September 2003

VOLUME 57

ISSUE 1ISSUE 1

We dedicate the first issue of Rotafloat, the officialnewsletter of our fellowship to all past InternationalCommodores, starting from John Barret who hoistedup the first IYFR penant on his boat in GB&I, in1947. Here is the chronological list of all PastInternational Commodores:

John G. Barret (1947 - Founder), A.Leslie Mower(G.B. 1952 - 53) , Leonard C. Horsnell (G.B.1953- 54), Jack A. Hope (G.B. 1954- 55), AlfredBellamy (G.B. 1955 - 56), A.Norman Cooke (G.B.1956 - 58), Robert Stuart (U.S.A. 1958 - 59),Denis W. Dalby (G.B. 1959 - 60), Chas. Ed.Dearnley (U.S.A. 1960 - 61), Courtney G. Beckett(G.B. 1961 - 62) , Shermann Bushnell (U.S.A.1962 - 63), Leo P. Keating (Australia 1963 - 65),Carl R. Miller (U.S.A 1965 - 67) , Charles E.Neale (G.B. 1967 - 69), Donald Lowness (Brazil,1969 - 72), Richard Willis (Australia, 1972 - 74),Earl Brannock (U.S.A. 1974 - 76), Carl Beck(U.S.A. 1976 - 77), Al Natkin (U.S.A. 1977 -79), Bill N.Thomas M.D. (U.S.A. 1979 - 81) BertCollins (Australia 1981 - 83), Dr. Ken Warr (S.Africa 1983 - 85), Martin Lockney (U.S.A. 1985- 87), Les Vasconcellos M.D. (U.S.A. 1987 - 89),George E. Kent (Canada 1989 - 91), AndrewMitchell (G.B. 1991 - 1993), Jack C.L.Keyzer(Canada 1993 - 95), Frank E. McDonald (Australia1995 - 97) Arnold Verkade (The Nether. 1997 -99), Joe Phillips (U.S.A Hawaii 1999 - 2001),Ken Winter (New Zealand 2001 - 2003).

Off i c ia l newslet ter for the Internat iona l Yacht ing Fe l lowsh ip of Rotar ians

From the CommodoreFirst of all it is my pleasure to recognizeand express my gratefulness to all formerInternational, Regional and FleetCommodores and their bridge staff forwhat they have done for IYFR and pledgeto enhance the values of our greatfellowship.In my first letter, I declare my goals, ourpriorities and our policy to pursuit asmentioned below;1- To ensure full satisfaction of our members

in every respect and let Rotary Marinersto enjoy our International YachtingFellowship.

2- Membership growth of 12% y.o.y basis.3- To let our members obtain very interesting

information and benefits in return of theannual dues of USD 10.-

4- To submit more International boatingevents such as rallies etc at very attrac-tive conditions.

5- To further develop the use of cyberfacilities for communication, ROSTER,ROTAFLOAT, regalia supplies and makeavailable a clear, transparent accountingat our web page www.iyfr.org

6 - To hand over to our successors a soundbalance sheet and a treasure full ofgold!

Now I will inform you about the newfeatures of our term. In order to availyourselves of being a member of our greatfellowship, you ought to know following:RosterOur Roster officer Mustafa Yalk›n carriedout a survey amongst fleets with the helpof the Regional Commodores to assess thewishes and preferences of our members.A summary of this survey results are givenin a different column by Mustafa Yalk›n.From the result of the survey it is understoodthat the majority of our members want toaccess the Roster on the Web. However,Mustafa will continue to edit, publish andmail the Roster in the traditional way too,for the members who prefer a hard copy.In addition to hard copies, in cooperationwith Web Master Cihan Anamur, Mustafawill continue to have the Roster availableon our web site, as started by IC KenWinter and his staff. Needless to say theless hard copies the more savings in thebudget of our fellowship will be accounted.RotafloatThe above mentioned survey was alsoabout Rotafloat. Therefore the policy to befollowed for Roster also applies to Rotafloat.Mustafa is responsible also for Rotafloatwhich will in principle appear on our website, again as started by Commodore KenWinter and his staff. However if required

by some members Mustafa will be at thedisposal of such members to mail it in thetradit ional way, in hard copies.RegaliaWe will try to promote regalia items withnew additions like beach towels etc.perhaps further improve the quality ofexisting items , keeping price level as lowas possible whilst observing contributionof regalia sales into the budget of ourfellowship. Here again I must express ourthanks to Ken and his staff, namely JulieSimpson from New Zealand and PaulHunter from USA.I am a lucky successor. Our IC Ken Winterand his staff achieved IYFR goals in theiroffice term and implemented so many goodmissions. The space allocated to me forthis letter will be too small to mention allof them. However, amongst others theyhave succeeded- to develop IYFR WEB site,- to make Roster available via cyber net

in PDF version- to achieve Rotafloat via cyber net in PDF

version My wife Koray Biren and I are privilegedand honored to have the opportunity toserve you as IC for the term 2003-2005.As International Commodore, obviously Ihave to put my heart and service at thedisposal of all the fleets around the world.Your support, and more importantly yourfriendship are great gifts that we sincerelyappreciate and value. We want and needyour continued help and support.We have great hopes and dreams that wewant to share with each of you. Throughour International Fellowship, we willcontinue to take part in our contributionsfor the world peace and understanding adream to come true.Ferit B‹RENIC 2003 - 2005

Minutes of the IYFR Annual General Meeting 2-3

The Australian Post Convention Cruise, 2003 4

Welcome Reception for IC Ferit Biren 5

Suggested Amendments to the

IYFR General Rules 6

Visit of IC Ferit B‹REN to GB & I 8

My Love of Boats 9-10

From the Web Master 11

The inside story

Welcome:The AGM luncheon commenced at 12:30pm followed by the official business meetingat 2pm. International Commodore KenWinter welcomed the 172 Rotary Marinersin attendance and introduced guest speakerPast RI President Cliff Dochterman.

Guest Speaker:President Cliff Dochterman spoke to ourmembers about Rotary International’s rec-ognition that fellowships are the key to thesuccess of Rotary membership retentionand growth. He stressed that fellowshipsare an essential part of Rotary, Rotariansin fellowships make better Rotarians, Rotaryis strengthened by fellowship and thatservice follows fellowship. When you havea project in Rotary you call on your friends-made through fellowship. President Doch-terman extended his congratulations toincoming International Commodore FeritBiren and invited everyone to Chicago tocelebrate the Centennial of Rotary. He alsotold us about plans for a "Fellowship Parade"during the Chicago convention in 2005.

Apologies:Apologies and greetings were receivedfrom: Bob Stewart, Chicago Illinois; PICArnold Verkade, The Netherlands; PICsGeorge Kent and Jack Keyzer, VictoriaCanada; Julie Simpson (IYFR staff secretary), John Mills (IYFR Editor) and Roy Budgen(IYFR Assistant Editor), Auckland NewZealand; and Roger McGonegal, NewportBeach California. The apologies wereaccepted.

Announcements:Pat Galligan, Brisbane Australia announcedthat there would be a RI Fellowship meetingthe following day at 2pm and that CliffDochterman and other RI Directors wouldbe speaking further about the Centennial2005 fellowship activities, the RI conventionin Osaka in 2004 and the expansion ofRotary Fellowships.

Reports of International Officers:Area 1-Europe, Middle East and Africa - byIVC Ferit Biren:IVC Ferit Biren reported that Area 1 includes57 fleets in 8 regions; GB&I, The Nether-lands, Sweden, Germany, Europe North,Italy, Turkey and South Africa. He statedthat since our great fellowship started in

Great Britain in 1947, when John Barretthoisted up the IYFR flag for the first time,he wished to invite Regional CommodoreBrian Skinner, to report on the fleets inGB&I.Brian Skinner reported that GB&I consistsof 14 fleets with 401 members, an increasein membership by over 50 in one year.There were Regional meetings held inOctober and March with over 60 membersattending each event. All of the fleets hadfull prog-rams with a variety of tasks under-taken. The highlight of the year was thevisit to the U.K. by IC Ken and Bente Winter,during which time they were able to meetwith members of 7 fleets. The Sussex Fleetheld their annual Kids’ Day Out, entertain-ing 171 children. The Suffolk fleet hosteddisabled people on a Thames barge andseveral fleets have invited another fleet tojoin them for weekend cruises. Most fleetshave one activity per month.Ferit Biren reported that Northern Europeanfleets planned activities included a cruiseto St. Petersburg on the occasion of thecity’s 300th anniversary hosted by theRussian Naval Club; a cruise of the Turkishand Greek coasts; and work on the 2006Post Convention Cruise on yachts of RotaryMariners along the west coast of Swedenor on a cruise vessel in the Baltic Sea. TheSouth Africa Regional Commodore is work-ing to have the West Cape fleet re-floated.The fleets of Turkey welcomed IC Ken andBente Winter during their traditional passin review, a tribute to District Governorsand an excellent way to show them ourfellowship.

Area 2 - The Americas - by IRC Bill RobinsonThe focus of Bill’s message was "WhyIYFR". Bill stated that it is easy to rememberwhy we are active in our individual fleets.Our objectives are the same as Rotary -Service, International goodwill and under-standing. Fellowship makes us bet-ter,more effective Rotarians. Spousal involve-ment in fellowships encourages participa-tion in club and district activities. Bill agreedwith Cliff Dochterman that fellowships arethe key to the success of Rotary membershipretention and growth. If we believe ourfellowship is beneficial for our clubs and

fleets, then it should be shared with theRotary world.We need to focus on Fleet promotion andmaintenance, and interclub and inter-districtactivities that will not only strengthen ourfellowship, but will strengthen Rotary.Rather than present fleet reports which areavailable through Rotafloat, Bill drew fromthose reports to highlight some of theproblems and opportunities we have in theyear ahead. IYFR has the same problemof retaining and increasing members asRotary International. For example, Seattle#4 had to bring in 70 new members thispast year just to break even because ofattrition and aging membership. As forfleets in the Americas, we found that outof 26 fleets only 14 are active, 3 arequestionable, and 9 are inactive. There ismuch we can do to reverse this trend. TheInternational Bridge can not do it alone,and must rely on Regional Commodoresand Fleet Commodores from healthy fleetsto encourage existing fleets and developnew fleets. By way of example, the SeattleMariners fleet is 54 years old, holds 8-10events a year and could be quite contentwithout broader involvement in IYFR. Yetthat would hardly meet the Four Way Test,and certainly would not meet RI objectivesof growing Rotary and international under-standing. So, the Seattle fleet is assistingwith developing four new fleets in the USPacific Northwest.We need to make the fellowship moreknown and should take advantage of Dis-trict Conferences, President Elect TrainingSeminars and Leadership Assemblies topublicize IYFR. We need to think globallyand work to establish fleets in countrieswhere none exist. In the Former SovietUnion we are working with 4 clubs in theLake Baikal region of Russia to create anew fleet and a kayaks for disabled kidsproject. We have found interest from Vladi-vostok, St. Petersburg and Ukranian Rotar-ians to start fleets.We need to be known not just for ourfellowship social activities, but for theservice aspect of our fellowship. Bill encour-aged fleets to write articles for publicationin our Rotafloat newsletter regarding theirservice activities. Bill congratulated thosefleets involved with sailing programs and

Minutes of the IYFR AnnualGeneral Meeting

2

"Dockside" Restaurant - Brisbane, Australia

June 3, 2003

other activities for the disabled, for thosefleets who are involved with waterwayscleanup, helping with fund raising for polioeradication, and providing cruises forunderprivileged children.Bill also stressed the importance of net-working. This was brought home recently,when because of IYFR networking commu-nications, Argentina RC is sup-porting andencouraging the development of a fleet inBrazil.We need to use our fleets and activitiesto raise awareness of Rotary, such as inOpening Day Boat Parades. The permanentwebsite at www.iyfr.org will be of im-mense help with fleet communications andIYFR promotion.In closing Bill stated that the attendance atthis AGM is encouraging, and if eachmember goes home and spreads the wordabout the Rotary Mariners, our fellowshipwill be strengthened and will grow.

Area 3 - Asia/Australia/Pacific - by IC KenWinterIC Ken Winter stated that being Internation-al Commodore is like being a DistrictGovernor with only one district - the world.Bente and I have traveled extensively andthe hospitality has been wonderful. Wehave visited Canada, the US, England,Holland, Turkey and Japan and have beenin touch with nearly 3000 members of atremendous fellowship organization.

Treasurer’s Report:Marda Phillips reported on behalf of RussellToplis (IYFR Treasurer) who could not attend. Marda stated that the IYFR fiscal year isnot over, so we have an interim cash flowreport. The final report for the 2 year period2001-2003 will be published in the FallRotafloat. Through the end of May we hadapprox $30,000, but have not paid forRotafloat and regalia. Fleet dues collectedto date for the 2 year term are about$50,000, or $25,000 per year at$10/member, which equates to 2500members. We are down in membership,and need to consider how to conserveresources. We have been mailing Rota-floats to 3000 members, even though somehave not paid. We would have a shortfallif this is kept up. It costs $8,000-$10,000for printing and postage of the Roster; so,this year in order to be financially respon-sible, we will post membership on thewebsite in order to stay within currentrevenue.

Amendments to the IYFR General Rules:PIC Joe Phillips led the discussion regardingtwo amendments to the General Rules.The General Rules specify that a minimum

of $2,000 be passed on to the next admin-istration. Joe stated that times havechanged and now IYFR can not producehalf of a Rotafloat for $2,000, the actualcost being closer to $5,000. An Interna-tional Commodore would have to go intohis own pocket to print the Rotafloat unlesssufficient funds are received from the pre-vious International Commodore. An incom-ing Commodore must have sufficient fundsavailable when he/she takes office in orderto print and mail a September Rotafloat,maintain the website and communications,purchase regalia and send out dues notices.Therefore, it has been moved and secondedthat IYFR General rules, Section V. D. 2 c.be amended to require that on change ofcommand, the minimum amount passedon to the next administration be US$10,000 from the current US $2,000. Thequestion was called for and the amendmentwas unanimously passed.Joe Phillips then stated that the present ruleregarding travel reimbursement states that

"the International Commodore is responsiblefor all travel expenses when visiting fleetsand is expected to attend all RI conventions."The rule reimburses the IC up to $3,000,providing that the $10,000 in the precedingamend-ment is met. In order to continueto attract good people to the bridge it isnecessary for IYFR to reimburse requiredtravel costs, and therefore the amountshould be increased to $10,000. Therefore,

it has been moved and seconded that theIYFR General Rules, Section V. D. 2. d.should be amended to increase the amountof reimbursable travel expenses up to US$10,000, provided that the minimum underSection V. D. 2 c. are met. The questionwas called for and approved.Joe Phillips reported that Bill Robinsonwould be working on streamlining the Rulesand would be posting revisions and amend-ments in a forthcoming Rotafloat.

Installation of officers:PIC Joe Phillips, assisted by Past Interna-tional Commodores Bert Collins, FrankMcDonald and Andrew Mitchell, helpedwith the installation of the following IYFRofficers: IC Ferit Biren, Istanbul Turkey;IVC Bill Robinson, Seattle Washington andIRC Max Cribb, Queensland Australia.Joe Phillips then recognized the "unsungheroes" of the yachting fellowship, BenteWinter, Koray Biren, Katia Robinson andMerna Cribb for their support of our fellow-ship.Ken and Bente Winter were recognizedand thanked for all of their efforts duringthe past two years at the helm of IYFR.Newly appointed International CommodoreFerit Biren summarized his staff’s plans forthe permanent website, with online roster,past issues of Rotafloat, regalia and IYFRbrochures. He reported on the recent surveyindicating that the membership was splitalmost in half regarding whether or notthe Rotafloat and Roster should be printedand mailed or simply posted on the website.He concluded by presenting his initialbudget for 7/1/03-6/30/04.The 2003 AGM was adjourned at 3:20pm,after which members attended a receptionaboard Ken and Bente Winter’s "PacificMermaid", docked adjacent to the DocksideRestaurant.Ferit Biren & Ken Winter

IRC Max Cribbb, PIC Ken Winter, IVC Bill Robinson and IC Ferit Biren.

3

In the wake of the convention and as anIYFR tradition, a group of lucky IYFRmembers under the leadership of Ken &Bente Winter have enjoyed the postconvention cruise 2003.On June 5, the group departed Brisbaneairport for Hamilton Island. We were allbooked in to Coral Reef hotel in AirlyBeach. In the evening a dinner wasorganized as a BBQ party on lawns of thetropical garden which was attended alsoby Commodore Ian of Whitsundays Fleetand Rtn. Eric Bottle, operator of the tourfrom the same fleet.Following day June 6 at 07:10, we de-parted by bus to Shute Harbour ferryterminal on the way to Great Barrier Reefon board a 120 ft. catamaran. At the reef,divings of all sorts, watching sea life atCoral reef in a glass chamber and in asubmerged boat were amongst thehighlights of attractions.In the evening, we were taken to a realAussi evening where we discovered thesecret talents of Mariner Bill and his lovelyfirst mate Katia. Otto of Vancouver andCommodore Ken Winter were verysuccessful in the fun competition playing"waka boards."June 7 was a relaxing day till 10 am checkout time. Until 2:15 pm we had the chance

to visit the 2nd Airlie Rotary Boat Showassisted by Whitsunday IYFR fleet. We hadthe opportunity and pleasure of meetingWhitsunday fleet members at the entranceto boat show. They were on duty and veryinvolved. They stamped ink on our handsas a souvenir.I want to congratulate once again this fleetfor their initiative and proactive venture inorganizing such a boat show with differentworthy dimensions, in addition to fundraising, in which our group took part bybuying visitors tickets. At 2:15 pm, a localpublic bus transferred us to Shute harbour.We embarked a ferry to get to HamiltonIsland and checked in at the Reef ViewHotel.June 8, June 9 were free days. We spentthe time chatting amongst ourselves, walkingaround the Island, swimming at the poolsand most of the group riding a buggy, likea large lunapark. Some also participatedin a sunset cruise in the beautiful andfamous Whitsunday Islands. I had theopportunity to talk with Masami Nishikawaand his charming wife Mutsuko aboutvarious issues of importance related toOSAKA Convention such as; AGMluncheon, group accom-modation, boothdecoration, Pre and Post Convention tripsand cruise, IYFR cocktail as an affiliatedofficial event of the Convention.

Ken and Bente brought us together at afarewell dinner in a nice restaurant asusual. At the evening, Ken delivered aspeech and handed over his Commodoreburgee to me. We raised glasses andtoasted for Ken and lovely Bente for theirleadership.On June 10, Tuesday we made our wayto Hamilton Island airport, to fly back toBrisbane for individual flights to differentdestinations for home. So a post conventioncruise to remember was over. Lots ofpictures were shot. You see only one ofthem.This successful post convention cruise wasorganized and checked carefully a yearago by Bente and Ken for all small details.From the very beginning till the end of thetour Bente and Ken kept an eye on us andfelt themselves responsible as wonderfulleaders. Thank you Bente and Ken, onbehalf of Post Convention Cruise participants,which were:

Ken & Bente WinterFerit BirenWilliam & Katia RobinsonEvert & Tine Van der StroomDorm & Sandy AndersonJohn & Ellen BillinghamClint & Bev CollierPaul & Donna DavisThomas & Virginia DentGunther & Jane DiersbockRichard HughesDavid & Jeanne KellyJerry MadakbasMasami & Mutsuko NishikawaVeikko PuputtiJohn & Lucy RiddellOtto RieveMark & Carole RogersHelga SchwarzGeoff & Mollie ShawTheo Van der Auwera

IC Ferit B‹REN

4

The AustralianPost Convention Cruise,

2 0 0 3

On his return to Turkey the newly electedIC Ferit Biren was cheerfully greeted bythe Commodore of the Turkish Fleets RCTurker Karam›zrak at a reception held atthe Yacht Club of the Atakoy Marina inIstanbul. The past and present Governorsof Districts 2420, 2430, 2440 and theirspouses as well as Commodores and RotaryMariners and their Mates of all the 15Turkish Fleets were invited to this gatheringheld on Saturday June 21, 2003. TheReception was arranged by theCommodore of the Marmara Fleet(Governor elect of District 2420) SedatAltunay and his fleet members.IC Ferit Biren attended with his lovely wifeKoray as the honour guest. A shield ofappreciation was presented to IC FeritBiren by RC Turker Karam›zrak and alsoby Istanbul Fleet Commodore NadirDoyuran.It was a lovely evening for all, where FeritBiren narrated his ventures in Australiaand the Post Convention Cruise.Every one enjoyed the evening and thewonderful fellowship.The annual gathering of the Rotary Marinersto salute the Past and Present DistrictGovernors and the parade of the IYFRboats took place on Sunday June 22, 2003in front of the Atakoy Marina in Istanbul.The IYFR boats took start from the Marinaat 10:30 following a group picture of theparticipating Rotary Mariners and theirMates.

IC Ferit Biren, his lovely mate Koray Biren,2420. District Governor Hitay Güner and2440. Past District Governor FahrettinMacit and his lovely wife Sema Macit,Turkish Fleet Commodore RC TurkerKaram›zrak and his mate Oya and RCelect Nadir Doyuran were all on the Rotayat(the yacht co-owned by the Rotary Mariners)while the participating IYFR’s paraded intheir boats and saluted the incoming andoutgoing Governors, as well as IC FeritBiren and sounded their whistles.

Following the parade a luncheon was heldat the Yacht Club of the Atakoy Marina.During the luncheon RC Turker Kara-m›zrak,Commodore of Turkish Fleets, recruited theGovernors to become members at largeof IYFR, and decorated them with theirpins. He also presented the traditional giftsof a cushion to the outgoing Governorwishing a good rest, and a symboliccompass to the Incoming governor to helphim find his directions. He also presentedIC Ferit Biren with a 5 star IYFR cap wishinghim success in his International Job as headof IYFR.At the end of the meeting RC Turker Ka-ram›zrak, Commodore of Turkish fleets,thanked all the fleet Commodores andCommodores serving in his Bridge andpresented them with a shield ofappreciation. Then he passed his dutieson to the New Turkish Fleets CommodoreNadir Doyuran (the present Istanbul FleetCommodore) and transferred his stars.Nadir Doyuran in a short speech took overhis duties, thanked RC Turker Karam›zrakand presented him with a shield ofappreciation.The meeting was adjourned in a pleasantatmosphere wishing success to the newappointees.

Türker KARAMIZRAKIRRC (Admin)2003 - 2005

IC Ferit B‹REN, Hitay GÜNER - Governor of District 2420, IRRC Türker KARAMIZRAK

Turkish Rotary Mariners with IC Ferit B‹REN

5

Welcome Receptionfor IC Ferit Biren

The current IYFR Rules, dated June 3, 2003, may be viewed ordownloaded from the IYFR website at www.iyfr.org. In order tostreamline and make the rules more succinct, and to reflect themove to electronic communications and website availability ofRoster and Rotafloat we propose the following amendments tothe IYFR Rules dated June 3, 2003.

1) Section II. Object and Purpose - Revise as follows:Goals and Objectives

Rotary Mariners combine an acceptance of the principles of Rotarywith a love of boats and the sea, rivers and inland waters, and usethe shared interest of yachting and seamanship as an opportunityto encourage and foster the objectives ofRotary. Mariner objectives are:(a) To advance international understanding, goodwill and peacethrough a world fellowship of business and professional personsunited in the ideals of service.(b) To promote Rotary fellowship through cruising, yachting,racing, sailing, kayaking and other activities involving boats andboating.(c) To promote high standards of seamanship and abide byrecognized yachting customs and etiquette on the water.(d) To support Rotary service projects and opportunities, on andoff the water.

2) Section V.D.2.b - Duties of International CommodoreDelete the word "personally" to clarify that the IC is not personallyliable for shortfalls in collection of dues or expenses of theorganization.

3) Section V.D.5.f. - International Rear Commodore (Admin)Delete this section. The Roster and Rotafloat are now availableon the website.

4) Section V.D.6. b., c. and d.-International Rear Commodore(Roster)

The Roster and Rotafloat are available on the IYFR website.Consolidate and amend V.D.6. b., c. and d to read:V.D.6.b: The IRC (Roster) shall be responsible along with the IC,IRC (Admin) and the IRC (PR) for maintaining a membership roster,approved by the Executive Committee, on the website with capacityfor daily editing and searches, ensure enrollment of all membersonto the roster and publish a new member list in the "Rotafloat."V.D.6.e: Change to read V.D.6.c

5) Section V.D.7.b - International Rear Commodore(Public Relations)

Change to read: The IRC (PR) shall re responsible, along with theIC, for the preparation and publication of IC newsletters and"Rotafloat."

6) Section V.D.8. - Regional Commodores (RCs)Add Section V.D.8.c. - The RC (or designated member per fleet)shall be responsible for maintaining and updating IYFR Websiteroster information for members in the RC’s region.

7) SectionV.G. - International Officer’s Pennants andIdentification

Clarification of the use of the terms Burgee and Pennant: IYFRburgees are small swallow-tailed flags and pennants are long,tapering triangular shaped flags. With this clarification, the wordburgees will be substituted for the word pennants throughoutRule V.G.

8) Section VIII. B., C., D. and E. - Organization of FleetsSection VIII. B. - Election of Fleet Officers: For clarification purposes;1) insert on July 1 after "Each year, prior to the start of theRotary International year on July 1, fleets should hold an AGM."and 2) change the word biannually (in the second sentence)to biennially.

Section VIII. C.- International and Fleet Membership: Replace"calendar year" with "Rotary year" in order to avoidconfusion with fleet officer elections and to facilitate timelysubmission of roster information and dues collection.

Section VIII. D. - International Roster and Dues:Revise the requested roster membership information to includethe following items:

Family Name; First Name; 1st Mate’s Name; Home Address:including Street Numbers/PO Box, City, State/Province, PostalCode and Country; Home, Business and Fax telephone numbers,including area code; Email Address; Fleet Name; Rotary Club;Boat Name; and Member Status.

Member Status abbreviations include: IM (Independent Member);FM (Fleet Member); FC (Fleet Commodore); FVC (Fleet ViceCommodore); FRC (Fleet Rear Commodore); FS (Fleet Secretary);FT (Fleet Treasurer); FCpt (Fleet Captain); RC (RegionalCommodore); IC (International Commodore) IVC (InternationalVice Commodore) IRC (International Rear Commodore); PIC (PastInternational Commodore)

Section VIII. E. - Fleet Burgees and Pennants:Based on the definition of burgee and pennant as described in7) above:

Section VIII.E. 1 - Change the fifth sentence to read: The IRC(Administration) will normally stock IYFR fleet member pennantsand IYFR fleet officer burgees.

Change the sixth sentence to read: Each country or fleet is allowedto produce their own pennant providing that: "they are in theform of a triangle, and the Rotary Wheel is at least half the hoist,55cm (22") in length and 30cm (12") on hoist."

Section VIII, E. 2 - Change to read: Officer burgees are stockedby the IRC (Admin)

9) "Members At Large":Change the term "Members At Large" to "Independent Members" in sections:

IV.C. - Membership; V.D.2.c - International Commodore; V.D.5.d- International Rear Commodore (Admin); and IX.B - IYFR Members.

6

Suggested Amendmentsto the IYFR General Rules

7

Dear Regional Commodores,We would like to know about you! Please send us abrief outline of your personal details, with yourbirthday, occupation, contact details and aphotograph. In the next issues of Rotafloat we willreserve a space for our Regional Commodores andintroduce them to our members. Please send yourmails to mustafayalkin@lebibyalkin.com.tr

Osaka & Chicago Conventions, Booths,AGM and Post

Convention CruisesCommodore Kozo Kajino was unable to attend our AGM to tell us the Post Convention proposal of Japanese IYFR totake place in the wake of the Osaka Convention. However,he sent the initial outline of their proposal to me. Briefly, theypropose a post Convention cruise of three days to visit Kiyotoand Kobe from Osaka. Cost estimate is about USD 1.000,- Definite cost and detailed program will be firm in August.I will visit Japanese fleets between 21st and 26th August2003 to check the IYFR activities in the course of OsakaConvention.IC Ferit B‹REN

Bob Dole,

Congratulations to

Joe & Marda Philips

who have celebrated their 40thWedding Anniversary on August 2, 2003.Many happy returns,Joe and Marda!

a dedicated Rotarian andIYFR member from Great Britain,has celebrated his 90th Birthday on26th June 2003. We congratulate himonce more and wish him many more yearsin full health and happiness!

e-Roster & e-Rotafloat:Just as the waves of the sea cause constant changes in the shorelineand the mainland, technology also shapes and changes almostall aspects of our lives. In today’s computer era, most printedpublications have been carried on to the electronic platform andare just a couple clicks away from our finger-tips. The samewave has touched our IYFR Roster and our Rotafloat, changingthem to "e-Roster" and "e-Rotafloat".Now, you can access both publications through IYFR web-sitefrom anywhere in the world, obtain most current informationabout our members and our activities, also make printed copies,if you wish. This new application will bring substantial savingsboth in time & money, avoid delays and/or returned mailingsand help us to keep member information in the most current form.We are very enthusiastic and determined about serving the IYFRcommunity in the best way possible. In this endeavor, your supportand contribution will be our most valuable asset. Please send anynews and photographs about your fleet activities, or your commentsyou wish to share with fel low Rotary Mariners tomustafayalkin@lebibyalkin.com.tr and help us to strengthen ourfellowship ties further.

The IYFR Survey:In order to assess the general opinion and inclination about thepublication format of our Roster and our Rotafloat bulletin, wehave conducted a brief survey. The responses we received

represented a total of 1434 members, from the areas of the USANorth/West, Belgium, Netherlands South/West, South Africa,Europe North, Pacific/Hawaii and Turkey.The general result of the survey reflected following:• 65 % of the members expressed that it would be sufficient to

publish both the Rotafloat and the Roster on the IYFR Web siteonly.

• 29 % said that a certain number of hard copies would alsobe requested. The necessary quantity for the hard copies wouldbe for Rotafloat 19 % - and for the Roster 10 % of the membernumber.

• 58 % stated that the hard copies should be downloaded andprinted by fleet secretaries (or by members themselves), asneeded.

• 75 % agreed that the updating of the online Roster shouldbe done by fleet secretaries.

• 61 % preferred that the member details in the Roster remainedin the same format as before.

The above results have been evaluated by the International Bridgeand have paved the way to the more efficient and cost-effectivepublication of our Roster and the Rotafloat by means of our newwebsite at www.iyfr.org. I hereby would like to thank each oneof our fellow members, who spared their valuable time to answerour survey and express my gratitude to our dear RegionalCommodores for their kind help and support.

Mustafa YALKIN

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Report of Visit ofInternational Commodore

I, Chris Bishop and his wife Jane, went toHeathrow airport to meet the InternationalCommodore Ferit Biren at the start of his4 day official visit to GB & I.

That evening, after settling into my homein Hertford, we welcomed 22 membersand wives of IYFR main bridge and of theFenland Fleet. Language was no barrieras Ferit’s English was impeccable, helpedwith supper and plenty of wine.

Saturday dawned early and after breakfastwe had a 3-hour journey to Norfolk to anarea of rivers and lakes known as theBroads, where many of our yachtsmenlearn to sail. We embarked on my cruiserfor a 2-hour trip to South Walsham, where10 boats of the Broads Fleet were mooredfor their annual BBQ. A superb eveningwas had by all , with the weather addingto the glorious view from our member’sgarden, overlooking the Broad. There were56 members and wives at the event andFerit addressed us all, thanking Peter andJudy Barfield for their hospitality. He pointedout that this visit to GB & I was the first inhis present office, deliberately so, as theYachting Fellowship was founded in Britainin 1947. Ferit was presented with a pictureof the Broads as a memento of the event.

We spent a short night on the boat, andin the morning set off to join the SuffolkFleet at Walton on the Naze, near Harwich.We were met at Titchmarsh Marina byRichard Woodman, Commodore of theSuffolk Fleet, and taken on his boat"Andromeda" to join 4 other boats on"Secret Water" in the backwaters of Waltonon the Naze.

We all rafted up and had great fellowshipfun, having a delicious lunch and drinks,and some people even having a swim,before returning with Richard to the shore.

Monday was another busy day, and weleft home early to meet Les Wilkinson,Commodore of the Thames Fleet, and theNational Secretary Michael Pooley. Wetraveled on Michael’s boat down the RiverThames to Henley. We passed through 3locks, and were joined by their DistrictGovernor Ian Black. What a beautiful tripwe had, with drinks and snacks all theway too. We were met at the HenleyRowing Museum, by 4 more couples anda narrow boat, for a happy hour meetingThames style, and then lunch at theMuseum. The Fleet presented Ferit with a

book about the Thames. Before we leftHenley, we went on a short trip down riverto see where the famous Henley Rowingregatta takes place, and then sadly returnedto our car in order to deliver our WorldCommodore to catch his plane home.

All who met Ferit agreed how lucky wewere to have a visit so early in his term ofoffice. It was a very rewarding andenjoyable trip for us all and we thank Feritfor his gifts too. We presented him withbooks about the Broads and Wherries,and a copy of Arthur Ransome’s Coot Club.

Thank you Mr. Commodore for yourcompany.

Bryan SkinnerCommodore GB & Ireland

From the age of two I lived in a pub thathad a garden running down to a smallbeach on the River Medway. From thebeach we could get on to the adjoiningwharf. Here sailing barges and fishingboats moored, the wharf was notoperational in the commercial sense.However, there was a boat builder, hisboats were of a local type called punts.The punts were flat bottomed but with arocker to the bottom, they were only builtof pine and galvanised nails. I remembermy Father bought one for my sister, whowas eight years older than me, for the sumof three pounds ten shillings, complete withoars and rowlocks. I soon learned to rowthis and as the family was very busy runningthe pub, I was left alone to do things thattoday would be unthinkable. But I becamecompetent to row around the bay and tomoor the boat up, paint it and generallylook after it.

In 1939, when the war came, all boatshad to be removed from the water. Anorder was issued for the larger yachts andmotor cruisers to be demobilised and inmany cases taken upriver to beyond thetidal locks. One of the pub's customershad an eightfoot punt built locally and hedecided that it was not worth him doingthis so he told my father that I could haveit. I was eight years old at this time. SinceI couldn't use it the boat was placed intoa shed and remained there until about1943. By this time the regulations werenot so strictly enforced and I began to rowagain round about locally on the Medway.Shortly after this I had help and we f›tteda centreboard and a spritsail like a barge.The sails were made from the blackoutcurtains from the pub and the spars werethe poles on which they had hung. Thislittle boat I called 'Unity' after one of thetrading barges I admired.

When I was about twelve the Governmentopened up a department called the SmallCraft Disposal Department to sell, bytender, all damaged and redundantNaval craft.

I had collected £17 in war certificatesby this time and, as my parents had bothdied, I persuaded my Grandmother toallow me to cash them to buy a 16ft trawlerboat. This was only about two years oldbut had a big hole in the topsides. I paid£10 for the boat and with scrounging andscraping it was sailing within a monthrepaired and rigged with some gaff riggedsails. I managed to build a deck over thebows and all the cleats, rudder etc. weremade. As we were not that skilled we wereadvised to fit a large plank of woodvertically under her exiting keel to ensurethat she didn't make leeway. We calledher “Kittiwake”.

In 1946 I started work and I became aShipwright apprentice in ChathamDockyard. When I became more skilful weseemed to alter “Kittiwake” every winter,eventually fitting her with a small cabin, aproper centreboard and a Bermuda rig. Ihad this boat until about 1949. We sailedher from the Medway Cruising Club whichhad not been active during the war years.At the age of 14 I became the youngestfull member. The most ambitious voyagewe made in this boat was from the Medwayto Pinmill on the River Onvell. We had nooutboard and no Heads. We had twobuckets, a white one for washing andwashing up and a brown one. Shortly aftersailing we lost the brown one overboard!I had “Kittiwake” for about six yearsand learned most of my future sailing skillsfrom her.

I was told of an ex Airborne lifeboat at theDisposal Place. These boats were designedby Uffa Fox to be capable of being carriedunder the belly of bombers and were fullyfitted to have all survival equipmentnecessary to be dropped by parachute tocrashed aircraft out at sea. They werewonderfully constructed of mahogany withtwo skins of three sixteenth thicknessmahogany on ribs that were half inch by

three eighths only two inches apart. Theywere an extension of Uffa's wonderfullinternational 14s. We made decks oververy light framing and covered them withMasonite, this made the whole thing a verylight boat. However, I ran out of moneyand the mast, rigging and sails were allscrounged and were not very good.

We decided to have her ready to sail atEaster and, because requiring suitabletides, we actually launched her on aThursday afternoon. Temptation provedtoo much and, as it was a splendid sunnyday, a fresh breeze, three boys and apretty girl, we went for a sail. What a sail!In no time at all we were down the riverand came up to “Sirdar” one of the fastestof London and Rochester's barges and aregular winner of the barge races. Tackinground behind her we chased her uptowards Upnor. When we got to the Topof the Island off Gillingham “Sirdar”gybed and her great mainsail crashedover. As we were abreast of her we alsogybed but were not ready for it and overwe went. The new mast stuck in the mudand snapped. Being a nonswimmer andwith no lifejacket on, I was clinging on tothe very smooth bottom. With magni-ficentseamanship the mate of the barge pulledhis dingy up, jumped in and came andpicked us up, leaving “Sirdar” to sail upto where she could turn round and theSkipper sailed her back single handed topick up his mate and boat.

This disaster set me back for about a month.But “Scandal”, as she was now called,was fîtted with a steel plate fin keel boltedthrough the centre box. Later, because Ihad a job, I could afford some new sailsmade locally by a dockyard sail makerand I found a suitable new hollow mast.Eventually “Scandal 2” became probablythe fastest sailing boat on the river. Weraced on equal terms with a six metre andan ex six metre called “Thalassa”. Being23 ft. long we were not allowed to sailwith dinghies but with the cruisers. Wewere given a huge handicap but oftenfinished first even if later we were finallyplaced lower. in Burnham week we won

John NEGUS -Suffolk FLEET

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My love of boats

five races out of seven as it blew hardereach day. The first prizes were ten poundsand as an apprentice my wage was aboutfive pounds a week so we had a greattime at Burnham. We had the enormouspleasure of planing past the Great UffaFox, who was sailing a Six metre he haddesigned, his look of complete astonishmentas we went past was never to be forgotten.His Six was, I believe, called “Nona” andwas heeling right over having just roundeda buoy to port. We came down the riverand rounded the same buoy to starboard,we rode his quarter wave for the wholelength of the River Roach.

As my five year apprenticeship was nowcomplete I was called upon to do NationalService as a Shipwright in the Royal Navyand so I sold “Scandal”. This was the onlyperiod of my life that I never owned aboat. I completed my National service in1953 and set about earning a living, firstas a Shipwright again and later as adraughtsman. It was during this period thatI again found another airborne lifeboat.She was very scruffy and badly treated butI bought her for thirtyfive pounds. Still withno money, I scrounged, made andimprovised and people were very generouswith old fittings and bits and pieces. Shewas not a patch on “Scandal” but still alovely sailing boat. It was in this boat thatI took Sheila sailing and it wasn't too badbecause we married shortly after.

After a couple of years we decided thatwe would build a 14ft. GP fourteen dinghyfrom a kit. The intention was to trail itaround and enjoy sailing in other rivers.However on completion we decided tojoin the Medway Yacht Club as we werenow living on that side of the Medway.Visiting öne day I bumped into an oldfriend there and he told me that he toohad a GP and raced each weekend. Fouryears later we raced “Little Soul” (my wife'schoice) and, apart from trailing tochampionships and open meetings, wenever trailed her. We had good successat club level and I really got the 'bug'.Sheila was getting a little fed up with thewet and bruising weekends and so I lookedfor something a little more demanding.Someone loaned me a Flying Fifteen. Ireally loved this performance and at theend of the season bought her. We hadmoderate success with this boat but I wanteda wooden one. “Jackdaw” came on themarket, she was built by Uffa Fox and

looked beautifol. The deal was that if theowner could sail her until June I could buyher for a really good price. Well “Freckles”beat “Jackdaw” in every race and my crewwas not happy with our prospects. Oncewe got possession of 'Jackdaw' it took onlya little time to find out what she liked andeventually she became extremelycompetitive. We took her to Hayling IslandNational Champion-ships in very heavywinds. After the first two races we werethe leaders and if the wind had only stayedhard, but we were 7th overall. I kept“Jackdaw” for four years and then mydaughter appeared and it was time togrow up.

A very good friend thought it would be agood idea if we shared a small cruiser.We bought a 25ft. T24 which was acomposite design by Guy Thompson. Wecalled her “Sheba” as Sheila and Barbarathought that was the right thing to do. Shewas a fine boat and many holidays wereshared and quite a few club trophies cameour way. Inevitably I had to change myjob and was required to move North andsold my share to my partner.

Later I again changed companies andfound myself living in Hanvich. Surroundedby some of the best sailing waters in thecountry it wasn't long before a Squib,“Lively Lass” took my eye. She was idealto explore this new area with a small childand for two years we had great fun. Variousimprovements to my circumstances meantthat we were able to buy “Lakka” a 25 ftSeamaster 815. She was a delight andreally ideal for us, we enjoyed her verymuch.

But, again, fortunes improved and wedecided to buy a new boat. We chose aBenetau First 28 we called “Formidable”.This boat was quite fast and we raced herfor some six years in the Local Havenseries. This was a great format with up toseventy handicapped boats racing offshore.We had several single figure results withonly a second being our most rewarding.It was during this ownership that I had amild heart problem that resulted in bye-pass surgery. This must also have affectedmy brain because I sold “Formidable” andbought “Whisperer”. She was a 1964Admiral's Cup boat, beautifully built byTucker Brown at Burnham. I spent two yearsand quite a lot of money in bringing herup to modern standard. She was probablythe best boat I have ever sailed. An absolute

j oy to sail to windward in a blow but nowcompletely outclassed downwind. We hadmany fast passages across to Belgium andOstend. Eleven hours from Ostend to PyeEnd was one I remember well. But,eventually, common sense ruled and“Whisperer” went too and a Bavaria 32named “Blue Moves” came on the scene.It didn't take long for the 1 to be added.But just to show that stupidity is not reservedfor the young I found a derelict 18 ftkeelboat lying on the marshes at WestMersea and over a period of two yearsbrought her back to life. As a gaff riggedthreequarter decked boat she was lovelyand again with a friend I owned her forfour years. My wife named her “Butterfly”as she was seen to emerge from a wreckto a little gem.

But now, finally, I decided that I will enjoysailing with whoever will want an oldShipwright, but I will always love BOATS.

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WARR, Dr. Kenneth,a true Rotarian andoutstanding yachtsmanboth nationally andinternationally, passed tohigher service aftera lengthy illness. PastInternational Commodoreof I.Y.F.R. and a localCommodore of the S.A.Fleet during the 1980’s,he will be respectfullyremembered by theInternational Bridgeand IYFORIANSworldwide privileged tohaveknown him.

Rotary yachtingcondolences to Molly,Douglas and Cheryl.

Dear Fleet Members,

We have now an Online Roster on theInternet , ready to be used by every oneof us. The new system is not a Web Sitebut it is a "Distributed Management System"for Regional Commodores, FleetCommodores and International Bridge. Itis your system. It is the system for everyIyforian on the sea and land. It does haveneither a national identity nor a fixedmanagement point. It is your local systemto manage your roster, to communicatewith your members. We consider theRegional Commodores as the key persons,or contact persons in our organization,and they have a very important role fortheir regions and for the InternationalBridge. First of everything, we mustemphasize that the Regional Commodorehas his/her own Regional Commodore’sUsername and Password which makeshim/her able to add, delete or modifymember’s data. All the RegionalCommodores; please use your Usernameand Password to log in to the system, and

manage it accordingly. You will beorganizing your region while mending theOnline Roster, which we put in front of youto fix and develop. The second importantstep for the Regional Commodores is tocreate or change an Iyforian Usernameand Password for the members of theirfleets and distribute this Iyforian Usernameand Password to his fellow mariners. Withthe Iyforian Username and Password, fleetmembers may log in to the system find orreach the others.

I think that a six months’ period is quitelong for everyone to get used to the systemand use it in every occasion. During this"transition" period, we, the InternationalBridge will help you in every step andaspect. Then you will be on your own tomanage your fleets and your region. Wehope that your "Distributed ManagementSystem" will make every face smiling andwill contribute to the friendships. The Siteis more or less self-explanatory. We havetwo sections, the first one is the publicsection of the web pages that can be seenby every individual on the Internet, and

the second section is for our communityand called as "Members Only Pages". Youmust have the Iyforian Username andPassword to log in. Once you are loggedin, you may view the Online Roster indifferent ways. This is the heart of thesystem and it is Regional Commodores’task to maintain it by making necessarychanges in their respective regions.

Rotafloats, downloadable materials likeIYFR brochures, news and regalia liesbeneath the "Members Only Pages". Thereare some more interesting features in thissection and these pages will be developedfurther by time. www.iyfr.org has beendesigned and developed in a straight-forward fashion in mind and do not honorthe animations and colorful images whichare not directly related to our intention.We hope that our initiative will beappreciated and approved by our fleetsand members.

Cihan ANAMURWebmaster

From the Web Master

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International CommodoreInternational Vice CommodoreInternational Rear CommodorePast International CommodoreExecutive SecretaryRosterRotafloatTresurerWebmaster

Linkswww.rotary.orgwww.sailing.org

IYFR Regalia1 Member Burgee (12"x18") $ 19.002 Fleet Commodore Burgee (3 balls) $ 35.003 Vice Commodore Burgee (2 balls) $ 35.004 Rear Commodore Burgee (1 ball) $ 35.005 Fleet Officers Insignia

(stars, etc - by request)6 Blue Burgee Lapel Pins $ 5.007 IYFR Gold 'wheel' Pin/Pendant $ 5.008 IYFR Gold Bullion emroidered

blazer emblem (clip on) $ 35.009 IYFR Screenprinted blazer emblem

(sew on) $ 10.0010 White Epaulette Shirt

(Mens& Ladies -M,L,XL,XXL) $ 40.0011 T-Shirt/white embroidered (M,L,XL,XXL) $ 15.0012 IYFR Emblem Cap (navy) $ 15.0013 IYFR Emblem Cap (gold leaves on bill) $ 20.0014 IYFR Window Decal $ 1.0015 IYFR Tie (navy/blue diagonal

stripe/burgee weave) $ 19.00

For further information, please consult our website at www.iyfr.org

2003 - 2005 International Bridge

International Rear CommodoreMax Cribb

Wynnum, Queensland Australia

International Vice CommodoreBill Robinson

Seattle, Washington USA

International CommodoreFerit Biren

Istanbul, Turkey

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The International Bridge Organization ChartFerit Biren

International Commodore

Auditors• Marda PHILLIPS• Janet SLATER

Advisors• PIC Joe PHILLIPS (Rules & Regulations + Promotion)• Ayhan UNLER (Legal Matters)

• Rear Commodore (Admin.) Türker KARAMIZRAK• Executive Secretary Murat GÜVERC‹NC‹

• Treasurer Ertan ÖZDEM‹R• Coordinator Dündar RENDA

• Web Master Cihan ANAMUR, Esat ÖZKAN• Roster & Rotafloat Editor Mustafa YALKIN

• Assistant Treasurer Bark›n ALTINOK• Regalia Matters Sevinç ‹NAN, Procurement Ertu¤rul ERGUN, Sales Müge MALKOÇ

• P.R. Selda GERSON (IYFR Discounts IYFR ID card)• Contacts with RCs O¤uz ÖZDEM‹R

IC Bridge Staff

• I.V.C. William T. ROBINSON• I.R.C. R.J. Maxwell CRIBB

International ExecutiveCommittee