Honor Yacht Club Milestone

Senate Resolution No. 4679 BY: Senator PHILLIPS COMMEMORATING the 113th Commissioning of the Port Washington Yacht Club on May 12, 2018 WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the quality of life of the citizens of the State of New York is greatly enriched by its exceptional recreational institutions; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 113th Commissioning of the Port Washington Yacht Club, to be celebrated at a Welcoming Reception followed by a Ceremony and Dinner on Saturday, May 12, 2018; and WHEREAS, The Port Washington Yacht Club is a traditional, family yacht club committed to the encouragement and promotion of yachting and other recreational and social activities for its members and their families; and WHEREAS, On April 26, 1905, 19 charter members of the Port Washington Yacht Club held their first meeting; the new association rented an old shack, located on the waterfront at the present North end of Bayview Colony in Port Washington, New York; the purpose of the Club was to encourage social and athletic activities for people of the Port Washington Peninsula; and WHEREAS, The Port Washington Yacht Club officially opened its doors to its members for the first time on May 27, 1905; at the first annual meeting, people played tennis and various water sports, participated in a yacht race, swam and dived, and practiced their skeet shooting skills; and WHEREAS, By 1910, the new Clubhouse was being built and membership had grown to approximately 150 individuals; the Club also changed its name to the Port Washington Yacht Club and designated the officers as Commodore and Vice-Commodore; and WHEREAS, In 1911 and 1912 Commodore "Pop" Corry went to William Gardner, a noted naval architect, to improve the Club's first boat The Bug; this resulted in the design of the Star Class boat, the poor man's yacht, 22 of which were built by the Smith Boatyard for $265 per boat, less sails; these boats were owned by members of the various clubs in the bay, however, many of the races were run from the Port Washington Yacht Club; and WHEREAS, Adrian Iselin of the Port Washington Yacht Club started racing Star Boats with Ed Willis and won the World's Championship in

1925, and again in 1936; and WHEREAS, In the 1920s before the Depression, family activity at the Club reached its first peak; there were eight tennis courts, and the club, which belonged to the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association, played team matches with other clubs every Sunday; Star boat racing was active and the social life of the club, with interior designers decorating the ballroom for dances and the steward acting as a bootlegger, made for very active parties; and WHEREAS, In 1928, the Meteor Class was formed for junior sailing, with Meteor boats owned by juniors from various clubs on the bay; however, it was an independent organization that soon settled on using the Port Washington Yacht Club as its headquarters; the sailing instructors were the over-18 championship skippers who graduated from the class the previous year; and WHEREAS, Billy Miller served as Chairman of the Race Committee of the Port Washington Yacht Club from 1927-1952, and was recognized by the Y.R.A. as holding the World's Championship for Race Committee Chairmanship; and WHEREAS, The Port Washington Yacht Club was incorporated as a membership corporation under the Laws of the State of New York on April

24, 1936; and WHEREAS, At the end of the 1940s, the Club negotiated with the landlords and entered into an arrangement whereby a lease of several years was granted with an option to purchase; to raise money, a Land Company was formed and stock was sold to club members; the Land Company purchased the property on December 22, 1951, giving back a purchase money mortgage to the landlords and giving the club a twenty-year lease on the property; and WHEREAS, Shortly after the purchase, the swimming pool was built, followed by the men's and boy's locker house, which had not been completed when the clubhouse caught fire on January 30, 1954; members came forward to purchase enough additional stock to enable the building of the present Clubhouse and the smaller building, which serves both as junior clubhouse and tennis house; and WHEREAS, Over the years, the Port Washington Yacht Club has expanded and prospered while still carrying on the traditions of its founders; its membership now includes over 390 men and women, participating in yachting and various other club sports; and WHEREAS, In addition to its many activities, this esteemed organization, under the luminous leadership of Commodore Michael J. Lyons, holds numerous major events which brings members and guests together in the name of merriment, tradition and charity; and WHEREAS, Each May, the Port Washington Yacht Club's Commissioning brings the community together to inaugurate a new boating season; this is then followed by the traditional Blessing of the Fleet; and WHEREAS, During the season, Port Washington Yacht Club members enjoy water recreation and summer festivities while also giving back to the community; the Club plays host to such charitable events as the Make-A-Wish Regatta and the Charity Cup Regatta; and WHEREAS, The rich history of the Port Washington Yacht Club has formed it into the prominent organization it is today; in so effectively carrying out its mission, the Club exemplifies a spirit of community pride, and demonstrates the values of generosity, cooperative effort and enduring fellowship; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 113th Commissioning of the Port Washington Yacht Club; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Michael J. Lyons, Commodore, Port Washington Yacht Club.