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 private club for people who love sailing and yachts. It has locations in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. Nine important sportsmen started the club in 1844. Members of the NYYC have helped a lot with the sport of yachting and how yachts are designed.
As of 2001, the club had about 3,000 members. You can only join if you are invited. The club is led by officers like a commodore, vice-commodore, and secretary.
The main building of 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 kept this trophy for a very long time, until 1983. The NYYC successfully defended the trophy 24 times in a row! This was the longest winning streak in the history of all sports. The Royal Perth Yacht Club finally beat them with their yacht Australia II.
The NYYC has also competed in recent America's Cup races, like in 2021 and 2024, with a team called American Magic.
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Clubhouses: Where Sailors Meet
In 1845, the New York Yacht Club got its very first clubhouse. It was a small building in Hoboken, New Jersey. An architect named Alexander Jackson Davis designed it. The land was given by Commodore John Cox Stevens. As the club grew, it moved to different places, including Staten Island and Manhattan. The original Hoboken clubhouse was even moved to other towns!
Main Clubhouse in New York City
The main clubhouse today is the New York Yacht Club Building at 37 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan. It's a large, six-story building that looks like a fancy ship, made of limestone. It opened in 1901 and was designed by the same architects who helped create Grand Central Terminal.
A special part of the clubhouse is the "Model Room." This room has an amazing collection of small models of yachts. These models show the history of all the New York Yacht Club's challenges for the America's Cup. This building was named a special historic place in 1987.
Harbour Court in Newport, Rhode Island
To make it easier to host sailing races, the club bought a beautiful property right on the water in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1988. This place is called Harbour Court.
History of the New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club started on July 30, 1844. Nine gentlemen founded it. John Cox Stevens, who loved sports, was chosen as the first commodore. John Clarkson Jay, a grandson of Founding Father John Jay, was the first secretary. George L. Schuyler and Hamilton Wilkes were also founders. These men helped build the famous yacht America.
In 1845, the club's special flag, called a burgee, was designed. 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, testing their boats' speed along the way.
In the early years, many members raced for prize money. In 1851, a group from the NYYC built and raced America. They won the "One Hundred Sovereign Cup" in England. On July 8, 1857, this special trophy was given to the NYYC. It became a challenge cup for friendly sailing competitions between different countries. This race, called the "America's Cup Race", has been a big part of the club's history ever since.
In 1865, the club officially became a corporation. It chose a Latin motto: "Nos agimur tumidis velis," which means "We go with swelling sails." This was inspired by a famous Roman poet. Around this time, new members joined who built large yachts with professional captains.
The year 1866 is famous for the "Transatlantic Race." In December, three NYYC yachts—Henrietta, Fleetwing, and Vesta—raced across the Atlantic Ocean. They sailed from Sandy Hook to The Needles in England for a huge prize of $90,000. The Henrietta, owned by 21-year-old James Gordon Bennett Jr., won the race in just under 14 days. Bennett later became the club's commodore.
On August 8, 1870, the yacht Magic represented the New York Yacht Club in the America's Cup race in New York Harbor. Magic won, beating 17 other boats, including the English yacht Cambria.
In 1876, a large yacht called the Mohawk sadly flipped over during a sudden storm. The vice-commodore, his wife, and crew members died in the accident. This tragedy led to changes in how large yachts were designed.
Old Club Stations
By 1894, the New York Yacht Club had several smaller clubhouses, called "stations," in different locations. These included places like Bay Ridge, Whitestone, New London, Connecticut, Shelter Island, New York, Newport, and Vineyard Haven. One of these old buildings in Rosebank, Staten Island is still standing today.
A former commodore, J. P. Morgan, helped the club get its current main clubhouse. In 1898, he offered to buy land in Manhattan if the club increased its yearly membership fees. The club agreed, and Morgan bought the land and gave it to the club. Members had a party in 1901 to celebrate and thanked Morgan with a special trophy.
Racing and the America's Cup
After some challenges, the club created new rules for its races. In 1903, the NYYC started using the "Herreshoff Rule," named after yacht designer Nathanael Herreshoff. This rule was later called the "Universal Rule" and was used by many top American yacht clubs for nearly 40 years.
The America's Cup was held by the NYYC for 132 years, from 1851 until 1983. That year, Australia II beat Dennis Conner's Liberty in Newport, Rhode Island. This is still the longest winning streak in sports history!
Since losing the Cup, the NYYC has focused on other types of sailing. They are involved in team racing, dinghy racing (sailing small boats), youth sailing, and international races. They have hosted many important sailing events, including the Blind Sailing World Championships in 2006.
The NYYC's team for the 2021 America's Cup was called American Magic. This name combines the names of the first Cup winner, the yacht America, and the first defender, the yacht Magic.
NYYC Sailing Events
The New York Yacht Club holds many exciting sailing events:
- "Annual Regatta": This race started in 1846.
- NYYC Invitational Cup
- 2005 Rolex Transatlantic Challenge: A race across the Atlantic Ocean.
- "New York Yacht Club Cruise": A yearly series of races held in the summer.
- "Queen's Cup Trophy"
- "Una Cup"
- "Corsair Cup"
- "Astor Cups"
- "Solution Trophy"
The club has also hosted many World Championships for different types of boats, like the J/70, Melges 20, and Etchells.
Famous Members
Many well-known people have been members of the New York Yacht Club over the years. Here are a few:
- Brooke Astor: A famous philanthropist.
- James Gordon Bennett Jr.: A newspaper publisher who won the Transatlantic Race.
- Michael Bloomberg: A former Mayor of New York City.
- Dennis Conner: A famous racing yacht captain.
- Walter Cronkite: A well-known newscaster.
- J. P. Morgan: A very important financier who helped the club get its main clubhouse.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: The 32nd President of the United States.
- Ted Turner: A media mogul.
- Cornelius Vanderbilt III: An Army general and member of the famous Vanderbilt family.
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)
- Other America's Cup winners:
- Royal Perth Yacht Club, 1983-1987
- San Diego Yacht Club, 1987-1995
- Société Nautique de Genève, 2003-2010
- Golden Gate Yacht Club, 2010-2017
- Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron; 1995-2003, 2017-present
