Newport
(R.I.) July
15, 2010 — A
record crowd
of some 700
guests
flocked to
the
International
Yacht
Restoration
School on
Saturday,
July 10 to
attend the
school’s 13th
Annual
Summer Gala
sponsored by
US Trust
Bank of
America
Private
Wealth
Management
and Lexus.
Sailing
personalities,
local arts
and cultural
figures,
state and
government
officials,
marine-industry
leaders, and
IYRS fans
from as far
afield as
Bermuda and
Texas helped
the school
to raise
$600,000 for
educational
programs and
scholarships.
“The event
was a huge
success,
with the
help of our
sponsors and
all our
supporters,”
said Nancy
Hazlehurst
Deutsch, who
co-chaired
the event
with her
father Tom
Hazlehurst
and her son
Alex
Hazlehurst
Hood. “More
people now
understand
the work
that IYRS
does—and
together
they are
building a
great
momentum of
support
behind the
school and
helping to
make this
event a
highlight of
Newport’s
summer.”
The Gala’s
theme of
“Old School,
New School,
Our School”
gave a nod
to past,
present and
future in a
year when
IYRS has
expanded its
educational
offerings
with a new
program in
composites
technology,
which uses
materials
and
manufacturing
methods that
are very
much a wave
of the
future. The
co-chairs—who
are three
generations
of the same
sailing
family—each
focused on a
different
part of the
evening:
from the
1940s,
Casablanca-style
cocktail
hour; to an
elegant
sit-down
dinner where
560 people
dined under
a
cloud-white
tent, with
tables
encircled
around a
center stage
where
world-class
sailor Gary
Jobson
regaled the
crowd as
auctioneer
and MC; to
an
after-dinner
dance party
that
transformed
the
cavernous
Restoration
Hall into a
techno-lit
club and
drew young
supporters
onto a
packed dance
floor.
A special
part of the
evening was
reserved to
honor the
contributions
that
maritime
artist and
IYRS
co-founder
John Mecray
has made to
the school.
Mecray has
helped to
guide IYRS
from its
early days
when the
campus was a
waterfront
tract of
land with
two
abandoned
historic
buildings to
the current
day when the
school is
thriving
with three
full-time
programs and
continuing
education
courses and
a campus
that is now
handsomely
restored.
After a film
tribute
produced by
Gary Jobson,
a surprised
Mecray took
the stage to
be
recognized
by his
peers.
“John has
provided
important
leadership
at key
inflection
moments in
the school’s
history,
such as when
IYRS decided
to de-access
the
expensive
restoration
of
Coronet
in favor of
growing the
school,”
said IYRS
President
Terry
Nathan.
“That took
great
courage and
vision,
which the
Board took
from John.”
Live and
silent
auctions
featured an
impressive
lineup of
art objects,
classic
boats,
unique
travel
opportunities,
and even
custom-made
couture.
Among the
items that
drew top
bids were a
weeklong
stay at the
private
Azzura
Castle set
on a
secluded bay
in Grenada,
West Indies;
a chance to
enjoy summer
or winter
weather
during a
Jackson Hole
vacation at
a private
home in the
Tetons Pine
Resort; and
a stay in a
Caribbean
villa on St.
Barths
combined
with an
opportunity
to race in
the
megayacht
fleet at the
St. Barths
Bucket
Regatta. The
item that
drew the
most
enthusiastic
response
from
multiple
bidders in
the crowd
was the
purchase of
critical
equipment
for the
school’s
programs;
over
$60,000
alone was
raised for
this student
equipment.
Commodore
Sponsors who
joined Title
Sponsors US
Trust Bank
of America
Private
Wealth
Management
and Lexus
included:
AT&T, Condé
Nast
Publications,
Dayton Carr
/ VCFA
Group,
Esquire
magazine,
Infonte
Construction,
James Bishop
Sr., Karen &
Gerald
Migliaccio,
Land Rover,
Mark Watson,
Morris
Yachts,
Perini Navi,
Prestige
Lexus,
Prestige
Land Rover,
and William
Vareika /
Vareika Fine
Arts.
The 14th
Annual IYRS
Summer Gala
took will
take place
on July 9,
2011.