SEQUIM — Ted Shanks has been sworn in as the new commodore of the Sequim Bay Yacht Club.
Shanks took over from past Commodore Durkee Richards at a Dec. 14 supper and ceremony at Sequim’s John Wayne Marina.
Shanks has been a member of the yacht club for many years and said he looks forward to continuing the increase in membership of the club, said Jim Jones, past commodore and spokesman for the club.
A change of watch happens annually, Jones said.
This year, the yacht club added about 60 new members as the club began its support to local rowers and with more people moving into the Sequim area, he said.
The club includes enthusiasts for powerboating/cruising, sailing and now rowing.
The rowing club uses two quad rowboats several mornings a week for the rowers to get out on the water to get some exercise. Many are also members of Olympic Peninsula Rowers, which supports several other rowing clubs.
The yacht club also has a family sailing program using Flying Scot sailboats for beginning sailors.
The yacht club continues to have sailing races, called Duck Races, on Thursday evenings during the months of April through September, and a race every other Saturday during those months.
Powerboaters have a cruise schedule that runs from April through September. Cruises are to such places as the San Juan and lower Canadian Islands, Seattle, North and South Sound and the Hood Canal.
Both power- and sailboaters participate in these cruises.
The Sequim Bay Yacht Club meets on the second Wednesday of every month at the John Wayne Marina, where it maintains a club room.
See sequimbay yachtclub.org for more information.
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Olympic Peninsula News Group is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers the Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum.