March 6, 2002 – Billed as a party with a purpose, the Coral Bay Yacht Club's 5th annual flotilla to Norman Island, set for Saturday, will again benefit Emmaus Moravian Church.
"We wanted to do something good for Coral Bay," yacht club commodore Dave Dostal said. The event is basically a beach party with a sail to Norman Island at the start and the return trip at the end of the day. Some 10 to 20 sailboats from St. John are expected to participate.
Tickets are $35. They're being sold at Connections in both Cruz Bay and Coral Bay and also will be available at the Coral Bay dinghy dock Saturday morning.
The price includes the sail to Norman Island's Benure Bay and back, music, customs fees and a choice of West Indian or Italian food, salads, hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch. Drinks will be sold on the beach. Also being sold are T-shirts and raffle tickets for prizes that include hotel accommodations and dinners for two.
Participants are asked to gather at the Coral Bay dinghy dock at 8 a.m., bringing passports, beach and snorkel gear and drinking water. A return to Coral Bay by 5:30 p.m. is anticipated.
The money raised will benefit the Emmaus Moravian Church capital improvement fund. "It's important for the church to have a well-built and well-maintained structure," said Trudy Toliver, a yacht club member who is handling publicity for the event.
The church serves as the heart of the small Coral Bay community as well as its hurricane shelter when storms hit. While boaters do take shelter in the church, Toliver said the flotilla is about doing something for the whole community. "The yacht club is just happy that we've got the sailors and the vessels to go out and have a good time," she said.
Numerous St. John restaurants and other businesses have donated food and supplies for the flotilla outing, Toliver said, and the skippers volunteer their time and their vessels and dozens of volunteers help to get the event organized.
More captains are still needed, she said. Anyone wishing to volunteer is asked to sign up at Connections.
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