If you’ve ever seen an Island Packet 44 called Cats’ Paws sailing out of her home slip at the Hampton Yacht Club, you’ve run across Michael and Eileen Turner, both active club members at the Old Point Comfort Yacht Club (OPCYC). One of them writes a lot of the articles you read here in SpinSheet, and the other one is the commodore of Old Point Comfort YC.
How did you get into sailing?
Even before I had a sailboat, I would take vacations on a chartered sailboat or the original Windjammer ships, just to be able to get out on the water and sail. I really got into sailing more than 25 years ago, when I moved to Virginia to take a job in Newport News. I had the good fortune to make friends with a group of people who invited me to sail with them. Among them was the man I would later marry, who had a sailboat and a lifetime of sailing experience. The rest is history.
What’s the best part about being in a cruising club?
Camaraderie. Sailing in the company of others, be it here on the Chesapeake Bay, down in the islands, or up to New England. And very importantly, meeting people around the world who have like interests.
What offices have you held in the club in the past?
Rear commodore – fleet, public affairs officer, member at large, vice commodore…
What’s the best part about being commodore?
Having the honor and opportunity to serve so many wonderful people who are members of our club, sharing information, experiences, and overall good times.
Do you have a favorite recent memory from a club rendezvous or raftup?
The OPCYC enjoys a long-standing cruise to the Cape Charles Town Harbor every Memorial Day weekend to kick off the cruising season. Also, we have enjoyed cruising to New England and as far as Maine with various OPCYC members five times in the past six years. In 2016, we had seven boats that participated. And, my husband and I enjoyed a beautiful cruise on another club member’s boat to the Spanish Virgin Islands in February of last year.
