Aloha Lahaina Yacht Club Members and Ohana,

Over 11 months have passed since the horrific fire blew through Lahaina Town and destroyed so much of what we all know and love. We thought it a good time to reach out and share some hope and updates.

At this time we do not have a rebuild timeline nor a guarantee of the location. We are pushing forward towards keeping our same spot at 835 Front Street where we belong. There will be some challenges there but hopes are strong that the county will want to preserve the history and charm of the Historical District.

One way or another an LYC Clubhouse will return to Lahaina and carry on our strong traditions of promoting water sports, including teaching youth and adults how to sail and provide an open and friendly Clubhouse for Members and reciprocal visitors alike to visit and enjoy.

I am happy to report that we have received the insurance settlement and it is designated for the rebuild of the LYC Clubhouse. As just about everybody in Lahaina we were under insured however Lahaina Yacht Club has retained council. If there is any negligence or fault determined through these proceedings we will be using any settlement funds to further the rebuild efforts. As of now it is reported that Lahaina clean-up efforts from the Army Corps of Engineers and Maui County may be done by summers end. Permits are already being issued for residences to apply to rebuild and courts have scheduled proceedings to begin in November of this year. Things are happening faster than expected here in Lahaina and that is great for all including LYC and its Members.

As the timeframe to rebuild is uncertain, the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees selected Malama Wealth to advise and invest all insurance proceeds along with all restricted and unrestricted donations received to date. We are also going to be opening a CD with Bank of Hawaii as well.

The Boomvangers selected four 2024 graduates of Lahainaluna High School for recipients of their yearly scholarships. The funds were from their successful Whale Watch that was donated by Sea Maui! Mahalo to Sea Maui! The recipients:

Michella Cabingas

Aidan Alibin

Carla Mae Agrade

Emily Hegrenes

We continue to receive donations and kind words from many other Yacht Clubs and LYC Ohana. A recent donation from Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club included additional funds with the request for LYC to pick another local Lahaina organization to donate a portion of the funds. The Board of Governors picked Brown Kross Hui and Lahainaluna High School Foundation. We will be meeting with them to present each with a check for $ 2,100. Mahalo Nui Loa for the Generous Donations from Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club!

With the hard work of our Fleet Captain, Isabelle, we were able to get not just the one LeLe block from the harbor, but two. We hired ADP Towing to move the blocks from the harbor to our Mala Storage. Big Mahalo to Mike with MCSF for his help with the moving of the blocks.

Huge Mahalo Nui Loa to the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunrise and help from Member Skeeter for the donation of $750 worth of tools to get us ready to move forward with sailing activities.

Reminder that a benefit of your LYC membership is reciprocal privileges to other Yacht Clubs. Just like the many who have come to LYC from other yacht clubs you will still retain your reciprocity privileges to nearly 1000 yacht clubs around the globe while traveling or visiting other places.

Functions are still going on here at LYC. While we don’t have a Clubhouse we are still having functions. We had a Holiday Party in December and an Opening Day in March both with about 200 guests at each event. We enjoyed a great luncheon at the Sugar Mill Museum for Founders Day in May and more events are on the horizon. It’s a bit different without the Clubhouse but we are getting it done.

We have a few upcoming Golf Tournaments and events that our members can look forward to. First up, we are planning to go ahead with the Lahaina Lights Labor Day Regattas. There will be a golf tournament held at Kaanapali Kai Golf Course on September 1st. And then the following month, on October 5th, we will be having the LYC Annual Golf Tournament at the same course! More details on sign ups to come soon.

Despite the challenges and uncertainties we have faced since the devastating fire, the spirit of LYC remains resilient and determined. I would like to acknowledge and thank our Members on both Boards for their tireless efforts to keep us afloat. Without Volunteers and the support from our Membership, we would not be where we are today. It is important that we keep that support strong so the Club can continue on for many years to come.

While there are a few uncertainties about timing there is no doubt about the future of the Lahaina Yacht Club. We will have a new Clubhouse, we will continue our mission to provide sailing opportunities, and we will continue to have a lot of fun along the way.

Mahalo

Linda Rickabaugh

2024 Commodore

Past Commodore 2001 and 2019-2021