BOAT International is delighted to announce that it will be a media sponsor for the 36th Annual Boys & Girls Clubs Yacht Rendezvous (7-8 November). Shaping up to be one of the largest charity events in yachting, the Rendezvous will be held in Fort Lauderdale for the first time in its 37-year history, with the gala event taking place at the Pier Sixty-Six Resort & Marina, which completed a $1 billion renovation just last year.
The event takes place over two evenings with the traditional yacht hop and gala dinner as the main events. The tentative lineup at the marina includes yachts from 16.8 to 50 metres, which guests will get to enjoy during the Yacht Hop and White Party on 8 November. Meanwhile, one of the prizes being offered for the gala's silent auction is week-long charter for 10 guests on board an unidentified 45.7-metre yacht.
Event co-chair and COO of Fraser Yachts US operation Mike Busacca, who has been involved with the event for 26 years, says it’s shaping up to be "the biggest yet". Joining him as co-chairs are his wife Jessica and philanthropist Carla Taylor. "We have 18 yachts confirmed for the yacht hop," explained Busacca. Sponsorships have been pouring in as well, including from international yacht builders.
This year’s Rendezvous will honour long-time NASCAR and IndyCar team owner Felix Sabates for his longstanding support of the clubs and their mission to support youth at risk. Aside from his early involvement with the event, Sabates had a significant impact in the yachting world with the acquisition of yacht dealerships and as the one-time co-owner of the former Trinity Yachts. He also has been an avid boater and yachtsman for most of his life.
Going with this larger-than-life fundraising event, Saturday night’s black-tie gala headliner is five-time Grammy Award nominee, singer-songwriter and record producer Robin Thicke, with Will Reeve (the late Christopher Reeve's son and Good Morning America correspondent) confirmed as emcee.
One of many affiliates of a nationwide non-profit organisation that provides safe after-school and summer programs for children across the US, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County supports more than 13,000 children – primarily in under-resourced communities – through academic, recreational, and mentoring programs.
"The ‘Rendezvous’ is one of our premier gatherings with a profound purpose. Thanks to the generosity it inspires, we’re able to serve more than 2,200 youth every day," said Chris Gentile, co-CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, which is benefiting from this annual gathering. "Events like this remind us that when people come together with a shared commitment, we can truly transform futures."
The Rendezvous began in the late 1980s when the founding members, auto dealers and community leaders Rita Case and her late husband Rick Case, invited yacht owners for what was then a modest fundraiser to support four clubs in their community. Over the decades the annual event has raised tens of millions for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, benefiting thousands of local children who receive guidance from its numerous programs.