I have no words to describe what I just saw. Southern Yacht Club was burning to the ground. FOX News was showing it live. Having sailed there as a junior in optis, college, and as an adult, my heart sank when I saw the flames. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone there.

That is unbelievable, not just the fire, but there is not a single boat that is not a complete loss. There look to be 100+ just piled on top of one another, while the clubhouse burns. It's like the sailing apocalypse. I'm sure the ones in MS are almost as bad, though. Guess there's no point in even asking about the Lipton's next week.

Just saw it also. TOTAL DESTRUCTION. Did a Soling regatta there quit a few years ago. Great place and very friendly.

Where is it?

My sister is supposed to get married there this fall. Can't believe what I just saw. I grew up sailing there and my brother was the harbor master until recently. It looks like Patrol 2 is the only boat that will survive. It is tied to the A-frame.

What a shame, great place to sail out of, great club. Heartbreaking, hope everyone is OK. I hope Pass and the Mississippi clubs and people survive.

If anybody gets any news about the MS and AL areas information would be appreciated. All lines are down it seems.

Living in the Carolina's now but that was my childhood playground. The Gulf Coast Clubs too. I think I am going to be sick.

Breaks your heart - used to sail there at the intersectionals Tulane hosted - fun times and a lot of tradition...

abc

go to live video

hope nobody got hurt......

that pile of boats was huge.....what a mess.....and the fire was ugly......

CNN had it also

Just saw that a few hours ago while doing some gunsmithing. I grabbed the phone and called Peter O'Connor- he doesn't have cable so he didn't have to watch what I was watching. He has opened his house to some New Orleans refugees.

I had the pleasure of sailing a few J-22 regattas out of SYC, Pass Christian and Gulfport a few years back, crewing for Peter. Great times. I cannot imagine that anything is left of the fleets that couldn't be trailered out.


I couldn't help but think that tradition was burning when I saw it on the O'Reilly Factor. It may be better when rebuilt, but it won't be the same.

Sean

Yeah BG, I raced there for USF in the mid 70s. Lot's of character. Will be missed.

Lots of history lost. Sad to see it go.

From the Southern Yacht Club website.


Hurricane Katrina

(August 29, 2005) We are sad to report the that Fox News has carried helicopter camera footage showing the SYC clubhouse burning out of control in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. With the floodgates closed and emergency services understandibly focused elsewhere, there is apparently no effort being made to fight the flames. The footage also shows that many boats from the Municipal Yacht Harbor were deposited across the parking lot and grounds. We will post more information as it becomes available.

The original structure of the current clubhouse was built in the late 1940's and underwent two major renovations, in the 60's and 80's. A third major renovation to the facility had been approved by the membership just this year. The Southern Yacht Club was founded in 1849 and is the second-oldest yacht club in the U.S.

I had my rehearsal dinner there and my sister had her wedding reception in that building.Lots of regattas out of southern in the 90's,very sad.

Sailing in the gulf south is dead as we know it.

The ABC link doesn't work anymore. Anyone have any video of this?

Truly a sad day.....and I don't think a single Yacht Club is left in Louisiana or Mississippi.

I've never been so depressed.

A sad day indeed! SYC has always been a fantastic host whether for a Midwinters, POW or World Championship. I wish them good fortune in the coming weeks and months. For that matter, best of luck to the entire Gulf region!

So BWYC is beat up also?

Half the world away, we lost our club and about 70 boats and boards through arson a few months ago.

But we've learned that while there's no denying the loss, the important thing is that the club is not the boats or the building, but the spirit and the people. It sounds twee, but it's true. It can all come back better than ever before.

Southern will be rebuilt... so take some heart in knowing that. Great club where I first learned to sail in their summer program.

I really hope all those boat owners have insurance and that their carriers will not punk out. How about we lean on the folks on the FT10 boards and ask them to make however many more of those things to replace the boats that got lost on the lake in the storm when that insurance coin rolls in...

Does anyone have any news from the Northshore... like PYC or WestWind's loft? I have not been able to reach anyone and Dave's left coast boys are getting real nervous.

My thoughts and prayers are wlth all my bros in Nola and on the Northshore.

Yeah, I just saw it too. I sailed Flying Scots there in the Liptons. Nice club and great tradition. Hope they rebuild it better than ever.

Anyone have any reports on NOYC, GYC or BYC? They had to have taken a beating too.

SYC Burning

This is so sad.

As I understand it, BWYC is gone. I heard earlier tonight that Gulfport YC burned also, but can't confirm. I'm a member of both SYC and BWYC.

Did any of hte boats at SYC get out?

How did Pass Christian fair?

just got power and cable back here in fairhope. I was at the Fairhope yc all day.
Our first 4 peirs, and all boats attached to them are gone! either underwater or stuck with pileings thru them.
The YC is also basically gone. The water was 7-8 ft high in the parking lot. with 3-4 ft waves crashing on top of those. The front wall and north walls are gone. there are a few opti's floating around inside. but nothing else...

I was able to witness my Merit 25's death. I got to watch it and its trailer float into a tree. the rig went first. then the boat was pulled off the trailer. then the keel broke off. then the rudder. then it smashed into the YC., and beat itself into submission.

It served me well.

After that I just watched the remaining boats sink and the rigs fall down. Truly depressing site.

Ive heard all the Bucc YC boats are gone. and Id would guess mobile yc's boats are gone aswell.

Sailing in the GYA is in sad shape...

Wild Cherry survived. So if you know of someone looking to buy a boat I have a Sov 30 for sale. =(

Any news about Walter and Gilly??? Talked to them last night and they said they were staying....

It was people that built the club. And we are all still here. This is a tragic and unique opportunity to recraft our club.

I'm sitting and sobbing and drinking with a large group of chicken eaters and sailors too, and we all know we will rebuild, and the club will be greater than ever.

----------------------------------------------------------

On another note, I heard from my Dad, he went back to the home in Pass Christian. There is a 30ft water mark on the second floor of the house. He is over a mile up Bayou Portage from the bay.

Chris, Thats what I'm talking about! We'll be back.

Geronomio, I'm sure you mean well, but FUCK OFF! Sailing is in no way dead, the dry storage was cleared from every yachtclub in question, and if it was in any way as important as rebuilding our lives, we'd be racing the Liptons next weekend, but it's not.

Sailing on the Gulf Coast is clearily taking a hiatus, but the people that make up sailing on the Gulf Coast will again have time to dedicate to sailing, and we will see you all at the Mallorys, and the Phoenix, and the FS North Americans, and every other regatta around the country.

We'll be back.

Zane-

Glad you made it through. Thanks for the updates.

I wish I could buy you a beer right now.

-Mark

On a somewhat bittersweet note, I guess our 24 will be needed for Challenge Cup next June. Having GYA challenge cup, no matter how battered, is the only way to make sure sailing continues along the gulf.

Deke. We need it. the Olson 40's survived, My sov 30 survived. our B boat the sov 33. Im not to sure about. Your boat is a goner. every boat on that peir is gone. I think the j24 next to u might be floating. Ill see if he was impaled in the morning.
I was able to catch some of the club's trophies and other yc burgees as they floated by. Not many but its a start. Ill try to get some pics to upload tomarrow. Im afraid I have a long week of floating boats and cutting them in half.

BTW Half of the bar floated into my sov 30 which is parked behind Greg S's house. Its bad when a bar that large floats away...... I did manage to salvage a few bottle of whisky as they floated by. =) Time to fall off the wagon. =(

I guess the ongoing debate about 'adding a pool next to the club-house' is irrelavent now.

Enjoy the whiskey. If you need to, call it our minimum and put it on Jen's and my tab.

-Mark

August 1981: I was a nieve kid going /taking a B. Chance '70 from Chicago to the Caribbean for a year. I was signed on as the first mate, left college to do it, pissed off my dad.

We went down the Mississippi and stopped at the Southern for a week. I can't begin to tell you what a great time we had (In the 1800's my family came from Ireland via NO). I love the SYC and Lake Pont. and NO, and always will. My heart sinks looking at the video, but I know WE will rebuild. Many great Star regattas in the 80's and 90's as well.. God bless all.

Anyone hear anything about OSYC at Ocean Springs Mississippi? They are right on the Biloxi channel so we can only hope for a miracle...

Zaney.......what were you thinking to ride out the storm at the club??-I can't imagine what that was like.,,,,,,,did you expect to intervene with nature at such a time and save some boats??
........what was it like?,,,,,did you have some kind of back-up plan for both the winds AND the storm-surge if it was max??
............I'm glad you're okay!

Any of the locals know or heard anything about Slidell? My brother lives there and didn't leave. I was talking to him on the phone when the lines went dead. He was watching the tress drop left and right as the eye wall was bearing down on them around 10:00. The good thing is he had North winds so the lake was surging away from him but still...

He is a NPS Park Ranger in the French Quarter and Chalmette, so he probably is out of a job. He is an EMT and Fed Law Enforcement so hopefully he is out helping the local law enforcement crew. Hopefully.

If anybody has heard ANYTHING please post or PM me.

Some northshore info,

http://www.nola.com/forums/sttamtownhall/

My condolences to a great yacht club.

A club is about the people invovled and the people i remember from SYC will persevere. Good luck to all during the rebuilding process, use it as a catalyst be better and stronger than ever.
L

As Lono said, SYC will be back. One of the great YC's in the country. I hope some of the historic pictures and models were removed for display in the new clubhouse. Still, it looks to be a huge mess.

My sincere condolences and encouragement to all the SYC members.

Is SYC and or the other clubs insured for this?

Truely a great club and excellent place for springtime regattas. Did many J22 events there as well as a couple of Star regattas. One of the few clubs to my knowledge that had a true staple bartender.

My heart's with you guys throughout all of this. Best of luck and I look forward to your triumphant return.

Sure they have some insurance. More than likely, their policy includes wind damage, and fire damage. While flood coverage is found in a separate policy, many don't buy it thinking it is too expensive (until shit like this happens).

It sucks to be treasurer at times like this. Not only do you have to get your home and business re-established, you also have a yacht club to rebuild!

Can anyone else get into the New Orleans Yacht Club website noyc.org? It had a nice BB. It would suck if that server was underwater.

I think their server is under water, but moved the BB to www.NOYC.info, which is on a server outside of town.

J130 is Java OK?
Keeping fingers crossed that she was spared somehow.

Are you watching the storms progression to the north/northeast? As all of that water dumps on the land, it will go into both the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and end up going through New Orleans in about 1-1/2 to 2 weeks. They are going to get this storm from both ends.

To all affected by the storm, my thoughts and prayers are with you. To the members of the Southern Yacht Club... like the legendary Phoenix, the symbol of the City of San Francisco, we will see you grow from your ashes. The backbone of your membership is strong. We are excited to witness your rebirth.

Most importantly (as I'm sure is the case everyone else too)
My thoughts and prayers go out to all who are touched by this Storm !!!!!!








Sorry to be the one to flood on your parade But

Flood insurance won't cover a storm like that, It wasnt a flood

It was a storm surge etc.

Flood insurance is for when the mississippi gets too wide and stuff like that

The Flood I. is worthless in Most cases

Mabey the Fire Insurance will pay


I could be wrong about that Storn but Wave action from the Ocean, is not coverd by Flood Insurance

I'm required to have Flood Insurance on my rental yet could never file a claim on it with all the exclusitions