Riviera Rendezvous 2019 Recap
The 2019 Riviera Rendezvous has come and gone, and it was another enormous success.
An annual opportunity to visit with old friends, welcome many new Riviera owners, and celebrate the Riviera Yachts we love. This particular Pacific Northwest Riviera Rendezvous is the largest in the world and this year-we had the biggest showing yet! Between our office – Emerald Pacific Yachts – and Van Isle Marina we were able to fill the weekend with activities that all guests could enjoy.
Showcasing our 5400 Sport Yacht, 395 SUV, and Van Isle’s 43 Open Flybridge throughout the weekend, many of our guests took the opportunity to step aboard and were very impressed.
Before the Rendezvous officially began on Friday June 7th, some of our guests arrived early enough for a round of golf at the San Juan County Golf Club. The weather was typical for San Juan Island, however our guests William Clise, Ken Evans, and Mark Doxon played well against Rob Scott from Riviera. By the time they returned to the Resort, the rest of us from Emerald Pacific Yachts arrived and began setting up. We were ready for guest check-in by 3:00pm.
Check-in began and this year for attending, our guests received a bottle of Fidélitas Red Wine donated by Robinson Law Group, and silicone personal popcorn popper. These were both placed in a very nice & technical, Rtic Soft Case cooler branded with the Riviera and Emerald Pacific Yachts Logos!
This year, we treated our guests to an extra special Happy Hour.
Not only were the kegs tapped, but Pearl & Stone Wine Co. brought along six of their finest wines to pour tastes all evening. They provided their newest and first ever white wine that became an instant hit! We also put together two cheese tasting platters from the local Sheep farm on Whidbey Island, Glendale Shepherd. . If all this wasn’t enough, Rob Scott and our very own Tony Witek supplied Wescott Bay Oysters strait from the grill both raw and cooked in the half shell.
The evening further commenced with our annual potluck dinner! Each year we do this, because it’s a great way for our guests to mingle, and we have some folks that go above and beyond and truly make the event special. This year, Nelson and Kathy Goodsell provided the best brisket we’ve ever tasted! The dish was also themed as “Lone Ranger” brisket – so they won a prize at the end of the evening!
Saturday began for the 2019 Riviera Rendezvous with perfectly brewed coffee, mimosas and local Roche Harbor Donuts hosted by Van Isle Marina.
This is a tasty tradition of Van Isle’s and is a much appreciated – crowd pleaser, every year. We had one seminar led by Fred Robinson, about chartering your yacht & Washington / British Columbia Tax exemptions.
Following our morning activities, we tried new type of entertainment and hosted a “movie themed” trivia contest! Similar to pub style quizzes, teams of up to 4 people tried to guess the answers to pre-chosen questions. The turnout was great, and the response was very positive. During “Movie Themed” Trivia, we had a popcorn buffet bar! We rented a full popcorn machine, and provided team players with all the toppings they could want. A few other folks enjoyed it too! We had an amazing selection of prizes, gave them away to our 1st, 2nd and last place team! Prizes were donated by Nichol Black & Fieg, Elliott Bay Marina, Lending Associates, and Fisheries Supply! A huge thank you to those sponsors for helping supply our guests with fun gifts.
Saturday afternoon rolled in and the Pacific NW really brought us the best weather. We had sunshine all evening, and therefore we were able to put on our big costumes without worry! With a gathering time of 4:30 to arrive in costume, the characters began pouring in. We had folks dressed up from many famous movies and even a couple repeaters! For example, there were a few Dorothy’s and Gilligan’s as well as more than one or two Danny & Sandy’s from Grease! Almost everyone participated in costume, which for a crowd of over 170.. a lot of fun.
The Murder Mystery Co,. led our evening’s entertainment .
The actors explained the rules, helped pick out additional participants and gave us all a laugh. During the evening we paused for a catered dinner hosted by Emerald Pacific Yachts. Rob and Lance prepared ribs, bratwurst, and even more brisket! The local caterer Deb Nolan served up health salads, rolls, and desserts! It was an exceptional meal!
By the end of the night, we were well fed and entertained. The Riviera Rendezvous was a huge success and we owe great big THANK YOU to all who attended and helped! An even bigger thank you to all our sponsors. We greatly appreciate your donations and support!
