by Timothy Langley, posted on 10/16/23
The Tokyo Sail & Powerboat Squadron hosted it’s wonderfully-popular annual Fall BBQ this last Saturday (10/07/23). On the top deck of Yumenoshima Marina 34 Members & Guests joined for an open tap with lots of grilled meats, vegetables and even yakisoba! As the photos reveal, a robust time was had by all with magnificent Fall weather and blue skies.
The leadership of the NPO also took the opportunity to hold their monthly organizational meeting just prior to the BBQ. For the first time, in fact, Members of the USPS (of which TSPS is the largest squadron in District 13) also joined-in virtually. This was open to all TSPS Members. Of note was the Tony Whitman recognition for 50 years of devotion to TSPS and for his instrumental involvement in setting-up the Club under the leadership of George Purdy and his magnificent wife Midori forty-five years ago! What an achievement & legacy!
Attached below are photos of the BBQ event but in closing, please remember that the Keelhaul for November will be (always First Wednesday) November 1st at the Devil Craft in Jiyugaoka. The Keelhaul is our most regularly-attended social event, over beer and pizza, and is open-door to sailors & guests alike. Photos and descriptions can always be found at https://tspsjapan.org/skuttlebutt/.
Also, please visit the revamped TSPS webpage to register (https://tspsjapan.org/our-events/social-events/) for our annual end-of-year party: December 6th, at the Intercontinental Hotel next to Tokyo Bay Bridge! Last year’s Event & Awards Ceremony extravaganza can be viewed at https://tspsjapan.org/the-tsps-bonenkai-of-2022-report/!
The Yumenoshima Marina location right inside Tokyo (Imperial Palace upper left)!
The green building (bottom corner) is the marina & facilities.
The deck overlooking the yachtdocks was our venue of the TSPS Fall BBQ of 2023.
Commander Bill Van Alstine logging-in and preparing the monthly Bridge Meeting… this one, an open invitation for TSPS Members to join as Observers.
Bridge Meeting before BBQ, video-conferencing USPS Officers from sister-squadrons in the US, too: John Kratoschvil, Gary Thomas, Brendan Morris, Ash Smart, Claude Strobbe, Commander Bill Van Alstine (Observers: Laurie Wesselhoff, Bruce Reinhart) (Timothy Langley out-of-picture)
Three grills… ladden trays-of-food .. delivered & replenished throughout the afternoon. Beer keg replaced twice!
Andy, Brendan, Bill…. swashbucklers.
Captain Sherwin and big-streetbike riddin’ Colin.
The Man, The Legend….
Free-flowing wine and beer-on-tap! Commander Bill extended the cut-off time for an additional 1.5 hours, so we went long and everyone stayed late!
Captains Jiro Fujiwara and Strobbe.
Jiro, with half-empty/half-full Claude Strobbe
Andy, Brendan (Kaoru & Chris in the background slavin’ away!)
Bridge Secretary & Legal Officer Captain Timothy Langley slaving-away, Education Officer Captain Claude Strobbe in background.
Chowdown
Chris taking on BBQ duties: with appreciation Chris! (…didn’t burn things half as bad as Langley did… this year & last!)
Vlad, John… a competition for a bottle of the highly prized Myers’s Rum! John pointing-out a fine bone of contention, hotly contested….
Colin, Vlad, John (great reflection from the storm-windows!)
John, Freddie, Brendan, Colin, Vlad (Laurie & Bruce in the background)
Little Michael Staley: Kent
Cloe & Keiko (only just barely tolerating us…). Another good reflection in the window revealing the Tokyo skyline in the distance.
High Tension Andy in the background with Michael, Dominique
Max Ziurin
Kaoru, Andy, Chris (Michael and Max in the background)
Kaoru (and guy looking out the window)
Captain Freddie Snoxal, Administrative Officer Brendan Morris (sorry new Member with the shades… can’t make out your name~!).
Bruce Reinhart
Squadron Webmaster & IT Head Ash Smart, Commander Bill Van Alstine
Commander Bill Van Alstine, Colin Sheldon, Boating Activities Chair Vlad Legeza, Membership Chair John Kratochvil
Administrative Officer Brendan Morris
Captain Jiro, Captain & Mrs. Darren Halliday.
Governor Gary Thomas
Captain Jeremy Sanderson, Jerry Brady
Captain (& exalted Former Commander) Mike Snyder, Renowned MC Andy Lawson
Susanne Schierok
Self Evident: The Sherwin.
THE Famous Fuji Jake!
Laurie Wesselhoff, Naoko Staley
Mr. Yaki Soba
Boating Activities Chair Vlad Legeza, Squadron Webmaster & IT Head Ashley Smart, Captain extraordinaire Darren Halliday
Steve Bettnick, Nikolay Gritsenko
Captain Demir Sadokoglu, Captain Michael Staley, Captain Sherwin Faden, Colin Sheldon
Captain Michael Snyder, Captain Sherwin Faden and Hollywood star Andy Lawson
Max, Dom & Claude looking at boats they covet…
Kent, Michael, Naoko!
Famous Nijima Island resident Freddie Snoxall getting a lift after a laborious day of drinking and carousing at the marina….
… while John Kratoschvil, on the other hand, receiving of a different kind of lift.
————-end————
This event was another success due to the planning, preparation and involvement of many people. A special thanks, however, goes out to Svetlana Ilyushechkina and Claude Strobbe for making the arrangements for food, venue, the roster and payment administration. Claude also brought in several boxes of swag, which was a bit hit! A great time was had by all!
Next up: November Keelhaul in Jiyugaoka (11/02) and the End-of-Year Blowout & Awards Ceremony on December 6 at the Intercontinental Hotel.
Good time! Thanks for the pics!
Many thanks, Mike! It is good to see posts like yours so me and others are encouraged to post more stuff like this (or less?). Thank you for your vote!
“Capt Aki” looks a lot like Fujiwara Jiro … jus’ sayin’
Great write-up Tom!
It was a great party – enjoyed it a lot.
A big thanks to all those who arranged it.
Thanks Timothy, great party, nice pics.
Thanks for the great time. My first time there, looking forward to a next one.
Thanks for the pics!
Great Event!!!!
Thanks to all.
A somewhat belated comment, but it was a wonderful event, many thanks to all the heroes who organized it. Thanks also for all the great pictures which I have just enjoyed going through and reliving the event, albeit sober this time!
I am so grateful for your recollection and delirious post, Jeremy. Like you, looking at those photos zooms me immediately back to that wonderful event. We decided last night at the Bridge Meeting to hold the same event this year in the last weekend of July… again at Yumenoshima. Thank you for always being involved!