New York Yacht Club: 150 and Going for It

by Prentice Cushing  

1994

This year the New York Yacht Club celebrated its 150th anniversary; part of the celebration was a Sesquentennial Regatta in Newport which Past DYS Commodore Arthur K. "Skip" Bartley, Jr. participated in with Salty, one of the last remaining New York 32's. Unhappily, they didn't place in the Winners' Circle, although redeeming themselves in the Mayor's Cup Race in New York Harbor, where they t ok all three top trophies. But DejVu, reminiscent of broken tiller problems in last year's Sappho Race, a broken tiller fitting caused Salty to withdraw from one race of the Manhasset Bay Fall Series. Such is the life of the aged.

Nevertheless, Skip's participation in these events did credit to our Squadron, which is descended from the Douglaston Yacht Club (now Manhasset Bay Yacht Club), founded by Sappho- owner, twice Vice-Commodore of NYYC, the famous William P. Douglas.

As the first real yacht club in America, the NYYC has been a major force in yacht racing for all these years. Despite numerous attacks, criticism and various forms of nitpicking over the years, especially by clubs from the West Coast (with the notable exception of the Saint Francis YC), the Great Lakes, and abroad (but not the British or Bermudians), the NYYC has, with admitted errors, been a positive force for sportsmanship, proper conduct on the race course, and the development of wholesome yachts.

'Me DYS can hardly claim sisterhood, but nevertheless some of its history is intertwined with that of the NYYC. Aside from the exploits of Messrs. Douglas and Bartley, we can examine the decent record of my own Tango, designed by and built for Norman Owens (still a NYYC member), and formerly owned by legendary Commodore John Nicholas Brown, whose Newport home is now the Harbour Court station of the NYYC. I purchased her from Commodore Frank V. Snyder and, upon request of the Model Committee, an exact half-model is now ensconced in the famous Model Room. Former DYS member Albert Kennedy, whose Corinthian graced our fleet for many years, redesigned the first floor of the NYYC Club House, acknowledged as an architectural gem. Other DYS-NYYC members include the late Chuck Walter (former Douglaston Club President), Thor Paulsen, Ken Appleton, and Past-Commodore Joe Carobene, John McCorrnick, and Frank Appleton.