Cue the Yacht Rock

It was a sea of navy-blue blazers and Nantucket red pants when the Santa Barbara Yacht Club marked its 152nd opening day as the second oldest sailing mecca on the West Coast.

Executive Chef Owen Hanavan laid on a heaping display of food – plank salmon, lamb chops, sausages, shrimp, eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine, and more – accompanied by gallons of mimosas that would have made Belshazzar green with envy as retired police sergeant David Gonzales sang the national anthem, Dylan Seawards recited the Pledge of Allegiance, Boy Scouts from Montecito’s Troop 33 presented the colors, and fun loving Franciscan friar Larry Gosselin offered a prayer.

The Parade of the Fleet, which was to have featured more than 20 boats led by Tommy and Caitlin Pertsulakes in their motor vessel Tomcat, was postponed because of the bad weather, but 32 commodores and local dignitaries from San Francisco to San Diego joined in the fun nautical fest.

Among the marine mavens were new commodore Dennis Boneck, Roger and Sarah Chrisman, Jack Byers – celebrating his 87th birthday – and wife Karen, Tony and Sabrina Papa, Trish Davis, Brenda Blalock, ubiquitous KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri, Jeff Berkus, Matt Wilson, David Sadecki, and Francie Lufkin.

Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys, who lives a tiara’s toss from the Biltmore, fired the starting gun to signify the launch of the new season.

Good vibrations all round…