Greetings CYBA members and sponsors,
This is a very special CYBA News, as we are announcing one of the most significant actions in our history: the acquisition of the iconic Log newspaper.
It is with great pride and a sense of honor that the CYBA is able to cement this deal and offer this West Coast treasure to our membership. Anyone involved in recreational boating in California, especially in Southern California, has grown up with The Log and has come to rely on this publication for news, calendars, fishing and sailing reports, a classified marketplace, and, of course, broker and dealer advertising.
It is important to consider that, as a CYBA member, you too are now an owner and steward of this wonderful publication. With your support and readership, The Log will continue to flourish as it informs, entertains, and enlightens the California waterfront community. Watch for upcoming developments and opportunities as the CYBA and The Log join forces and grow together!
Also in this issue is news of the recent election of Mark Gibbons, owner of 50 North Yacht Sales, as our newest CYBA Board member. We are so fortunate to have someone with Mark’s skill, intelligence, and experience on our Board. If you see yourself, or someone you respect and admire, as a beneficial addition to the CYBA Board, please reach out to me or Executive Director Mark White.
Lastly, we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our CYBA Legal Counsel, Chris Brainard, and to the CYBA members and sponsors and, most importantly, to the contributors to our CYBA Legacy Fund—who enabled the CYBA to defend ourselves against the misguided Ya Mon v. International Yacht Brokers Association lawsuit.
As you will read in this issue, we have been dropped from the lawsuit, potentially saving every California broker and brokerage from obscene amounts of clawed-back commissions going back years. The entire California brokerage community benefited from our efforts. So, thank you for your membership. And if you know or deal with salespersons and brokers who are not members of the CYBA, I strongly urge you to encourage them to join the CYBA.
The industry will face other attacks, most assuredly and having an organization such as the CYBA to speak for the community at large can often spell the difference between winning and losing.
As always, I encourage you to be active in your CYBA. There’s more going on right now than ever before in our 50-year history, and transformational changes are coming to the benefit of all members. Your voice, support, and involvement not only help, but matter!
