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New York Yacht Club

The mission of the New York Yacht Club is to attract and bring together a dedicated group of yachting and naval members to share and foster their interest in yachting and yacht racing; to sustain a leadership role in yachting, its history, its development, the preservation of its traditions, and the furtherance of good seamanship; to promote the highest form of Corinthian sportsmanship in national and international yachting forums and yacht racing competitions.

Stories from New York Yacht Club

On July 30, 1844, John Cox Stevens (1785-1857) and eight of his friends met aboard Stevens’ yacht Gimcrack, anchored off the Battery in New York Harbor. That afternoon, they established the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) and made three critical decisions that day: first, they elected Stevens as Commodore of the Club; second, they agreed to develop rules and regulations to govern the Club; and, third, they resolved to cruise to Newport, Rhode Island, initiating the enduring connection between the Club and New England. The Club’s young fleet of eight schooner yachts set sail from New York Harbor for Newport three days later, marking the Club’s first Annual Cruise. During the passage, they made stops at various ports on Long Island Sound and even held informal speed trials. Upon reaching Newport, the members met up with yachtsmen from Boston to socialize and engage in racing activities. On August 8, the Club hosted a fleet race around Conanicut Island, a popular racecourse today. The year that followed was a busy one for the Club. It adopted its Rules and Regulations, opened its first clubhouse and held its first Annual Regatta.

The New York Yacht Club held its first Annual Regatta–a fleet race for a prize cup–on July 17, 1845. Nine yachts started opposite the new clubhouse at 9 a.m. on the Hudson River. They sailed to a turning mark near Sandy Hook in the Lower Bay and returned—a 38-mile course. The yacht Cygnet won, earning fame as the first winner of North America’s longest-running sailing regatta. Today, the New York Yacht Club has its signature clubhouse, a National Historic Landmark, on West 44th Street in New York, and a waterfront clubhouse, Harbour Court, in Newport. The Club’s first clubhouse survives. It was installed on the grounds of Harbour Court in 1999, where it serves as a reminder of the Club’s origins.

The Club continues to run its Annual Regatta, presented by Rolex. The Club also hosts the biennial Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, for international Corinthian sailors representing their yacht clubs and nations and the parallel event for U.S. yacht clubs, the Resolute Cup. The Club also hosts and participates in other national, North American and world championships.

rom 1884 to 1900, the clubhouse was a townhouse at 67 Madison Avenue. By 1898, it was chockablock with “models, members, and memorabilia,” according to the New York Daily Tribune. It was then that Commodore J. Pierpont Morgan stunned fellow members by announcing he would donate three lots on West 44th Street to build a new clubhouse. The building, brilliantly designed with nautical motifs by Whitney Warren, opened in 1901. It is famous for its Model Room and Library. The New York Times wrote of the clubhouse in 1906, “Except for the absence of motion, one might fancy oneself at sea.”

In 1987, the New York Yacht Club acquired Harbour Court, the former summer home of Commodore John Nicholas Brown, in Newport, creating a new energy and focus. The waterfront clubhouse opened in 1988 with 1,500 members and guests in attendance. In 2019, Harbour Court hosted the Club’s Dosquicentennial Celebration for members and friends to celebrate the Club’s 175 years of history.

The New York Yacht Club has hosted Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex since 1998 and many other regattas in recent years including world championships for the Etchells, J/70, Farr 40 and Melges 20 classes, the J Class Worlds, the Global Team Race Regatta, the Transatlantic Race, and the IC37 National Championships to name a few.

The Club is also highly active in team and match racing. In 2006, the Club purchased 14 Sonars in dedication of these activities. In 2014, the fleet was increased to 22 Sonars, and today, team racing at the New York Yacht Club offers some of the most intense competition in the country.

Since 2009 the New York Yacht Club has conducted the biennial Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup. After a successful decade of racing in the Swan 42, the eighth one-design class created by the New York Yacht Club since 1900, the Invitational Cup transitioned to using the Club’s fleet of 20 IC37 race boats in 2019. These purpose-built machines, combined with one-design sails from North Sails, identical gear and standardized rig tune, create a level platform for amateur big-boat racing. Yacht club teams worldwide and Corinthian (amateur) sailors flock to Newport to race in this competition. During the first Invitational Cup in 2009, 19 yacht club teams from 14 countries and four continents competed, and the New York Yacht Club emerged as the winner. Since 2009, more than 1,000 sailors, comprised of teams from more than 40 yacht clubs representing 21 countries and all six continents, have competed in at least one edition of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup.

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HARLEM YACHT CLUB

Established 1883

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The Friendliest Club on City Island

The Harlem Yacht Club, founded in 1883, is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States.  

We’ve been based here on City Island since 1894. This unique New York City community is the gateway to the cruising grounds of Long Island Sound to the east and New York City to the west.  

With a full complement of services and activities for boat-owners, new sailors, and social members alike, HYC has something to offer everyone. Come visit us and see. Write to [email protected] to arrange a tour or get more information.

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Claire Harrington, NYYC Rear Commodore on the Annual Regatta

Join us as we interview New York yacht Club Rear Commodore Claire Harrington on the process and results of a historical annual regatta held on the East Coast for over a century.

According to Bella Mente Racing’s tactician Terry Hutchinson, both the Around the Island Race and the Annual Regatta series were very hard-fought, but for different reasons. “For the Around the island Race, Belle Mente had to contend with not only our competition (which included long-time rival  Vesper , an IRC 72) but also two transition zones (major wind shifts) and lots of bogeys (other boats) on the racecourse to navigate through,” he said. “Saturday/Sunday racing was equally as good.  Bella Mente ,  Proteus , and  Vesper  each won races, and while  Bella Mente  came out on top it was an incredibly tight event.”

Indeed, as stellar as  Bella Mente ’s performance was in the weekend’s primarily moderate breezes, there was no real turning point when the team felt assured of overall victory. “ The last race was short, so when we led Vesper around the first lap after a lot of exciting boat-on-boat action, it was looking more likely we’d win,” said Sanderson, “however, it’s never over in this class, which makes it exciting all the way to the end.” 

Victorious Bella Mente Racing Team

Sanderson and Hutchinson both noted that training sessions leading up to this event were critical in the continual development of  Bella Mente  and its equipment. As part of that, Coach James Lyne analyzed the boat’s sail set-up, maneuvers and weight placement. During training and racing, he photographs and records the performance of the boat from an aero and hydro standpoint. “We were really happy with the new rig and sails,” said Sanderson, “but somehow we need to find some rating optimization without slowing the boat down, so we have some fun challenges ahead!”  Sanderson added that for the Annual Regatta, Bella Mente Racing knew that Bella Mente  would be most closely matched with  Vesper  and  Proteus.  In the end, the three finished, respectively, in first, second and third with only one point separating each position. “The fact that we all ended up so close on points was no surprise,” he said, “but Vesper beat up on us pretty hard at the previous regatta in the Caribbean, so it was nice to be at least in the hunt. We are under no illusion, though; we still have a lot of work to do if we want to be in the mix for the Maxi World Championships later this year.”  Meanwhile, next up for  Bella Mente  is the July 13-16 New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport.

More About NYYC Annual Regatta The New York Yacht Club’s Annual Regatta was first sailed on the Hudson River on July 16 and 18, 1846. A similar competition the previous year was called a Trial of Speed. With a few exceptions for world wars and other global crises, the event has been held every year since. For most of its existence, the Annual Regatta was raced on waters close to New York City. Since 1988, however, the event has been sailed out of the Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, R.I., and has settled into the current three-day format.

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New York Yacht Club’s Race Week Welcomes Global Sailing Elite

In a notable event for the world of sailing, the Rolex TP52 World Championship will grace American waters for only the second time in its 16-year history. This prestigious monohull fleet-racing championship is set to unfold as part of the New York Yacht Club’s Race Week at Newport, presented by Rolex. The 14th edition of this biennial summer classic marks the inaugural regatta under a historic new 10-year agreement between the New York Yacht Club and its long-time partner, Rolex.

“There is no better event to kick off our new partnership agreement with Rolex than Race Week at Newport featuring the Rolex TP52 World Championship,” stated L. Jay Cross, Commodore of the New York Yacht Club. “Rolex’s support has been crucial to our commitment to running world-class regattas. Whether it’s a world championship for a grand-prix fleet like the TP52s, one of our four renowned team races, our Annual Regatta—which celebrated its 170th iteration in June—or any of the other 15 to 20 events we host each summer, we are looking forward to another decade of great competition and unparalleled shoreside hospitality.”

The regatta, held from July 13 to 16 at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I., also features other major titles, including the IC37 National Championship and the J/109 North American Championship. Boats racing under the ORC rule will vie for class honors, with many eyeing the upcoming ORC World Championship in early fall. A Rolex timepiece will be awarded to the best overall boat.

Since its inception in 1998, Race Week at Newport has established itself as one of the premier summer race weeks in the Northeast. This year, it benefits from partnerships with presenting sponsor Rolex and regatta sponsors Peters & May, Safe Harbor Marinas, Helly Hansen, and Hammetts Hotel. The event combines superb racing conditions off Newport with the exemplary shoreside hospitality of the Club’s waterfront clubhouse overlooking Newport Harbor.

The IC37 class will see 16 boats competing in its sixth national championship, bolstered by an influx of new teams. Among them, six are making their debut in this event. While Steve Liebel’s New Wave team has dominated, winning three of the last four major championships, the results of the Annual Regatta in June showed that new teams can quickly become competitive.

“Every boat has very good sailors,” remarked Peter McClennen, the 2022 North American Champion and President of the IC37 Class Association. “The boats are perfectly even. There are no advantages in any equipment. The sharing is extreme across the fleet with Class Coach Moose McClintock picking up any new learning of modes and sharing. Nobody has a secret mode.”

In contrast to the IC37’s emphasis on uniformity, the TP52 class encourages design and construction variations, fostering development. Modern TP52s are significantly faster than their early 2000s counterparts. However, a new boat does not guarantee immediate success. Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon Aviation team, despite mixed results with their new boat, remains optimistic about their prospects.

“I am very positive,” Müller-Spreer expressed. “We have a real fighting spirit in this Platoon Aviation team. We have been together so long we know what it takes to win, and I very much believe we will be contenders here. It has taken time to get to know this new boat, and in Newport last month, we felt like we were really getting there when we damaged the rudder. But here we are, we are fighters. We are confident, and that is so important in sport, as it will be at these world championships.”

Local attention will undoubtedly focus on the three American-flagged teams: Quantum Racing powered by American Magic, led by Harry Melges IV; Austin Fragomen’s Interlodge; and Takashi Okura’s Sled. Fragomen, Melges, and Okura are all esteemed members of the New York Yacht Club.

Racing for the Rolex TP52 World Championship kicks off on Tuesday, with the remaining participants commencing on Wednesday. Competitions will take place on Rhode Island Sound and Narragansett Bay, concluding with a Rolex Awards Banquet on Saturday evening at the historic Harbour Court property.

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New York Yacht Club American Magic announces youth team for the Youth America's Cup 2024

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Miramar Yacht Club was founded in 1932 as a place for boating enthusiasts to enjoy an excellent Brooklyn sail, catch up with friends, take in the view or kick back and relax. Our members make Miramar Yacht Club so special — young and old, some new, some who learn how to sail at Miramar , some with long family histories at our yacht club, who work together to keep the club shipshape. 

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How the american magic team is reimagining america’s cup tech.

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Tom Slingsby stays warm and dry with HELLY HANSEN FoilX gear

When it comes to global sporting events that combine history, intrigue, athleticism, talent, technology, legendary personalities, and powerful financiers, few can compete with the America’s Cup . Actually, there’s nothing like the America’s Cup for the simple reason that no other team on earth can boast of a winning streak quite like the New York Yacht Club had when they went undefeated in America’s Cup matches from 1851 until 1983 .

New York Yacht Club exterior, built by Warren & Wetmore, 1899-1901 in Beaux-Arts style, at 37 W. ... [+] 44th Street, midtown, New York, NY

But then again, there’s nothing quite like the New York Yacht Club that maintains two legendary “clubhouses”—one in the heart of New York City on 44th Street, known for its Model Room and extensive nautical library, and Harbour Court in Newport, Rhode Island that annually hosts some of North America’s most prestigious sailing events, including its Annual Regatta, Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup and the Queen’s Cup.

However, as a sailor and native New Englander who was 15-years old in 1983, I have vivid and heart-breaking memories of Denis Connor and the NYYC losing the Cup to the Australians . But don’t worry! My inner child has recovered (somewhat) since The New York Yacht Club American Magic team is working to finally bring the Cup back to NYC and Newport where it belongs...(lol).

American Magic's AC75 sailing of Barcelona 2024

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“We intend to compete in AC37 and are hungry and highly motivated to be the most innovative team on and off the water,” explained Hap Fauth, Principal for American Magic when they announced the team would compete in AC37 that begins in August. “We are proud of how our team rebounded during AC36, but we have unfinished business and are committed to investing in technology, design, innovation, and talent so we are best positioned to bring the America’s Cup home!”

And after getting a glimpse all the cutting-edge-custom-made technology the team has developed to make their hydrofoiling race boat (hull, foils, keels, sails, computer software, pedal-powered hydraulic pumps etc.) faster than the competition, I can say they sure have invested in what Fauth said at the beginning... “the technology, design, innovation, and talent” they need to seriously compete for the Cup. However, I can’t really talk about any of it simply because the America’s Cup is more than just another boat race. It’s also a design and technology arms race that leads teams to be highly secretive as well.

But as I learned in my discussion with team Skipper and President of Sailing Operations Terry Hutchinson , not all the technology that’s being developed for the team is as secret as the shape of the hull, foils, and sails even though the tech contributes to performance. And since four of the eight-man crew of an AC75 is comprised of elite endurance athletes that are responsible for creating the hydraulic power required to trim sails and each lifting keel, this is especially true when it comes to the crew clothing and safety devices.

HELLY HANSEN gear worn by American Magic in AC37

That’s where New York Yacht Club American Magic’s partnership with Helly Hansen comes in. Helly Hansen is a global technical apparel brand that shares American Magic’s commitment to innovation, cutting-edge technology. And the partnership works because America Magic’s top athletes, coaches, designers, R&D, engineers, and support teams have worked closely with Helly Hansen to design and manufacture a wide range of gear that will help the team perform on the water and off.

"Partnering with a brand committed to producing technically excellent garments was essential for the team," said Hutchinson. "The Helly Hansen gear worn during the last America's Cup was constantly put to the test and delivered as a high-performing technical product. At American Magic, we need resilient apparel that can perform consistently at the highest level and in the most challenging conditions on and off the water. We're excited to continue to train and race in Helly Hansen apparel as we focus on our high-performance sailing program and target the 37th America's Cup."

Helly Hansen provides technical gear to the American Magic Americas Cup team

After training at the team's base in the Port of Pensacola, FL, Helly Hansen designers and American Magic crew members exchanged feedback that have led to an entirely new collection of gear. As a result of that feedback, the jackets, pants and vests Helly Hansen developed for the team are more breathable and more stretchy along with being more waterproof too.

Helly Hansen Foil X jacket

Two items were popular with the whole team. The Foil X jacket that combines waterproof breathability with 4-way stretchability. And the HH Tech LS shirt that delivers superior quick-dryabilty while also providing 40 SPF sun protection.

The only question now is: Will my 15-year-old self finally be able to celebrate the Cup being back in NYC where it belongs? We’ll just have to tune into 37th America's Cup that’s scheduled to take place in Barcelona from late August through late October to find out.

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Festival, ahoy! A dozen things to know about St. Paul's Minnesota Yacht Club

I t's the biggest music festival launched in the Twin Cities in 12 years. It's expecting more than 30,000 musicheads per day. And it's being produced by the same company that puts on Lollapalooza and the Austin City Limits fests.

There's a lot to learn about the Minnesota Yacht Club — especially for deprived Twin Cities music lovers who haven't been to a big, nationally promoted festival like this since Live Nation's ill-fated River's Edge Music Festival on the same site in 2012.

With its inaugural voyage scheduled Friday and Saturday at Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul, the river-themed event features a Gen-X-nostalgic all-rock lineup led by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morissette, Gwen Stefani, Black Crowes, the Offspring, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, the Hold Steady and a dozen more acts. New Orleans' soul-funk troupe Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue are the only non-rock act on the bill, and they actually rock harder than most of them.

Here are some pointers, talking points and pointed opinions going into this weekend's mega-bash.

1. Saturday's single-day tickets are sold out. Even though they just played in town last year , the Chili Peppers' day as headliners quickly proved more popular than Morissette's. However, two-day general admission festival passes (now $255) and one-day Friday tickets ($135) were still available at press time via minnesotayachtclub.com .

A profits-generating trademark of promoter C3 Presents and other big festivals, there's also a wide array of VIP, platinum and "GA+" options, ranging from $285-$925 for single-day and $255-$1,395 for two-day. Those priciest options come with things like front-of-stage viewing access, express entry, lounges, free booze and back rubs from St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. Or maybe we read that latter item wrong?

2. No, it's not a "yacht rock" festival. There actually has been a lot of confusion about this. The event's name is simply a fun spin on its riverside location and the relative irony of someone having a yacht in Minnesota. It has nothing to do with the genre of music associated with breezy and cheesy '70s-'80s hitmakers like Toto, Seals & Crofts and Christopher Cross. How fun would it have been to see one of those acts sandwiched between the Hold Steady and Offspring, though?

3. Boats actually are part of the experience. "Riverboat VIP" ticket holders ($825) can lounge in air-conditioning on the Jonathan Padelford and even take a 60-minute cruise on the paddleboat during the fest. Why anyone would want to go to a music fest to set sail for South St. Paul, we're not sure, but it's a unique idea for a festival.

4. The company behind it is in the festival business. C3 got its start with the hugely successful Austin City Limits Music Festival in the early 2000s before turning Lollapalooza into a one-weekend Chicago event. Live Nation bought a 51% stake in the company in 2014 but mostly leaves C3 to do its own thing when it comes to festivals. Other fests in its portfolio include Boston Calling, Atlanta's Shaky Knees and New York's Governors Ball — all steeped in unique branding and preparations for each city.

"We've been talking to the city well over a year now and working with them on the logistical plans," C3 promoter Tim Sweetwood said of MYC.

5. There will be only two stages (and no overlapping performances). While many festivals require fans to make tough decisions and Iditarod-like treks between competing stages — OK, maybe that's being a little dramatic — the setup at MYC in its first year features just two stages with alternating music that never runs concurrently. Dubbed the Skipper Stage and Crow's Nest Stage, they are only about a quarter-mile apart, too.

6. Gwen Stefani's appearance is the rarest among the top names. Last seen in town making a surprise appearance with husband Blake Shelton at the TC Summer Jam in 2022 , the former No Doubt singer and ex-coach on NBC's "The Voice" has not been performing a lot of late; just a handful of fly-in gigs this summer.

In the solo gigs she has done in 2024, Stefani has been revisiting many songs from No Doubt (with whom she reunited at Coachella fest in April ), including "Don't Speak," "Just a Girl" and "Hella Good."

7. The lineup isn't entirely a nostalgia trip. All these aforementioned acts make it look exclusively like a '90s and early '00s throwback fest, but there are actually modern stars and buzzmakers on the lineup.

Texas slinger Gary Clark Jr. has been the most thrilling blues-rock guitarist on tour over the past decade . Harmonious Seattle rockers the Head and the Heart have racked up a swath of radio hits and TV/film placement with songs like "Lost in My Mind." Twangy singer Morgan Wade has made a couple of well-reviewed records with Jason Isbell's guitarist Sadler Vaden as her producer. Indie-rocker Michigander is a critical favorite.

The Twin Cities' own pop-rock darlings Hippo Campus have become a big draw , too, recently playing New York's Governors Ball festival and selling out the Armory in Minneapolis.

8. There's good local representation. In addition to Hippo Campus, we'll see hard-charging local faves Gully Boys help kick off the fest Friday ahead of viral sensations Durry . On Saturday, fuzz-rocky kids Bugsy play before a fun afternoon twofer with Soul Asylum and the semi-local Hold Steady. As rock-only lineups go — musical diversity is not Yacht Club's strong suit — these are some of the state's most relevant acts present or past playing live in 2024.

9. The list of items you're allowed to bring in is short. Leave the chairs, coolers and umbrellas at home. Only small fanny packs, clutch purses, emptied hydration packs or small clear bags are allowed in. Other permissible items include: phones, baby strollers, blankets/towels, binoculars, reusable water bottles, non-aerosol sunscreen (3.4 ounce max) and Frisbees. For our sake, though, please don't bring any Frisbees.

10. There's a longer list of alternative transportation options. Coming from Austin, Texas, a city with notorious traffic problems, C3 makes a point of encouraging biking, ride-sharing and public transit options at all its festivals.

There's a designated rideshare dropoff site (Uber, Lyft, taxi) near the Wabasha Street entrance at 49 E. Fillmore Av. Bike lots are located at both that entrance and the second set of gates along W. Water Street (bring your own lock). For light rail, the Green Line's Central Station is a half-mile walk away. Ample public bus route stops also can be mapped out via metrotransit.org .

11. Harriet Island isn't really an island, and it isn't all that hard to get to. You wouldn't know it from the maps on the festival's website — or if you're one of those uppity Minneapolitans who never visit the other Twin City — but you can approach the park from the southwest side of the river as well as the downtown side. There are assorted parking options over there, too.

That said, the 15- to 20-minute walk across the Wabasha Street Bridge from downtown parking sites can be quite lovely if it's not sweltering heat. You can handle it, Minneapolis peeps.

12. This is just a start. "It's sort of a slow burn to start," C3′s Sweetwood said, promising expansion in the years to come. "We'll try to give it a little more color and better branding, the kind of things we have a good feel for at C3, being primarily a festival producer."

Friday lineup (in order, 12:45-10:30 p.m.): Harbor and Home, Gully Boys, Michigander, Morgan Wade, Durry, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, the Head and the Heart, Gwen Stefani, Black Crowes, Alanis Morissette.

Saturday (1-10:30 p.m.): Nico Vega, Bugsy, Wilderado, Soul Asylum, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Hippo Campus, the Hold Steady, the Offspring, Gary Clark Jr., Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Tickets: $135-$925 Fri. only, $255-$1,395 two-day.

Website: minnesotayachtclubfestival.com .

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