Celebrating another successful calendar in the books, this year’s highly-anticipated Sundance Rendezvous was held in the San Juan Islands, one of the premier boating destinations in the entire Pacific Northwest. Although there are more than 172 islands to choose from, each with their own mellow pace and stress-free lifestyle, we decided to head out to Lopez Island, the perfect place to kick back and relax on your own time. Rolling farmlands, calm beaches and quiet bays highlight the peaceful natural splendor, whereas Lopez Village consists of charming bakeries, local artisan shops and home-style restaurants.
Kicking off on June 21, an invitation to the 3-day event was extended to all customers, brokers and clients within the Sundance Yachts family. After cruising through the scenic waters and lush forestry, guests arrived at the Lopez Island marina and were treated to a weekend-long itinerary of exclusive events, educational opportunities and good times.
To start the weekend off, Jason Burks led an IPS docking seminar, a fascinating insight that’s meant to make close-quarter maneuvering safe, easy and fun. Aboard a C-302 Coupe and NC-895 respectively, John Baker followed this up with a light-shedding fishing and crabbing seminar. The two experts discussed with participants every possible way to rig your boat for serious fishing and crabbing.
One of the weekend’s most memorable highlights came on Saturday afternoon when Greg Matthes, our Sales Manager, hosted an anchoring seminar aboard the Prestige 630. Anchoring is one of the trickiest skills to learn for any boater, even more so in the unique Pacific Northwest region. The hands-on demonstration was an insightful experience for participants – to the backdrop of Lopez Island’s pristine natural beauty.
Throughout the weekend, a grand total of 15 customer boats were present at the event, as well as 8 of Sundance's boats that available for viewing and demonstration. Guests also had the option to sign up for sea trails on Sundance’s Jeanneau, Prestige and Cutwater boats with a sales representative. Each new boat that we sell is curated to fit our high standards of year-round usability in the Pacific Northwest and Lopez Island provided the perfect cruising ground to experience the true essence of boating in the region we call home.
Throughout the weekend, Nick Buck-Niehaus, President of Sundance Yachts, and his staff were on site mingling with guests. The staff were even behind the griddle in the morning preparing delicious breakfasts with a unique twist. The weekend was topped off with a dinner at Islander Bar & Grill on Saturday night, where guests were treated to a banquet prime rib and salmon dinner, followed by dancing the night away at the Tiki Lounge, where evening performance was put on repeat until last call.
Photo by Carrie Cervantes
