IYRS upcoming calendar events

by Cynthia Goss on 10 Apr 2011 International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) shares the upcoming events on their calendar for 2011.

April 12, 2011: IYRS Lecture 'G.L. Watson - The Art and Science of Yacht Design' with Hal Sisk
IYRS Newport Campus (449 Thames Street, Newport, RI) / 7:30 pm

Irish yachting historian Hal Sisk travels from his homeland to IYRS to talk about author Martin Black’s new book, G. L. Watson – The Art and Science of Yacht Design, a volume that explores the genius of British yacht designer George Lennox Watson (1851 - 1904). The event is part of the school’s spring 'Readers’ Series' of lectures. Each event in the series draws lecture-goers into the fascinating stories of the makings of great yachts, both grand and modest, and the adventures that are had on board. Lectures are free for members of IYRS and the Museum of Yachting; $7 for non-members.

April 26, 2011: IYRS Lecture 'My Yacht Designs' with Chuck Paine
IYRS Newport Campus (449 Thames Street, Newport, RI) / 7:30 pm

Prolific American yacht designer Chuck Paine comes to IYRS on the evening of Tuesday, April 26 to talk about his book My Yacht Designs and the Lessons They Taught Me, which tells his life story and follows his successful career in naval architecture—a long career during which he created over a thousand yachts. The event is part of the school’s spring 'Readers’ Series' of lectures. Each event in the series draws lecture-goers into the fascinating stories of the makings of great yachts, both grand and modest, and the adventures that are had on board. Lectures are free for members of IYRS and the Museum of Yachting; $7 for non-members.

May 4, 2011: IYRS Boatbuilding and Restoration Open House
IYRS Newport Campus (449 Thames Street, Newport, RI) / 4:00 – 7:00 pm

Come to the International Yacht Restoration School on Wednesday, May 4 for an afternoon Open House at the school’s Newport campus. The event runs from 4:00 to 7:00 pm inside Restoration Hall, home to the IYRS Boatbuilding and Restoration program. Meet IYRS instructors and staff; learn about the marketable skills taught at IYRS that lead to career opportunities in the marine trades; get answers to questions about admissions and financial aid; tour the facilities; and see restoration projects students are preparing for graduation day in early June. This year IYRS students are restoring a fleet of Beetle Cats, a Columbia Lifeboat, a Herreshoff 12 ½, and an elegant Starling Burgess–designed R-Class sloop.

May 25, 2011: IYRS Marine Systems and Composites Technology Open House
IYRS Bristol Campus (253 Franklin Street, Bristol, RI) / 4:00 – 7:00 pm

On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 25, IYRS will open its doors to the public for an afternoon Open House at its teaching facility in Bristol. The event runs from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the school’s 5,000-square-foot facility at the Franklin Street Marine Corridor, home to the school's Marine Systems and newly launched Composites Technology programs. Meet IYRS instructors and staff; learn about the marketable skills taught at IYRS that lead to career opportunities in the marine trades; get answers to questions about admissions and financial aid; tour the facilities; and see projects students are preparing for graduation day in early June.

June 4, 2011: IYRS Launch Day
IYRS Newport Campus (449 Thames Street, Newport, RI)

On Saturday, June 4, students at the International Yacht Restoration School will take part in the school’s unique graduation rite at the IYRS docks. Instead of picking up diplomas that prove hours of learning, students will climb aboard the boats they spent the past year building, refitting and restoring and test their workmanship on the water.
Students from the school’s three full-time programs—in Boatbuilding and Restoration, Marine Systems, and Composites Technology—graduate on Launch Day. Boatbuilding and Restoration students will showcase ten Beetle Cats, a Columbia Lifeboat, a Herreshoff 12 ½, and an elegant Starling Burgess–designed R-Class sloop.

This year the first class of students from the new Composites Technology program will showcase the futuristic Moth hydrofoils they built; these high-performance boats are considered by many to be the fastest, most exhilarating dinghy being sailed today.

July 9, 2011: 14th Annual IYRS Annual Summer Gala sponsored by The Hilton Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney IYRS Newport Campus (449 Thames Street, Newport, RI)

On the evening of July 9, the waterfront campus of Newport’s International Yacht Restoration School will be transformed from a place where shipwrights train into an elegant setting for the school’s 14th Annual IYRS Summer Gala sponsored by The Hilton Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Under the direction of event co-chairs Molly and Guillaume de Ramel of Newport, the Gala’s theme is a Black and White Party.

A highpoint of the Gala weekend will be the unveiling of a special black and white photography exhibit comprised of work by the world’s leading marine photographers.

Collectively, the participating photographers have depicted every iteration of yachting—from thrilling adventure and competition to the still, simple beauty of boats; each photographer will compose a single shot that depicts their interpretation of the IYRS spirit, and their work will become a focal point of the evening’s silent auction. Two levels of tickets are available: 6:00 pm – midnight, for a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner, live and silent auctions, and dancing ($325 per person); or 9 pm – midnight for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and dessert, silent auction, and dancing ($100 per person).

www.iyrs.org