New York Yacht Club facts for kids
Burgee
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| Short name | NYYC |
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| Founded | July 30, 1844 |
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The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a special club for people who love sailing and boats. It has locations in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. Nine important sportsmen started it in 1844. Members of the club have helped make sailing better and designed amazing boats.
The club has about 3,000 members, but you can only join if you are invited. The club's main leaders include a commodore, vice-commodore, and other officers.
The main building for the club is the New York Yacht Club Building in New York City. Members of the NYYC won the famous America's Cup trophy in 1851. They held onto this trophy for a very long time, until 1983! The NYYC defended the trophy 24 times in a row. This was the longest winning streak in the history of all sports. The NYYC lost the cup to the Royal Perth Yacht Club from Australia.
The NYYC has also competed in recent America's Cup races, like in 2021 and 2024. Their team is called American Magic.
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Clubhouses of the NYYC
The New York Yacht Club has had several clubhouses over the years. In 1845, their first clubhouse was a small building in Hoboken, New Jersey. It was designed by architect Alexander Jackson Davis.
As the club grew, they needed more space. They moved to a house in Staten Island and then to Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The first clubhouse in Hoboken was even moved to different places!
Main Clubhouse in New York City
The main clubhouse today is the New York Yacht Club Building. It is a beautiful six-story building in Midtown Manhattan. It opened in 1901 and was designed by the same architects who helped design Grand Central Terminal.
The most famous part of the clubhouse is the "Model Room." This room has a huge collection of boat models. These models show the history of all the boats that competed for the America's Cup. This building is so important that it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Harbour Court in Newport, Rhode Island
To host sailing races better, the club bought a large property in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1988. This place is called Harbour Court. It is right on the water, which is perfect for sailing events.
History of the Club
The New York Yacht Club started on July 30, 1844. Nine gentlemen founded it. John Cox Stevens was the leader of this group. He loved sports and was elected as the first commodore.
One of the founders, John Clarkson Jay, was the grandson of John Jay, a Founding Father of the United States. Other founders helped build and race the famous schooner-yacht, America.
In 1845, the club designed its special flag, called a burgee. The waters near Newport have always been important for the NYYC. On the very day the club was founded, members decided to sail from Battery Park to Newport. They did this two days later, stopping along the way and even having speed trials.
In 1851, a group of NYYC members built and raced the yacht America. They won the "One Hundred Sovereign Cup" in England. On July 8, 1857, this trophy was given to the NYYC. It became a challenge cup for sailing competitions between different countries. This cup is now known as the "America's Cup Race". It has been a very important part of the club's history ever since.
In 1865, the club officially became a corporation. They chose a Latin motto: "Nos agimur tumidis velis." This means "We go with swelling sails."
Around this time, new members joined the club. They built large schooner yachts, which were sailed by professional captains.
The year 1866 is famous for the "Transatlantic Race." Three NYYC schooners, Henrietta, Fleetwing, and Vesta, raced across the Atlantic Ocean. They sailed from Sandy Hook to The Needles in England. The winner would get $90,000! The Henrietta, owned by 21-year-old James Gordon Bennett Jr., won the race in less than 14 days. Bennett later became the club's commodore in 1871.
In 1870, the schooner Magic from the New York Yacht Club won the international 1870 America's Cup race. It beat 17 other boats in New York Harbor.
In 1876, a large schooner called the Mohawk capsized during a sudden storm. The vice-commodore, his wife, and crew members died. This sad event led to changes in how large schooner yachts were designed.
In 1895, a march and two-step song for piano was written to honor the New York Yacht Club. In 1994, a book about the club's history was written for its 150th anniversary.
NYYC Stations in the 1890s
By 1894, the New York Yacht Club had several clubhouses, also called "stations." These were located in different places:
- Station 1: Bay Ridge
- Station 2: New York, NY (at Rosebank, Staten Island)
- Station 3: Whitestone, NY
- Station 4: New London, Connecticut
- Station 5: Shelter Island, New York
- Station 6: Newport, RI
- Station 7: Vineyard Haven
- Rendezvous: Glen Cove
The building for Station 2 in Staten Island is still standing today.
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Clubhouse "Station No. 1" of the New York Yacht Club c. 1894 at Bay Ridge
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Clubhouse "Station No. 3" of the New York Yacht Club c. 1894 at Whitestone, NY
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Clubhouse "Station No. 4" of the New York Yacht Club c. 1894 at New London, Conn
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Clubhouse "Station No. 5" of the New York Yacht Club c. 1894 at Shelter Island, NY
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Clubhouse "Station No. 6" of the New York Yacht Club c. 1890s at Newport, RI
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Clubhouse "Station No. 7" of the New York Yacht Club c. 1894 at Vineyard Haven, Mass
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Clubhouse of the New York Yacht Club c. 1894 at Rendezvous Glen Cove
In 1898, a very important financier named J. P. Morgan helped the club get land for a new clubhouse. He bought the land on 44th Street in Manhattan for $148,000 and gave it to the club. This is where the main clubhouse is today.
Racing and the America's Cup
The America's Cup is a very famous sailing race. The New York Yacht Club held the America's Cup trophy for 132 years! This amazing winning streak lasted from 1851 until 1983. In 1983, the yacht Australia II defeated Dennis Conner's Liberty off Newport, Rhode Island. This is still the longest winning streak in sports history.
After losing the Cup, the NYYC started focusing on other types of sailing. They got involved in team racing, dinghy racing, and sailing for young people. They also host international races.
In 2002, the club hosted a major college sailing championship. In 2006, they hosted the Blind Sailing World Championships, which is a special event for visually impaired sailors.
The NYYC's team for the 2021 America's Cup was called American Magic. This name honors the first Cup winner, the yacht America, and the first defender, the yacht Magic.
Sailing Races and Trophies
The New York Yacht Club hosts many exciting sailing races and events. Some of these include:
- The "Annual Regatta," which started in 1846.
- The NYYC Invitational Cup.
- The "New York Yacht Club Cruise," which is a series of races held every summer.
- The "Queen's Cup Trophy."
- The "Una Cup."
- The "Corsair Cup."
- The "Astor Cups."
- The "Solution Trophy."
The club has also hosted many World Championships for different types of sailboats.
Famous Members
Many famous people have been members of the New York Yacht Club. Here are just a few:
- Brooke Astor
- John Jacob Astor, a rich businessman
- James Gordon Bennett Jr., a newspaper owner
- Michael Bloomberg, a former Mayor of New York City
- William F. Buckley, an author
- Walter Cronkite, a famous newscaster
- Dennis Conner, a champion yacht captain
- Jay Gould, a railroad tycoon
- J. P. Morgan, a very important financier
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States
- Ted Turner, a media owner
- Cornelius Vanderbilt III, an Army general
See also
In Spanish: Club de Yates de Nueva York para niños
- NYYC Invitational Cup
- List of American gentlemen's clubs
- Sailboat designs used by the club:
- New York 36
- Swan 47-2
- ClubSwan 42
- Melges IC37
- Sonar (keelboat)
