. This is what makes our lives worthwhile. I have never been more proud of HYC than I was in December.

We accomplished plenty in 2011. I jumped onboard just in time for the Japan Tsunami. My years of boating experience came in handy on the dock that day. Shortly after that the office staff delivered on their promises to depart HYC so I quickly interviewed candidates and brought Terri onboard to handle our books and she has performed tremendously, learning our software and straightening up many accounts. Our monthly P&L statements are much more organized. Then we began the process of reviewing all our contracts and renegotiating or eliminating services when possible resulting in reduced costs. We experimented with an outside cleaning company that did not perform well enough so we brought back two of the three original cleaning employees.

The life blood of HYC's cash flow is our JONAS club management software. Terri began the process of installing four years of upgrades which have provided better stability and functionality for the program. Our accounts payable are on track taking advantage of early discounts and avoiding additional late fees. Combining all of the streamlining and cost control initiatives implemented this year, we have realized savings of $40,000 per year. Not bad but not enough.

The dues increase we secured will make a significant difference in our operating budget but I can't emphasize it enough: HYC is driven by membership dues. Each of you has a responsibility to welcome in new members. Imagine how 100 new members' dues would provide funds to not only squeak by, but to implement much needed improvements.

At this New Year we each have to ask ourselves, "What will my role at HYC be in 2012"? Will you be one of the fantastic members that volunteer your expertise in any number of ways to insure that HYC does become an Irresistible Yacht Club? Or will you sit on the side lines expecting somebody else to step up to the plate and fix everything for you? Yet somewhere, eventually, it is imperative that some action takes place. Without action, great plans can sit around untouched forever. We need our future to be about more than good intentions. We need our future to materialize with the fruits of our labor.

I challenge each of you with one task. Come to the January General Membership Meeting with one idea how you personally will make a positive difference in 2012. Be prepared to share it out loud.

Chris Laletin, HYC GM

December, 2011

Mele Kalikimaka and Hau' oli makahiki hou,

For our Associate Members that don't spend enough time in Hawaii, that greeting translates into Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. All too often in our much commercialized world, we forget the true meaning of Christmas.

It is not about giving fancy gifts to your friends although it's OK to do so.

If you are fortunate to be able to give to your neighbors, whether it be something hand made or from a store, please keep in mind that during these very difficult economic times, it is our neighbors that need us most. Not foreign countries. So when you are considering what gifts to give, please buy American. Or better yet give gift certificates that will support your neighbors. We all drive cars, consider a gift certificate for an oil change at the local gas station. Everyone needs a haircut sooner or later. A give a gift certificate to the local barber will not go wasted. I'm sure you get the idea by now. Besides giving to your friends, you can support others in your community with just a little thought. Let's keep our generosity here at home, not offshore.

The members recently passed a dues increase. That will generate the capitol required to meet our obligations as we progress into 2012. But as I have been reminding everyone, this is a membership supported club. We need more members if we want to be able to maintain our beautiful facility with the necessary repairs and improvements you deserve.

The best news is that HYC has received an insurance check covering most of the costs of replacing the Aloha Dock. Your new Board will be tasked with properly managing that essential project. If you have the knowledge and skills at project management of this sort, please do not hesitate to step up and assist your board.

We have to transform HYC into an IRRESISTIBLE yacht club. The best way we can begin this transformation is to let go of the past and look only ahead to a bright future. Don't get wound up by gossip and story telling of the past or one another. Each one of us has the opportunity every day to represent HYC in the best way possible. A positive attitude is contagious, as is a negative one. If your positive spirit-to-serve is evident, other will step up and volunteer right along side you. When you become engaged with the Hawaii Yacht Club's mission, the results can be amazing. It is going to be an exciting season ahead as we tackle new issues with some fresh eyes and clear minds on your Board. As Ron Pestel so eloquently said "Let's get er done".

For the first time in memory, the November General Elections produced a tie between Linda West and Janet Scheffer. They are running to fill the governor spot vacated by Jim Schimt and this will be for only a one year term.

The run-off election will be held at the December General Membership Meeting on December 20th. If you will not be able to attend in person, absentee ballots are available from the office.

On behalf of the employees at the Hawaii Yacht Club, have a wonderful holiday and we wish you the very best for 2012.

Chris Laletin

GM, Hawaii Yacht Club

November, 2011

I think I should take more vacations. A lot of exciting things happened in my absence. First and most significant is that HYC has a new Concessionaire operating our Galley. David Burlingame and Bob Silvia launched the new operation on a 48-hour notice. They have already provided Early Bird Specials, extended hours of operation, and what I like most, a CAN-DO attitude that will support HYC events and members. Please give them a try and I ask a little patience during the first few weeks of operations as we repair kitchen equipment. I am certain that this change will provide members a wonderful reason to visit the club and even bring in friends and potential new members to experience your yacht club.

During my first weeks at HYC I received a suggestion letter from Bud Thompson who was a long standing HYC member and BOG member. Yes he has passed on but his comments resonate with me today. Reviewing his suggestions the one that hits home is that "we have to make everyone feel welcome" at HYC. At the recent October general Membership meeting, our Commodore read another member's comment letter (resignation letter) and it detailed that during this persons membership at HYC, he and his family rarely if ever felt welcomed. In fact other than the office team and Commodore no one ever said hi to them when they visited. And they were boat owners too so you would think they should have fit right in with our yacht club membership. We have an endemic problem here at HYC that without improvement will spell out a dark future for HYC. At every meeting I spell out that increasing our membership is our key to HYC success. The Office team is doing it's part. Now it is your turn.

Some of you may have heard of Wayne Cordeiro, he is the Senior Pastor at New Hope Christian Fellowship here on Oahu. New Hope Oahu leads the nation in attendance growth and has been recognized as one of the top 25 churches in the US. Why do I mention this? Wouldn't it be nice to say that the Hawaii Yacht Club is a leader in membership satisfaction, growth and engagement? We can learn from the best. Pastor Cordeiro's latest book An Irresistible Church details the principles, which can translate to any organization that wants to be irresistible.

If HYC is going to be a vibrant Yacht Club for another 100 years, we have to become an Irresistible Yacht Club. So let me paraphrase some gems from Wayne's book and I will substitute Hawaii Yacht Club when appropriate. Here are just a few:

" An irresistible yacht club fulfills its purpose. It provides an opportunity to meet others and make lasting, authentic friendships.
" An irresistible yacht club has a strong sense of mission. Lives are transformed, and new leaders are raised up.
" You long to go to an irresistible yacht club every week. Simply put, you look forward to being a part if it's function. If you miss a week, you are disappointed rather than relieved. You want to be involved because good things happen.
" You want to invest in your irresistible yacht club for the long haul. You have no compulsion to "shop around" for another yacht club. You have a strong sense of satisfaction at an irresistible yacht club.
" You tell others about your irresistible yacht club. You feel comfortable, even eager, talking about HYC with other people. You have healthy pride in HYC.
" You relax at HYC knowing it's a model of growth not perfection. We don't have to be flawless and we realize mistakes are made yet people at HYC own up to their mistakes and learn from from them.
" You are delightfully challenged at this yacht club. You leave different than when you arrived. An irresistible yacht club educates, motivates, and empowers you each week with new tools for life.

Do these bullet points describe our yacht club? If not we have work to do. You have the power to help create the irresistible yacht club you long to be a part of.

October, 2011

Some things are out of our control…………….

Sailors and power boaters have a lot in common. They are resourceful and know that when you are offshore, you have to rely on yourself and your crew for everything. But some things are truly out of our control. Like the weather: sometimes no wind, sometimes too much wind. Sometimes plenty of fish, sometimes no fish at all. It's just out of our control. But we find ways to enjoy our boats in spite of this.

That is kind of like our parking situation here in the Ala wai boat harbor. Specifically I am referring to the passes that are allocated to Ala'wai slip owners and to the HYC. Parking & towing frustrations have contributed a negative impact on our membership numbers. Exactly what we don't need. I've been demanding it and finally Diamond Parking has installed the "pay & display" stations in our area, which eliminates the guesswork. It is a lot more comforting to have a receipt for the time you purchased.

HYC is allocated only 50 parking passes per month and this is directly proportional to the number of slips we have. My predecessor made it difficult to purchase passes at HYC and they typically sold about 22 per month. That left about 28 more available for sale to HYC members direct at Diamond Parking.

Fast-forward to today. Our staff has improved our over-the-counter service and more folks are purchasing them directly from us. Actually we do such a good job that for the first time ever we have sold out of passes the past several months. I have tried to secure additional passes from Diamond and they will not budge. Speaking with some of our prior Board members I've been told that HYC spent thousand dollars in legal fees in an attempt to gain more stalls. All to no avail. As I said earlier, "Some things are out of our control".

Let me clarify the policy we follow for the purchase of parking passes to our members.

We begin to sell passes 45 days ahead of time. We stop selling passes 15 days before the month begins because we have to go get them from Diamond. If you wait until after the 15th to see us to purchase one, it will be too late to get one from HYC. If I haven't already sold them all, Diamond will continue to sell passes to HYC members until all 50 are gone.

Parking passes are allocated according to mooring slips therefore I will prioritize our HYC slip holders as first on our reservation list. If you already have a permanent slip over in the Ala'wai, you are entitled to a pass direct from Diamond. Please purchase your pass direct from Diamond leaving the HYC allocation to other members who are not entitled to a pass direct from Diamond Parking. Knowing how the process works should reduce any surprises and frustrations in the Parking Pass process.

Onto other items, October is a busy month with music, regattas and anniversaries to enjoy. Please check out the calendar and our website for the latest updates. Have a wonderful month enjoying your club.

Chris Laletin

September, 2011

Yacht Clubs are an interesting operation. Not unlike our government but on a smaller scale. HYC has members who elect a Board of Governors to represent them. Then the BOG is tasked with making the decisions, on behalf of the membership, that provide the direction and future of the HYC while looking out for the best interest of the majority of its members. Of course you can't please everyone but that is OK.

It seems to be a thankless job serving on out Board and I want to give credit where it is due. The difficult decisions that the BOG has to make are not always the popular ones and that is the case more often than not. Since the Board represents the membership, it is very important that our members provide constant feedback. As your Club General Manager, I am on site more often than most board members so please feel free to share your thoughts with me in person, by email, or into the suggestion box so I can bring your ideas to the monthly board meetings. I will do my best to pass on your ideas accurately.

The Hawaii Yacht Club, like most yacht clubs I read about, is having its challenges maintaining membership or better yet growing membership. This is due to many factors including the uncertainty of our national economy. We are at a crossroads today because our membership numbers and costs that have not increased in many years. Combine this with annual cost of living increases and we see that changes are needed in order to keep our club financially viable. Ideally we need to grow our membership and this is where each of you can make a difference. Like I have asked at our monthly meetings, if half our members each brought in one new member before year-end, HYC would be in a much more comfortable financial condition. Everyone was thrilled to see so many new members introduced at the August meeting. The club still needs your help. We need many more Regular Members in order to be able to fund the capitol improvements that are desperately needed around our club. I'm sure we agree, we want HYC to be the best it can be.

There are several items that our volunteers can assist us with. If you can volunteer or head up a group to oordinate any of these please contact me.

• Roof repairs
• Office electrical upgrades
• Hot water and plumbing improvements
• Front fence replacement
• Carpet upstairs and downstairs
• Lower galley cabinet repairs
• Installation of mop sink
• Seawall bulkhead repairs

We have a great resource in our membership. Please give us a hand sprucing up our club.

We have many membership levels including Senior Memberships that rewards our long time members with a dues discount. If you qualify for one of our discounted please contact our office.

Aloha

Chris Laletin

August, 2011

Aloha members and visitors alike,

Adrenalin is a wonderful thing. Some of us are adrenalin junkies and it's fantastic what you can accomplish when you are pumped up. Imagine the sailors setting up for the starts in California, hearts pounding, everyone wanting to be in the same spot at the same time for a perfect start with clean air ahead, screaming commands, grinding wenches, calling distances and rights of way, the count down is ticking and KABOOM the cannon goes off. We are on our way to Hawaii. Then the adrenalin rush is over, for the moment at least. Everyone settles down and into his or her rhythm and then the reality sets in: we have 2200 miles to go, better pace ourselves. Get ready for the Adrenalin pumping sleigh ride through the Molokai Channel to the Diamond Head Buoy.

The big guns hit the start line on July 9th, and the pressure to be first over is tremendous. These monster sleds of the likes of Magnitude 80, Bella Mente, Pendragon 6, Medicine Man and others, are the rocket ships or our mono-hull fleets and the excitement of pushing them over the limit is certainly not for the faint of heart. Or should I say they are for the adrenalin junkies.

For the racers it is an exciting time. But let's not forget all of the volunteers here in Hawaii that were also in a race to make sure everything was ready to welcome the boats in with our Spirit of Aloha and Hospitality. We could not pull off a flawless week of organization and entertainment without our volunteers. I guess you can say that most of us volunteers who were on deck 24-7 are adrenalin junkies too. It was truly amazing that we accomplished everything we had to. I am so proud to stand alongside the many HYC members who stepped up, dug their heals in and put in the spectacular efforts to once again show the world that our Members and our Aloha Dock and HYC is the club of choice for cruising and racing sailors alike. No body does it better!

By all accounts this event was a record breaker for HYC with the Aloha Dock full, lots of hosted parties and a sold out Luau, exactly what we needed. Thank you to everyone that participated.

Like all adrenalin rushes, there is that "afterwards" feeling when it's all over that leaves you a little blue. So lets all take a few days to savor the memories, talk lots of story, rest our weary bodies, and get refreshed, so we can be ready to take on the next exciting challenge before us. And that would be to grow our membership as we continue the volunteer efforts while we renovate and repair items around the club. We need to make this place shine like the trophies in our display cases. I am seeking volunteers that can help to refurbish the lower galley kitchen cabinets.

Even though Transpac is over, our race at HYC is in full swing. Like all races, my adrenalin is pumping; I'm excited (and with your support) to drive the Hawaii Yacht Club to the top of the leader board. Every race crew works as a team, with a common goal. Our race team, and by that I mean you the HYC members, are in the race. The finish line goal is to put HYC back on the top of the leader board; in appearance, in Aloha Spirit, in Teamwork and in O'hana. We are doing it together.

Mahalo
Chris Laletin
General Manager

July, 2011

Have you ever said, "That was a close call"? Who hasn't? Maybe it happened during a regatta when you didn't see another boat on starboard tack until they were about on top of you. Or when you came aboard your boat to find the bilge pump had failed and the water was a lot deeper than you ever want to see again. Our recent Tsunami was a close call. I consider these events little wake up calls so we snap out of our comfort zone and pay more attention to what's going on and what we need to do to stay out on top of our game.

As I am writing this, HYC's wake up call is that TransPac is two weeks away. If you have not signed up as a volunteer for the event, let this be your wake up call. We still have a few things to complete. Give me a call.

Tickets are on sale for the Okole Maluna Luau which takes place on Wednesday the 20th. Doors open at 4:00pm. Stop by or phone the HYC office to purchase your tickets in advance. The Galley by the Sea restaurant has extended hours for the week beginning on July 16th through the 23rd. In addition to these extended hours, the Galley has a "Grab-N-Go" party menu for the round the clock welcoming parties. I can tell you that Chef Alfredo has presented several fantastic party menus for several recent parties at HYC.

Breakfast: 8:30am - 10:30am (except July 20-22-23)
Lunch: 11:30am - 1:30pm (except July 20)
BBQ: 1:30pm - 3:30pm (except July 20)
Dinner: 5:00pm - 10:00pm (except July 20)

The Ship's Store has received a lot of new merchandise including TransPac specific HYC logo items. If you are just visiting, you can't go home without a souvenir of this historic event and location. So come on in, get your collector's Tees, Caps, Visors, Aloha Shirts, Coozies, Belts, Silver TP Coins and plenty more.

With the reopening of our Aloha Dock on June 12th we have already welcomed several yachts that are making their way around the Pacific. Seems most are heading back towards Vancouver this time of the year. We have already confirmed reservations for four TP boats including Relentless, Victorie, Peregrine and Paranoia. We have room for more and if this year is like past years, we will have many beautiful boats at our Aloha Dock.

Now let's just hope there aren't any "close calls" for the brave skippers and crews that are heading our way. Happy Sailing!

Ahoha,
Chris Laletin, GM-HYC

June, 2011

The summer sailing season is rolling in and for good reason it seems that all the buzz in the air is Transpac preparation. Transpac requires tremendous planning with hundreds of volunteer hours all working together to insure HYC presents itself well and that our visitors are welcomed with HYC's tradition of Aloha.

Our employees are paying extra attention to each and every detail that it takes to keep our house & grounds in good order. In case you haven't noticed, our lawn and gardening is looking better than ever. We have removed a lot of items (junk) that has collected around the property. Our members are beginning to use the "To Do" clipboard in our lower galley to inform me and the employees of items that need attention or repairing.

The chef is putting together his plans for expanded menus and hours of operations during the TP event as well as creating catering menus for our visiting yachts to request on board their boats. New TP merchandise is on the shelves in our Ship's Store and our members and guests are already snatching them up. A special Mahalo goes out to VC Ron Pestel and HYC member Suni Danforth that have been working closely together in the design, ordering and display of the new merchandise. Come on in and take a look while the best selection of sizes and styles are on the shelves.

From the Operations perspective one of my prime objectives is to review and understand the many existing vendor contracts presently in place. Are our contracts appropriate in today's environment, are we getting the best prices, and should we be considering new options to improve our services while reducing costs? For example, HYC has been renting the beautiful plants that were up in the Galley dining room. We have good staff that can care for our own plants so last month I canceled the rental contract and purchased our own decorative plants. With all the desired TV channels and sports available on the standard Oceanic Cable offerings, we have eliminated the extended channel cable package. HYC has maintained memberships in various organizations, some required, some optional and a few unnecessary. Obviously we have discontinued several. Just these few changes will save HYC over $3000 per year. I know there is a lot more "low hanging fruit" to be picked as we tighten our belts.

Hawaii Yacht Club is here for the members, no other reason. You have my commitment to insure that each month we improve our services, reduce unnecessary costs, and manage our facility the very best we can. However, our membership plays a significant role in the success of the club. Most important we need our members to utilize the club facilities and support our events. If every week could draw in our membership like the chef's fantastic Easter and Mother's Day events, wow, the facility would be hopping all the time. There are many regular events that you should come to and join in the fun. How about the Monday evening BYO BBQ, or the Friday evening race celebration, or the great music and dancing every weekend. We need you to come on down and bring a friend or two with you. Here is your ultimate opportunity to support the club, sponsor a new member application. If just one out of four members brought in a new member this summer, we would grow our membership to historic levels. It's my goal; make it your goal too.

Chris Laletin
HYC General Manager

Email
808-546-9055

May, 2011

May 2011 HYC General Manager Article
Submitted by Chris Laletin, GM

What is it about The Hawaii Yacht Club that draws people in? What is it that keeps our members involved and passionate about HYC? Now that I have been on staff for a couple months, the answers to these questions are becoming evident.

Yacht Clubs, especially those with a long and colorful history, can intimidate folks that would like to know more but don't know just how to get involved. We think of the glory days of yachting; tall ships, match racing, famous places like the New York Yacht Club or Newport Rhode Island, or Coronado Yacht Club. We have all heard of traditional regattas like the America's Cup, Vende Globe Around The World, Volvo Open Ocean, The Louis Vuitton Cup and of course our own Transpac Race. More recently the high tech Multi-hull regattas are coming of age including the recent 33rd America's cup, which paired up the Alinghi catamaran against the BMW Oracle trimaran. These monsters with 100-foot waterlines and beams of 45 feet easily paced along at three times the wind speeds. Throw in the Extreme-40 catamaran series and now the Auckland launch of the AC-45 training cats for the next America's Cup (which will be raced on 72 foot catamarans with wing-masts in San Francisco) and indeed Yachting can be both exciting and intimidating to those that want to get involved. Without a doubt, sailing is becoming just a bit more interesting these days and is capturing the eye of many people.

That is just what sailing requires today, excitement that draws new enthusiasts. We must find ways to excite, encourage and invite new people into our organization. We need to welcome novices, youngsters, and landlubbers alike with open arms. As an HYC member you are wondering what can you do. Offer to take a friend or visitor sailing, invite them to lunch or dinner at our club, let them know that we are not all that intimidating. We are just like everyone else, except, we have a passion for boats, the water and good friends. It could be sailing, racing, cruising, fishing, or just sightseeing our islands from an offshore perspective. It could be on big boats, small boats, power or sail. It doesn't much matter. Once you see our beautiful islands from out on the water you are hooked.

There have been so many I can hardly recall just how many people I have invited for a sail on board my Hobie Miracle-20 catamaran. Sometimes it's a thrilling high-speed ride at 20+ knots or maybe a relaxing snorkel cruise in light winds out to the Kaneohe Sandbar. Either way, more often than not, these people are changed forever; the sailing bug bites them. And all of a sudden, their apprehension of becoming part of a club melts away. Matter of fact, they often want to sign up as fast as they can.

The Hawaii Yacht Club has a jam-packed calendar that includes on the water activities like fishing, cruising, racing and boat parades. HYC also offers plenty of club house events including live music, dancing, BBQ cookouts, member hosted lunches and holiday buffets. Any of these events are your opportunity to share your passion for HYC with someone new. I challenge each of you to seek out your friends and acquaintances and have them experience what it is about The Hawaii Yacht Club that keeps you engaged, involved and coming back for more.

What is it about HYC that draws people in? Most importantly it is all about friendship. After that it could be any of dozens of things including our recreational activities, the convenience of the clubhouse with lockers and showers, the dining, or the access to the members commercial kitchen to host your own private parties. Possibly it's the camaraderie in the lounge after the Friday night racing, or dancing to the sounds of live music. Or maybe it is just having a great cup of morning coffee with friends in the lounge while reading the morning paper. Share you passion, support our club, invite your friends on over.

Chris Laletin
General Manager
HYC

April, 2011

Aloha to our many loyal Hawaii Yacht Club members. I would expect that my first few weeks at the HYC position would be fast and furious. Start off with a last minute booking for the Brazilian party, which was a big hit especially when the scantly clad dancers came on, and follow that up with a Tsunami and you can say I jumped in and hit the dock running.

My priorities include organizing and streamlining many of the office tasks particularly in membership billing, purchasing and inventory controls will help our team's efficiency so our staff can provide a warm welcoming experience to our members. There should be no misunderstanding that the reason our staff is here is to take care of you - our members.

It is great to see members volunteering at the club with events like the Saturday BBQ, decorating for St. Patrick's Day, general straightening up duties, and of course the on-the-water events for Keiki sailing, big boat racing, cruising and fishing tournaments. There are a few areas that I see need a bit more support and I am asking for volunteers. The Ship's Store hours of operation need to expand so we have it open for at least a few hours every day. And there are many more opportunities to contribute your time. Our committee chairs are ready to sign you up.

I was born on Long Island, New York, on Christmas Day in 1954 and my boating life began soon as the summer rolled into Long Island Sound aboard a classic Marblehead cabin cruiser. While visiting the Florida Gulf Coast in I discovered sailing with my first ride on a Hobie catamaran. My passion for sailing progressed into larger multihulls with a 23' Dick Newick Tremolino Tri followed by a Norm Cross 28 Tri. Exploring aboard "Elixir" from Tampa to Key West and across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas I logged enough hours to secure a USCG Captain's License with a sail addendum. Now on Oahu I sail and race a Hobie Miracle 20 catamaran with the Kokokahi Sailing Club.

My Marriott International career spans 30 years starting in Florida and continuing through, Maui, Phuket, Oahu and Kauai. My experience touches all aspects of Hotel and Vacation Ownership resort including Food & Beverage operations. It is now my pleasure to combine my passion for sailing and for the hospitality industry and bring them to you at the Hawaii Yacht Club as your Club General Manager. I look ahead to developing lasting friendships while I work hard to insure your club delivers exactly the membership experience you are seeking.

My email and cell phone are now activated, and you can contact me at 808-546-9055 or
HYC - GM @ hawaii . rr . com

Mahalo and happy sailing.

General Manager - Chris Laletin

Chris was born on Long Island, New York, on Christmas Day in 1954 to parents of Serbian, German and Irish mix. Chris's boating experience began as soon as the weather on Long Island Sound became favorable. Every summer his family circumnavigated Long Island on their Marblehead 34 foot classic cabin cruiser. This is where Chris began learning his seamanship from his dad, who had served in the US Coast Guard.

On New years Day in 1979 Chris was bitten by the sailing bug with his first ride on a Hobie cat. Catamaran sailing became Chris's passion while living on Marco Island, Florida, racing in the beach-cat circuit. His first cruising under sail venture began with the purchase and restoration of a Dick Newick designed 23 foot Tremolino trimaran, followed by the purchase and restoration of a Norm Cross 28 foot cold molded Trimaran. With this legitimate long distance cruiser, Chris joined the Sailing Association of Marco Island campaigning "Elixer" in the local races and completing dozens of trips up and down the Gulf Coast, Keys, Bahamas, and Dry Tortugas. Logging enough sea time Chris secured a Coast Guards Captain's License with a sail addendum. Then Marriott Resorts relocated him to Maui where he met his wife Margaret and together, they took a sabbatical from sailing for ten years.

In 2000 the Laletins relocated from Maui to Oahu where Chris jumped back into the beach catamaran scene in Kaneohe. Presently Chris and Margaret sail a Hobie Miracle-20 super light cat with all the go fast trimming features. Chris serves as Commodore of the Kokokahi Sailing Club in Kaneohe, which boasts an 80 boat fleet with a very active calendar including monthly racing, off-shore two-day cruises to Kahana Bay and an annual overnight run across the channel to Molokai and back.

Chris's Marriott career spans 30 years, beginning on Marco Island, Florida and continuing through Maui, Oahu, Phuket, and Kauai. His experience touches all aspects of Hotel and Vacation Ownership resorts including Catering and Events, Restaurants, Housekeeping, Front Office, Loss Prevention, Concierge, and Bell-Valet. Chris's areas of responsibility have included managing groups of up to 20 managers and more than 250 associates at a time. Last spring, while serving as the Director of Operations at the beautiful Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club Chris retired from Marriott Resorts.

As the Hawaii Yacht Club General Manager, Chris combines his passion for sailing, as well as for hospitality industry operations, into this exciting opportunity. Already meeting many wonderful HYC members, and following his first busy week, including an impromptu Brazillian birthday celebration and a tsunami(!), Chris looks ahead to developing lasting friendships while working hard to insure our club delivers exactly the membership experience we are seeking.

Chris can be found at the Club, nearly anytime, and is available at 808-546-9055 or HYC-GM @ hawaii . rr . com.

Welcome aboard Chris, Mahalo, and happy sailing!