UPPER KEYS SAILORS CELEBRATE 50 YEARS ON THE WATER

UKSC sailboats of all sizes were dressed for the Blessing of the Fleet on Jan. 8. The blessing is a traditional invocation of good fortune for boaters. LUKE BOVILL/Contributed

In 1973, a small group of sailing enthusiasts hoisted their sails in the Upper Keys, testing their skills in grueling oceanside regattas as well as offering instruction for novice sailors.

Fifty years later, a lot has changed at the Upper Keys Sailing Club, and a lot has remained the same.

“The kind of racing we did in those days was just tooth and nail; everybody was doing everything, ” recalled Marlin Simon, an early sailing club member who held the leadership role of commodore in 1975.

“It was just adrenaline shooting out,” he added, describing the exhilarating regattas of the time.

Today, that same cutting-edge competitiveness and adrenaline rush can be felt on the bayside waters of Buttonwood Sound. However, to members, the Upper Keys Sailing Club is about more than just racing; it is about community.

“We danced, we had fun, we had parties on the beach,” recalled Bob Sandifer. Sandifer and his late wife, Cris, joined the Upper Keys Sailing Club in 1986. Recently, 94-year-old Sandifer reminisced about the times had while racing his 24-foot O’Day named Mischief.

“Good times and good racing,” he said with a smile.

The 50th year celebration kicked off with a weekend of festivities starting on Jan. 6, with current and past members gathering at the club along Ocean Bay Drive in Key Largo. They reconnected over their love of sailing; many spent time flipping through old photo albums. On Jan. 8, decorated sailboats of all sizes held a procession for a blessing of the fleet.

Lifelong sailors Richard and Sharon Slosar hopped on a friend’s sailboat for the ceremony. They started coming to the Upper Keys Sailing Club in 1983 when they lived in Marathon and became members in 1987. Back then to become a regular member you had to live on the north side of the Channel 5 Bridge.

“We actually moved so we could become full-time members here,” Sharon said.

The late Ken Sorensen sponsored the Slosars’ membership into the Upper Keys Sailing Club. Sorensen was a state representative and a founding club member.

“It was like being in heaven for sailors,” said Richard of the time well spent inside the clubhouse. “When you walked in here you could talk about racing, you could talk about cruising, what size anchor was on your sailboat. It was just a conversation paradise back in those days and we were hooked,” he said.

What started out as a few friends getting together for some friendly sailing competition 50 years ago has grown into a sailing club of almost 300 members. The club offers a youth sailing program for children ages 8-18. Sailing lessons for adults are also available.

Besides regattas and cruising, there are educational weekly talks covering everything from racing tactics to diesel engine maintenance. And there are social gatherings, lots of social gatherings.

“Overall it’s about the family element here and our sailing community,” said UKSC Commodore Mike Austin.

Austin looks forward to what the next 50 years hold for this group of sailors, bound together by a deep appreciation of the water.

“The thing that draws us together here is the passion of being on the water and sailing.
That comes straight from our mission statement,” added Austin.

If you’d like to learn more about the Upper Keys Sailing Club, including information on memberships and sailing instruction, just head to their website at upperkeyssailingclub.com.

Marlin Simon still has the commodore T-shirt given to him almost 50 years ago. Simon was commodore of the Upper Keys Sailing Club in 1975. KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL/Keys Weekly
A picture-perfect day ushered in celebrations on Buttonwood Sound for the Upper Keys Sailing Club’s 50th Anniversary Kickoff. More than 20 sailboats took to the water for the Blessing of the Fleet. LUKE BOVILL/Contributed
Bob Sandifer, 94, holds up a picture of his sailboat named Mischief. Sandifer joined the Upper Keys Sailing Club in 1986. KELLIE BUTLER FARRELL/Keys Weekly
An aerial view of waters near the Upper Keys Sailing Club in Key Largo. ANTHONY CULLEY/Contributed
Kellie Butler Farrell is a journalist who calls Islamorada home. Kellie spent two decades in television news and also taught journalism at Barry University in Miami and Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She loves being outside, whether spending time on the water or zipping down the Old Highway on her electric bike, Kellie is always soaking up the island lifestyle. Kellie and her husband own an electric bike rental company, Keys Ebikes.