Blog

It should come as no surprise that Marblehead, Massachusetts, the birthplace of the American Navy, is steeped in yachting tradition.  A town of just under 20,000, it plays host to six yacht clubs, three on the Neck and three on the mainland side of the harbor.  Of the three on the Neck, Eastern Yacht Club is the oldest, and depending who you talk to, the most prestigious.  Home to three America’s Cup defenders (Puritan, Mayflower and Volunteer, in 1885, 1886, and 1887 respectively), the Eastern has been a part of American yachting history for the past century and a half.

Organized in 1870, the Eastern Yacht Club has played host to regattas at the local, regional, national and international level.  These include Etchells Worlds, Star Worlds, IOD Worlds, Viper 640 North Americans, Sonar North Americans, Shields Nationals, and the 1996 Soling North Americans.  Annually they hold host to Marblehead Race Week in conjunction with the Corinthian Yacht Club and Boston Yacht Club.

The waterfront is home to a healthy racing fleet with large one design and PHRF classes, as well as a multitude of cruisers and learns to sail programs.  In addition to the waterfront, activities include tennis, the pool area, social events, and paddle tennis.  The Clubhouse is expansive and offers some of the best sunset views in the Marblehead.  The Samoset Porch is a large informal dining area with bar service and casual dining for members.  Inside, the Henderson Dining Room is a full service dining area with a full menu and bar service.  For casual drinks, the Barker Clubroom has a full bar and offers additional dinner seating.

For any sailor, a visit to the Eastern, as well as the Corinthian or the Boston, should never be passed up if offered.  The Clubhouse is packed with yachting history, from the late 1800s to present day racing success.  Whether it be Marblehead Race Week, or the club team race series, there is always racing at the Eastern.  Given the location and the level of sailing, it is one of the premier yacht clubs in the Northeast.
http://www.easternyc.org/

News Flash! Beaufort is Hiring!
Beaufort Yacht & Sailing Club is located on the Beaufort River, a part of the Intracoastal Waterway, in the heart of Beaufort, SC. The stunning sunset views are the background to our location. We offer an array of activities including sailing, motorboating, tennis (Professional lessons available), swimming, rowing, kayaking and paddleboarding. Affordable sailboat and motorboat storage is available for our members.

We are members of US Sailing and SAYRA. We host several popular regattas like the Jean Ribaut, Lowcountry and the D-12 Laser regattas.
Beaufort Yacht & Sailing is host to the Junior Sailing of Beaufort, where they provide certified instruction to our youth, the future sailors of BYSC and abroad.
Every year, Beaufort Yacht & Sailing offers our highly acclaimed Summer Camp program for children, members and non-members, ages 5 – 12. An array of exciting activities for the children including shark tooth hunting, swimming, sailing, tennis lessons, tubing, and our marine biology week. (Some activities are limited to older children only.)

Come join us every Friday as members and guests gather for casual get-togethers on the back porch. We are a diverse and casual group. Help us bring in the end of another fine week in Beaufort. The conch horn sounds at sunset! See you there.
What makes your organization unique?
Location!  The personality of the BYSC club and its members are heavily influenced by the club’s location.  Beaufort SC is in the heart of the “Low Country” which can only be described as one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Water is visible from almost any location in Beaufort with extensive rivers, marshes, estuaries, and of course the “Sea Islands”.  The people of Beaufort are friendly and “see ya on the river” is more fitting, and more often used,  than “see ya later”.  Beaufort has rich and colorful history including the site of what might have been the first European settlement in the continental United States (http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/beaufort-county/port-royal.html ) and many historically important Civil War sites.
Why is working at Beaufort special?
In one word, “Passion”.  Junior Sailing Of Beaufort is passionate about sailing and we want kids to learn to sail and love to sail.  We are a volunteer organization that exists because we are all passionate sailors.  We are also passionate about competitive sailing and regularly host many regattas including national championship regattas.
What else goes on in Beaufort that makes it an attractive place to be?
“Beaufort Water Festival” is the biggy!  See http://bftwaterfestival.com/ for more details on the month+ long festival including concerts, a regatta (hosted by BYSC), a golf tournament, fishing tournament, 5K and 15K runs,  water ski exhibition and culminating in fireworks, a parade, and an air show by the Blue Angels.  Side note – the Water Festival tradition was has its roots in the Water Festival Regatta hosted by BYSC.  If the Water Festival is not enough there are Oyster Festivals, Shrimp Festivals, Soft Shell crab festivals … we like our festivals!
News Flash! Beaufort is Hiring!
Club History:

The roots of sailing go back many years in the Beaufort area. A Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club was organized as early as 1884, according to records found in the 100-year time capsule that was opened at the County Courthouse in 1984.  It is known that the Beaufort Yacht Club was chartered on August 28, 1908. Its purpose was to sponsor sailboat racing and to serve as a social club for the local citizens. From that time until World War I, sailing was a very popular sport and many exciting races were held in the Beaufort River. During the war, the sport declined and formal races were discontinued. There were many informal races among the oyster boats, however, and since sailing was a popular form of transportation between the islands, there were many impromptu races. In 1929 the Beaufort Yacht Club purchased a 25-foot scow, the “Betty B,” and sponsored the first formal races in years. Five boats, representing Charleston, Rockville, James Island, Savannah, and Beaufort, participated. Since then, regattas have been held in the Beaufort River at least once a year. During the 1930s, the annual regatta was the big social event of the year. The regattas were three-day affairs, Wednesday through Friday, with dances and banquets each night for the participating sailors. The South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association (SAYRA) was organized during a meeting in Beaufort in 1936 or 1937. The Beaufort Yacht Club was an original member. The late F.W. Scheper of Beaufort was SAYRA Commodore in 1939. During the 1950s, however, the Club lost all interest in sailing events. It came into financial difficulties, failed to pay the annual SAYRA dues, and was dropped from membership. Sail boating reached a low ebb in local waters, and at one time, the only active participants in competitive races were five high school boys who owned Moths. These five, Michael Jones, Ricky Pollitzer, Kemper Powell, Tommy Stokes and Jim Thomas Jr., refused to give up and, through their insistence; interested citizens organized the  Beaufort Sailing Club in 1955 and sponsored local races. In 1962, the club was issued a charter by the Stateof South Carolina. During this period the Beaufort Sailing Club petitioned for membership in SAYRA and was accepted, taking the place earlier held by the Beaufort Yacht Club.  The popularity of local sailing increased even more when the Municipal Parking Lot was constructed on Bay Street. The city allowed the Sailing Club to build boat racks for the storage of Sailfish and Sunfish. (This property is now a part of the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park and overlooks the downtown marina.) This made sailing more accessible, and boats no longer had to be stored on the river bank or on shore near the homes of friends. By 1964 the club had well over 100 racing sailboats registered in its membership—seven Y-Flyers, six Moths, thirty Sailfish, and eighty-five Sunfish! And its only headquarters was the parking lot.

In 1967 the Beaufort Sailing Club was selected to host the SAYRA Championship Regatta in August. James G. Thomas Sr. of Beaufort was SAYRA Commodore that year. The Beaufort Sailing Club officers realized that theirs was the only club that did not have a club house. So the wheels began to turn, and in a few weeks adequate pledges were in hand to purchase a 12-acre tract on Lady’s Island, two miles below Beaufort on Meridian Road, for $32,000. The property included the former home of Mr. and Mrs. Irving E. Kinghorn, built about 1940.

The Beaufort Sailing Club was renamed The Beaufort Yacht & Sailing Club and became the local SAYRA  organization, whose purpose was “to further sports and sportsmanship. ” Within a few weeks a letter was sent to the Corps of Engineers requesting permission to build a dock; the boat racks were moved from the downtown parking lot to the new location; a screened porch was added to the river side of the house, a  flagpole raised, and by August all was in readiness to host the big SAYRA Regatta! Twelve thousand dollars had been spent on renovations and construction. The original BYSC dues were $50 per year; and, as of October 1967, there were 82 stockholders.

The massive anchor and chain, resting at the foot of the flagpole on the front lawn of the club, were a gift during the early years from the Shipman family in memory of Mr. E.A. Shipman of St. Helena Island. It is believed that it was lost by a four-masted schooner that burned and washed ashore on the south end of Fripp Island in the late 1800s. Shipman Seafood Company retrieved the anchor in 1953 about 500 yards off the beach when it became tangled in the nets of one of their trawlers. When recovered, a part of the wooden stock showed signs of being charred. As recently as 1930, the remains of a wooden schooner still rested in the sand about one-half mile from Skull Inlet. The ribs and backbone, still intact, had been burned.  The flagpole in front of the clubhouse once stood at the entrance of the USO Building on Harrington Street, on the block where the County Health Department now stands. The USO was demolished in 1962 and the flagpole put in storage until BYSC obtained it in 1967. In the late 1960′s the design of the official club burgee was conceived by Russell Harley and   approved by the board of directors. The white dolphin represents “Carolina Snowball,” an albino bottlenose dolphin that once lived in Beaufort waters. She was later captured and taken to the Miami Seaquarium, over  the objections of many Beaufortonians, where she died. According to the August 9, 1962,  Beaufort Gazette, Senator Jim Waddell sponsored a bill to prevent the capture of this unique porpoise from our Beaufort County waters. It was found that there was only a ten million to one chance that an albino porpoise would survive in its natural habitat, so she was truly unique! However, her captors allegedly enticed her into Colleton County waters, and captured her there. The blue field of the burgee represents the beautiful blue waters of Beaufort County in which “Carolina Snowball” lived and where so many of us have untold hours of pleasure. As each subsequent year passed, improvements to the property continued to be made. By the summer of 1968, a Junior Olympic swimming pool with a diving L had been added. Including the pool furniture and the sliding board, the costs were $34,688. Two hard-surfaced tennis courts were completed in May 1971 for $10,871. Lights were added in 1972, making nighttime play possible. The late George Madlinger, architect and club member, was in charge of the clubhouse renovations that were completed in 1974 for $33,400.

When the property bordering the north side of the club became available, it was purchased from Capt. and Mrs. C.C. Champion for $125,000 in June 1977. The home there became a dwelling for the club manager, and the club property was enlarged by 12.5 acres. The east portion of both properties was subdivided into 14 building lots and named Yacht Club Estates. To date, all lots have been sold and ten  residences have been built. Two more tennis courts were built in 1978 at a cost of $19,425. The dock was also extended during that season.

Although sailing, swimming, and tennis lessons had been offered off and on, it was not until 1980 that an official Junior Activities Program for school age children was begun. These summer programs have been held each season since then.

Improvements to the club facilities are constantly being made. All four tennis courts were resurfaced in 1985; and in 1986, a new $48,000 bathhouse was constructed. Additions to the sail shed and to the boat launching ramp were made in 1987. In preparation for the 1990 swimming season, the pool deck was resurfaced. Over $100,000 was spent for major clubhouse renovations designed by architect Jim Thomas Jr. (a club member and the same active sailor who was mentioned earlier in the third paragraph of this history). A grand reopening gala was held on September 22, 1990.

In 1991 the manager’s residence was partially renovated including a new bathroom, an addition with a closet and laundry room, and new back steps. The cost was $13,000. A new septic tank system was installed for the clubhouse at a cost of $4,000. In 1992, two tennis courts were resurfaced and  1000 square feet of deck were added to the pool.

March 1993 brought the storm of the century with winds estimated at 65 knots in front of the club. The south float was damaged beyond repair and was replaced at a cost of $7,300. Many trees were damaged and several Sunfish were cracked when a rack blew over. July 1993 saw a severe lightning storm  strike the club with damage to several trees, all the telephones, and many of the power circuits. In 1994, 400 square feet was added to the pool deck. In 1994, eight kayaks were purchased to supplement the Junior Activities Program. 1994 and 19 95 brought the purchase of four new Sunfish to replace aging sailboats, and the addition of three JY-15s to provide a sloop sailing opportunity for members.

In 1996 & 1997, major pool and bathhouse improvements were undertaken. 1997 saw the  addition of three Optimist sailboats for junior sailing. In early 1999, a large deck was added to clubhouse. Late in 1999, the club’s dock was replaced. In 2000, the activities pavilion and an extension to the sailing building (maintenance shop) were added.

2006, at the cost of $198,000, found the Club refurbishing the swimming pool, replacing the pool equipment, the fence and deck furniture. The children’s pool was relocated to the west side of the adult pool. Membership cards were incorporated for members. The boat launching ramp was widened and extended deeper into the river. At the same time, an extension was added to the west end of the dock and 6 moorings installed. Approximate cost of this work was $200,000. In 2008 a playground was built next to the Clubhouse, and the lighted tennis courts were resurfaced. In 2009 the Clubhouse was tastefully furnished and a keyless access system installed so BYSC members could enjoy the facilities as desired. The sail shed was expanded, and an additional fire hydrant installed. In 2010, six additional mooring buoys were permitted, constructed and installed in the Beaufort River, and the two unlit tennis courts resurfaced.