When I joined the Board of Directors in 2019 as Rear Commodore, I attended my first board meeting, ready to dive in. I still remember then-Commodore Rob Gibbs telling us to, “Start thinking about your replacement.” I was a bit taken aback—until that moment, my sailing life had been focused on racing and attending meetings. Suddenly, I realized there was a whole other side to the club.
As a retiree, I enjoyed the additional responsibilities that came with serving on the board, so I decided to stay and keep moving up. Somewhere along the way, I also became the Website manager and a Wild Apricot Admin, helping where needed. I’ll still be quietly working behind the scenes on a few key administrative tasks that benefit from a steady and familiar hand. But six years later, it’s time to engage some younger members.
I’m thrilled to announce my replacements for two key roles. Joanne Aspinall will be taking on the role of Webmaster, managing our website, and Andrew Fulton will be stepping in as the club’s Wild Apricot Administrator (member database and registration app).
Please join me in thanking and welcoming Joanne and Andrew as they assume these essential volunteer positions in our club. We are in good hands!
The following introductions are based on a few questions I posed to Andrew and Joanne.
Introducing Joanne Aspinall: AYC Webmaster
For Joanne, sailing isn’t just a pastime—it’s a family tradition. She first joined the Arizona Yacht Club as a kid in the late ’80s when her family raced their Catalina 22, Joken. “I’m the ‘Jo,’ and you can probably guess my brother’s name,” she laughs. Back then, Joanne was crew for her dad—today, the roles are reversed, and her dad crews for her. Joanne mentions, “I love that many of the same people we raced with are still members of AYC.”
After occasional sailing as an adult, the pandemic reminded Joanne that life is too short to stay landlocked. In 2021, she rejoined AYC, bought her boat, and started taking her kids out for casual sails. Little did she know that racing—and deep involvement in the club—were in her future. She good-naturedly blames fellow members Dave Henning and Bob Naylor for that.
A native Phoenician, Joanne graduated from a local high school and enrolled in ASU, earning a master’s degree in Accounting and Information Systems. She now works in Finance Systems, where she manages SharePoint sites, Power Platform workflows, SQL Server databases, and Tableau data visualizations. “I’m definitely a self-proclaimed data nerd and programming geek,” she says. “I can’t imagine life without Excel!”
Her favorite thing about AYC? “The social aspect—and that sailing is a sport where there’s always something new to learn.”
Outside of sailing, Joanne has an athletic history that might surprise you—she played Ultimate Frisbee for 20 years. After retiring from the sport in 2022, she found sailing to be the perfect replacement: a source of competition, camaraderie, and motivation to stay active. “If I were still playing Ultimate, I’d be a Great Grand Master (age level), so it feels good that I’m only a Master in sailing. All of the Master ‘s+ in AYC inspire me.”
Introducing Andrew Fulton: AYC Wild Apricot Administrator
Andrew’s fascination with boats began with reading books. Fascinated by naval warships—from the mighty Man O’ War to the steel giants of World War II—he watched countless documentaries and Hollywood films on the subject.
In June of 2024, under Arizona’s summer sun, he took a 2-hour Intro to Sailing course. “It was a dream come true”—and the moment he was hooked. That short sail sparked a new passion, and in the months since, Andrew has already earned his ASA101 and ASA102 certifications, with ASA103 on the horizon later this year.
Joining the Arizona Yacht Club in December 2024 opened even more doors. “My favorite thing about being an AYC member,” Andrew says, “is meeting so many people and hearing about their sailing journeys and adventures across the globe.”
A Phoenix native, Andrew grew up visiting Lake Pleasant and Lake Havasu, but his water adventures were limited to jet skis and motorboats. Sailing, he says, is a whole new world—and one he’s glad he discovered.
Off the water, Andrew’s professional life revolves around technology. He’s been tinkering with computers since before most kids start kindergarten—“since I was 18 months old, or so I’ve been told.” By the age of nine, he was writing code in the Borland Delphi and C/C++ programming languages. And at sixteen, he joined the family business, which manages and services computers for small businesses across the valley. Today, he works there full-time, juggling a range of responsibilities that include writing PowerShell scripts, providing remote support, and offering help desk services.
When asked if he’s a self-proclaimed geek, Andrew laughs. “It’s more that others would call me one. Computers and technology surround my everyday world, so I try to escape from that realm whenever possible. But if you do get me talking about tech… you’re in for a ride!”
And while he’s got plenty of hobbies—from roller-skating to woodworking—it’s his musical side that surprises most people. Andrew plays electric guitar and has mastered covers from bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Joe Satriani. “While I love playing classic rock,” he says, “I most enjoy playing the Blues… with a little Jazz on the side.”