annapolis yacht club

News Flash! AYC is hiring a Full-Time Optimist Coach!
AYC beginnings were in 1886 as an informal canoe club. A building was constructed two years later on a pile of oyster shells at the foot of Duke of Gloucester Street, which, in 1888, became the Clubhouse for the formally organized Severn Boat Club. This oyster pile was rented from St. Mary’s Church and was next to a rickety wooden bridge across Spa Creek. In 1897 a new clubhouse was built and was enlarged in 1912.

Humble Beginnings

In 1904, the first records of meetings indicate a membership of 30. In 1910, the first wharfs were built, and the first club manager was hired in 1911 at a salary of $15 a month. Members began to acquire small sail boats and organize club regattas. These were uncomplicated affairs held on Memorial Day and Labor Day. Shell and canoe races started up Spa Creek at Old Woman Cove and ended at the Eastport Bridge. There were also swimming races and diving competitions. The club owned several single and double shells, two four-oared shells, and was given an eight-oared shell in 1911 by the US Naval Academy.

A Post-War Renewal

World War I and the depression slowed boating activities until the mid-30s. A hurricane damaged the clubhouse and the wharf was reduced to pilings in 1933 and it was difficult to keep the club’s quota of 100 resident members. By 1936, there seemed to be little interest by members in the club and changes were needed. With renewal in mind, in 1937 the Annapolis Yacht Club was incorporated and the first formal regatta (Annual) was held that year. The Fall Series first year was in 1940 with five boats competing. World War II interrupted organized racing, but in 1946 the Spring Series was started with three classes – 30 Square Meters, Stars and Chesapeake 20s. By 1948, Moths, Comets and Hamptons were also taking part. The Annapolis to Newport Race (Newport to Annapolis back then) started in 1947 and has been run every two years since. A dining room was added to the club in the late 1940s and in 1948, the first Smoking Lamp newsletter appeared as a single page mimeographed sheet.

The Junior Fleet

The junior fleet started in 1948, and the first junior trophy was presented in 1953. The first junior boat, Dolphins, were replaced by Penguins, which were next followed by 420s which the junior fleet still races.

Wednesday Night Races: An Annapolis Tradition

Wednesday Night Races were the brainchild of P/C Gaither Scott. After seeing the Wednesday Night Races at East Greenwich YC in Rhode Island in 1958, Scott inaugurated midweek racing at AYC in 1959. No race committee, no prizes, no scoring but there was a picnic supper after sailing. “S” boats, H-23s, 5.5 meters, Bermuda One Design and Rainbows raced, but interest waned in the mid-60s. To correct this, smaller classes of boats were invited and in 1965 35 boats entered the series. By 1967 112 boats were taking part.

Frostbite Racing

Frostbite racing began in the winter of 1962-1963. Seven Rainbows were the inaugural class with five short races a day, starting and finishing at the club. Gladiators joined Frostbite racing in the fall of 1963 and MORC made the third class in 1964. The first Hangover Bowl (New Year’s Day) was on Jan. 1, 1966.

A Need for Growth

By 1959, membership had risen to 1000 and a new club building was badly needed. This was opened in 1963, with the first deck left unfinished due to lack of funds. Frostbite and Wednesday Night Racing soon demanded more club social space, and the Skipjack Lounge was finished in 1969.
The land across the Eastport Bridge where the junior fleet building is now (Holden Property) was purchased in 1969. The junior fleet was established there and a new building for them was completed in 1995. In 1989, women were welcomed as members, and the White Rocks Marina property (now the Harborside Sailing Center) was added in 1990. The club’s first official one-design fleet, the J/22, was started in 1991 with a crane added to Harborside for launching of the boats. The clubhouse again underwent a major renovation in 1995.

More than a Club…

Today, AYC is at full membership (1600 regular members) with very active social, racing, and cruising programs.  Large international events such as the Star Class World Championship, Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship, and many North American championships are hosted every year at AYC. Harborside is filled with one design boats (J/22s, J/24s, Etchells, Stars, Melges 24) while the in-the-water boat slips are in high demand. AYC is known worldwide thanks to the members who are prominent in participating in, promoting, and organizing the sport of sailboat racing, as well as those who opt to leisurely cruise the waters of the Chesapeake and beyond.
About The Junior Fleet
AYC’s Junior Fleet, established in 1948, has a long and impressive history.
News Flash! AYC is hiring a Full-Time Optimist Coach!
Lt. Cmdr. Carl Menneken first proposed a Junior Fleet in the Race Committee meeting of March 13, 1946. Presented to the Board in April, it was tabled for details and discussed at various meetings until the Board meeting of June 9, 1948 when $2,000 were allocated for the purchase of 6 Dolphins which would be used by the newly created Junior Fleet.

A Growing Fleet

In 1951, just three years later, there were 37 active members. At a party in October of that year, a Junior Fleet Penguin Fund was started and funded by a raffle where pieces of a lamb-shaped cake were bid upon and $26 was raised. By 1952, the Junior Fleet, having found the Dolphin to be unsatisfactory as a junior boat, replaced the Dolphins with Penguins at the advice of Fleet Captain Jack Martin. Chairman James Sindall commissioned four new Penguins that were added to the fleet. This addition marked the beginning of organized activity and Junior Sailor Nancy Scofield was awarded the first Fleet Trophy in 1953. Penguin activity continued until the 1960s when 420s were introduced. AYC’s Junior Fleet continues to sail 420s today.

New Land and New Buildings

In 1969, land on the Eastport side of the Bridge was purchased and the Junior Fleet continued to expand. Practices have been held on this site since 1969, but the first Junior building was not completed until 1995. This first building was renovated and expanded to the current design in 2008.

A Focus on Racing

The Junior Fleet has come a long way since its inception in 1948. While the development of new sailors and sailing as a life-long sport are important, the AYC Junior Fleet is also a nationally recognized program for the long-standing excellence in racing it has fostered. On a regional level, the Club has generated numerous Chesapeake Bay Junior Champions, Bay Midget Champions, the Middle Atlantic Midget Title, Victory in the North American Junior and Senior Penguin Championships and the Sears Bowl. Most recently, three teams of 420 sailors were awarded first, second, and third place in the Inaugural Triple Crown Championship. Graduates of the Junior Fleet Program have won the Men’s Championship of the Bay and the Single Handed Championship of the Bay.

Recent History

In 2008, AYC purchased 6 29ers to augment the Club’s Junior Fleet boats and programs, and hosted the first ever 29er Mid-Atlantic Championship.
Today, our Junior Fleet has one of the most active year-round programs in the country. Our Juniors are on the water more than 250 days of the year during all seasons.
The Junior Fleet maintains a popular and nationally-recognized Optimist team. These young sailors travel around the country and world representing AYC. This team consistently qualifies sailors for the US Optimist Team Trials, and provides an avenue for sailors to develop through the AYC program; from intro, to Green Fleet, to racing.
A fleet of I-420s was purchased in summer 2009 to provide an additional training platform for our advanced sailors. Since then, AYC has hosted the I-420 Atlantic Coast Championship, providing a lead-up event for the Youth World Qualifier held in I-420s in the winter.
Beginning in 2010, all sailors involved in the program will be AYC members, with the exception of Creek Critters and sailors in the high school program. This was made possible with the institution of the Junior Associate Member category or JAM. Today, JAM is a membership that not just allows for a sailor to take part in our programs, but that also allows for limited use of the clubhouse and facilities.

In 1904, the first records of meetings indicate a membership of 30. In 1910, the first wharfs were built, and the first club manager was hired in 1911 at a salary of $15 a month. Members began to acquire small sail boats and organize club regattas. These were uncomplicated affairs held on Memorial Day and Labor Day. Shell and canoe races started up Spa Creek at Old Woman Cove and ended at the Eastport Bridge. There were also swimming races and diving competitions. The club owned several single and double shells, two four-oared shells, and was given an eight-oared shell in 1911 by the US Naval Academy.
A Post-War Renewal
World War I and the depression slowed boating activities until the mid-30s. A hurricane damaged the clubhouse and the wharf was reduced to pilings in 1933 and it was difficult to keep the club’s quota of 100 resident members. By 1936, there seemed to be little interest by members in the club and changes were needed. With renewal in mind, in 1937 the Annapolis Yacht Club was incorporated and the first formal regatta (Annual) was held that year. The Fall Series first year was in 1940 with five boats competing. World War II interrupted organized racing, but in 1946 the Spring Series was started with three classes – 30 Square Meters, Stars and Chesapeake 20s. By 1948, Moths, Comets and Hamptons were also taking part. The Annapolis to Newport Race (Newport to Annapolis back then) started in 1947 and has been run every two years since. A dining room was added to the club in the late 1940s and in 1948, the first Smoking Lamp newsletter appeared as a single page mimeographed sheet.
The Junior Fleet
AYC is hiring a full-time 420 Coach!
The junior fleet started in 1948, and the first junior trophy was presented in 1953. The first junior boat, Dolphins, were replaced by Penguins, which were next followed by 420s which the junior fleet still races. AYC’s Junior Fleet has had great success, and produces strong results all across the board:

• AYC sends at least 1 team to HS nationals every year
• AYC sailors won the first 2 C420 Triple Crown Series
• 1^st at largest ever C420 event this summer (2015 C420 Nationals)

Additionally, the Club enjoys powerful and ample resources:

•  annually update our fleet of coach boats
• High school 420 fleet gets replaced every 5 years
• full support from management and board of governors at the club

“I don’t have to tell other coaches how rewarding it is to see your athletes succeed, but the best part about coaching at AYC hasn’t been the top end success, it is the positive attitude that each sailor has.  I always got the feeling that every sailor looked forward to showing up to practice every day.  You feel like a part of a family, while still having that culture of excellence.  ~Dillon Paiva
Wednesday Night Races: An Annapolis Tradition
Wednesday Night Races were the brainchild of P/C Gaither Scott. After seeing the Wednesday Night Races at East Greenwich YC in Rhode Island in 1958, Scott inaugurated midweek racing at AYC in 1959. No race committee, no prizes, no scoring but there was a picnic supper after sailing. “S” boats, H-23s, 5.5 meters, Bermuda One Design and Rainbows raced, but interest waned in the mid-60s. To correct this, smaller classes of boats were invited and in 1965 35 boats entered the series. By 1967 112 boats were taking part.
Frostbite Racing
Frostbite racing began in the winter of 1962-1963. Seven Rainbows were the inaugural class with five short races a day, starting and finishing at the club. Gladiators joined Frostbite racing in the fall of 1963 and MORC made the third class in 1964. The first Hangover Bowl (New Year’s Day) was on Jan. 1, 1966.
A Need for Growth
By 1959, membership had risen to 1000 and a new club building was badly needed. This was opened in 1963, with the first deck left unfinished due to lack of funds. Frostbite and Wednesday Night Racing soon demanded more club social space, and the Skipjack Lounge was finished in 1969.
The land across the Eastport Bridge where the junior fleet building is now (Holden Property) was purchased in 1969. The junior fleet was established there and a new building for them was completed in 1995. In 1989, women were welcomed as members, and the White Rocks Marina property (now the Harborside Sailing Center) was added in 1990. The club’s first official one-design fleet, the J/22, was started in 1991 with a crane added to Harborside for launching of the boats. The clubhouse again underwent a major renovation in 1995.
More than a Club…
Today, AYC is at full membership (1600 regular members) with very active social, racing, and cruising programs.  Large international events such as the Star Class World Championship, Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship, and many North American championships are hosted every year at AYC. Harborside is filled with one design boats (J/22s, J/24s, Etchells, Stars, Melges 24) while the in-the-water boat slips are in high demand. AYC is known worldwide thanks to the members who are prominent in participating in, promoting, and organizing the sport of sailboat racing, as well as those who opt to leisurely cruise the waters of the Chesapeake and beyond.
Mission
To encourage and support a wide range of boating activities, and to provide and maintain a suitable clubhouse and associated facilities for the recreational and social use of its members.
Vision
The Annapolis Yacht Club will be a year-round private yacht club providing programs for its members, their families and their guests. The Club will support and endorse boating, boating education and dining and will provide social and recreational amenities that satisfy its membership. The Club will be family oriented and will maintain an inviting atmosphere that will encourage members to make it their first choice for entertaining their family, friends and associates. The Club will strive to be the “preferred community” for its members.