corinthian yacht club in marblehead

Monday, November 6, 2017

The three yacht clubs in marblehead, massachusetts.

I haven't been in any of the three yacht clubs in Marblehead, Massachusetts, for some years, but I remember how each used to demonstrate physically its place on the New England social ladder. Out on Marblehead Neck, where all the summer people have their places, are the Eastern Yacht Club and the Corinthian Yacht Club. Old families with old money — that is, families that have been in the area (including the Boston area) for a number of generations — belonged to the Eastern Yacht Club. No one else was allowed to join. The clubhouse itself always looked to me as if it might collapse. It needed stain or paint, there always seemed to be a loose board or two out on the porch, and the dining and other facilities were modest, though with a certain quiet, old charm. However, belonging to the Eastern meant you were "in." If you didn't belong, you were "out" — and might just as well join the Corinthian Yacht Club.

The Corinthian accepted new people with new money, and its clubhouse and docks were new, meticulously maintained, modern, and posh. To a Texan or anyone else not knowledgeable in New England ways, inspection of the physical facilities of the Eastern and the Corinthian back in those days would have caused the Corinthian to be the immediate and obvious choice. From the New England point of view, that would be all well and good. As my aunt on my father's side once told me, "A Texan may be a braggart, but he can never be a snob."    

Then there was the Boston Yacht Club, located across the harbor from "the Neck," in the town of Marblehead. It was always considered the place for those not in any way interested, or able to be interested, in social considerations. It was for townspeople. So its clubhouse was neither run down nor posh. It was straightforward, perfectly comfortable, practical. Of course, some members of old area families, particularly the young ones with old money, deliberately chose the Boston Yacht Club over the Eastern. That's a related but slightly different form of snobbery, which was negated completely if you belong to both, as some did.

- Judson Hale, Inside New England < http://amzn.to/2x2m576 > 

13 comments:

Very amusing, but where does the Boston Yacht Club fit in this pecking order--the yacht club on the other side of the harbor not on "The Neck" and the sponsor of the venerable Marblehead-Halifax Ocean Race?

In my opinion, it's number 1!!

Meghan, right? :)

This all reminds me of the book The Status Seekers written in 1959 by Vance Packard. It's one of the most searing and sardonic looks at social status I've ever read. It really opened my eyes.

Jud with one d - I bet he'd write it the same way now!

But what about Pleon?

Pecking order is quite a bit different today. And Marblehead has 3 clubs on the town side and 3 clubs on the neck side.

Hilarious, but I think a Texan can be a snob. A lot are old southern families going back to the First Families of Virginia and the Jamestown group can be just as snobby as the Plymouth haha

If that's the case you will never know it because FFV and Jamestowne Society members do not brag. The snobs are the Highland Park new monied.

For many years my family enjoyed "belonging" at the Boston Yacht Club. We always parked just outside that quite small parking lot at the club and for good reason. We would take the launch out to our sailboat and sound the horn for pickup when it was time to get a ride back at the end of the day....one prolonged, two short if my memory serves me right. What a wonderful aura to the place...until they finally figured out we weren't actually members! Ooops! My father had an uncanny knack for walking into places he didn't belong as if he owned them. Ultimately we joined the Corinthian for real...I think. If we weren't members there I feel for whoever had to pick up our food tab at the pool.

That is a great story, I'll bet your father is/was an interesting man.

Are these ‘rules’ still applied in 2018 ? I am a member of the Royal Cape Yacht Club ( 44 years good-standing) and I can tell you things have changed. When I joined in 1974 I was given a ‘look up, and down’. I recall a superior of mine, possibly twice my age, who applied at the same time but was ‘blakballed’ as not being ‘suitable’. Somehow I doubt this still goes on. Except perhaps at certain clubs in the St James club area in London.

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Marblehead – Yacht Clubing

A visit to Marblehead’s sailing society

With more boats per capita than anywhere on the planet, Marblehead has long been known as “the sailing capital of the world.”

For those who wish to join the sailing set, Marblehead has a variety of clubs to choose from.

Two of the town’s clubs are found on Marblehead Neck, an exclusive community separated by the mainland by a long causeway that is perfect for jogging or biking.

Founded in 1885, the Corinthian Yacht Club on Nahant Street ( www.corinthianyc.org ) offers a beautiful clubhouse as well as swimming and tennis facilities.

“There’s many things yacht clubs can offer,” says Dave Titus, Corinthian’s clubhouse general manager, “but the view of the harbor we have here is spectacular!”

In addition to their frequent social events and tennis tournaments, Corinthian also hosts special yachting events, including the Trans-At Challenge in September, which brings a squadron of 60-foot boats from as far away as England.

“They’re quite a [thing] to view,” Titus says.

At present, Corinthian has 520 members.

“We have an extremely active membership, which is happy with what the club offers them,” says Titus. “It’s a very friendly community.”

According to membership committee member Jack Frankel, however, the club doesn’t take unsolicited applications.

“It’s a private club and new members are sponsored in a multiyear process,” he says.

Nearby on Foster Street is the Eastern Yacht Club ( www.easternyc.org ) with its six tennis courts and pool.

According to club lore, EYC was started in 1870 by “12 hardy men.” Its halls are packed with trophies, including one that was once carried on the flagship of famed British sailor Admiral Nelson! No wonder, then, that the Eastern has often been chosen to host Olympic sailing trials and many vanguard regattas.

“We consider ourselves a yacht club and try to encourage it at all levels,” says a member who wished to remain anonymous (the Eastern places a premium on privacy).

Across the harbor are the Boston, Dolphin, and Marblehead yacht clubs.

Organized in 1866, the Boston Yacht Club ( www.bostonyachtclub.net ) offers a dining room and bar, commodore’s lounge, and other facilities. And as it is located on Front Street, which runs along the harbor, the BYC also offers an amenity that the Neck clubs don’t.

“You can get dropped off here and walk around downtown Marblehead,” says general manager Mark McMahon, citing his club’s proximity to mainland shops and restaurants.

According to membership chair Martha Quigley, the BYC also requires sponsorship for new members. Even so, McMahon noted, around 20 slots tend to open at the end of each sailing season.

Though it may be difficult for people to gain immediate entrance to some clubs, there are other ways to get into the sailing scene. Among these are getting started early as a member of Marblehead’s youth yacht club, Pleon ( www.pleon.org ), or taking memberships at clubs that do not require sponsorship, meeting others at multi-club events (such as Marblehead’s world-famous Race Week) and then having them sponsor you down the road.

Though the 55-year-old Dolphin Yacht Club on Allerton Place ( www.dolphinyachtclub.com ) has no tennis courts or pool, the view of the harbor is beautiful, the kids’ room is a great place for younger sailors to hang out, and the food (provided by Sylvan Street Grill) is rather tasty. As for membership, it is inexpensive and does not require sponsorship.

“You don’t need to wait 10 years to get in,” says commodore/treasurer Patti Cohen of the club that, for many years, was the only place for Jewish sailors to congregate. And, as the club’s website states, “We are actively seeking new members!”

One caveat: If you want a full boating membership, you need to have a mooring in Marblehead Harbor. There are 1,400 of these and the waiting list is about 15 years. However, you can still be an out-of-harbor member for $350 or a social member for $225. The Dolphin also offers a kayaking membership for small-craft fans.

Lastly we come to the club that takes its name from its hometown. Built in 1878, the Marblehead Yacht Club on Cliff Street ( www.marbleheadyc.org ) is the most down-home of all.

“This is by far the most inexpensive club,” says club manager Steve Karger, who has been a member for 25 years.

With food service Friday through Sunday (the MYC is BYOB), the club offers its 356 members three launches that cover 60 percent of the harbor and a fleet of rowboats you can take to your yacht.

“We’re the mirror image of the Corinthian,” Karger says, pointing across the harbor, “only in this way.”

In philosophy, the club mirrors the Dolphin more closely, as it was the first place Irish-Catholic sailors could join. In 1935, the MYC instituted a policy requiring that  “anybody joining be considered as an individual, not part of a group.”

These days, however, the only “group” that most members want to be counted among is Marblehead’s large group of sailors.

So whether you want cotillions and pool parties or just a way to get to your boat, join the club!

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• Corinthian Yacht Club, Massachusetts, United States

United States

Massachusetts

Sailing / Yacht Club

Corinthian Yacht Club

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Founded Year

The Corinthian Yacht Club (CYC) is a full-service club offering members and visiting skippers a broad range of sailing and racing events. For more than 125 years, the Club has made yachting, racing and cruising history, for which all members can be truly proud.

1 Nahant St

781-631-0005

781-639-4792

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[email protected]

http://www.corinthianyc.org

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Corinthian Yacht Club places second in the Rolex International Invitational Cup

Nineteen teams from 14 countries competed in the eighth Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, a biennial regatta hosted by the New York Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island. Marblehead’s Corinthian Yacht Club, a first-time participant in this invitational, placed second with 54 points. Since the event was first run in 2009, it has attracted top amateur sailors from 51 of the world’s most prestigious yacht clubs from 22 countries.

The San Diego Yacht Club won the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup delivering a consistently strong performance over the week with a score of 43 points overall.

San Diego’s victory in the final race was their only top-four finish of the regatta and gave them the low score of 43 points, good for an 11-point win over first-time entrant Corinthian Yacht Club. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron placed third with 55 points for its best result in three attempts. Rounding out the top five were New York Yacht Club, with 62 points, and Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, with 66 points, for its best finish in seven attempts.

According to San Diego Yacht Club coach Ed Adams, a two-time Rolex U.S. Sailing Yachtsman of the Year, the top team had two goals this year: achieve the lowest worst score of all the teams in the regatta and pass the most boats after Mark 1. San Diego’s worst score was a 10th in Race 3, no other team had lower than a 14th. San Diego’s string of 6-5-5-5-5-6 in the other races showed consistency and an ability to fight back from adversity. Their victory in the race lowered their average score per race to 5.375 points.

Led by Marblehead helmsman Wade Wadell, a stellar performance was delivered by second place Corinthian Yacht Club. Waddell noted that many on the Corinthian team applied their strengths and acquired experience as college sailors and coaches.

“We were comfortable in the shifty conditions as we are college sailors and coaches by training,” Waddell said during the regatta. “The IC37s boats are so high aspect that with 2 knots more pressure you can be going more than 1 knot faster. So, we focused on the pressure and didn’t care as much about the angle.”

On the final day of racing, in a brisk 20-25 knot breeze, the team excelled showing command of the boat up and down the course finishing 3rd in the final race securing second place overall. The Corinthian team included helmsman Wade Waddell, Will Bailey, Miranda Bakos, Evan Cooke, Andrew Kingston, David Larson, Doug Sabin, Duncan Swain, Juliana Testa and Tim Wadlow.

Besides the regatta’s characteristics of tight racing and a leaderboard that saw a lot of movement, the eighth Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup showcased a youth movement. Wade Waddell, the Corinthian helmsman, is 26. Jordan Stevenson, helmsman for Royal New Zealand, is 23. Duncan Gregor, the tactician for Royal Hong Kong, is 19 years old.

The ninth Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup will be held in September 2025 and the Request for Invitation form for the 2024 Resolute Cup, the only surefire pathway for U.S. yacht clubs looking for a berth in the ninth edition, will go live later this year.

Please click here for results. Stuart Streuli contributed to this report.

Leigh Blander

Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.

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Corinthian Yacht Club Marblehead MA

The Corinthian Yacht Club (CYC) is a full-service club offering members and visiting yachtsmen a broad range of sailing and racing events. For more than 125 years, the CYC has made yachting, racing and cruising history. The CYC also offers members tennis, swimming, dining and social activities in a vibrant and interactive community. The beautiful clubhouse on Marblehead Neck and the glorious view from the porch enhance members' enjoyment of the club.

Published on June 21st, 2024 | by Assoc Editor

Teams ready for Thayer Trophy

Published on June 21st, 2024 by Assoc Editor -->

Six teams are set to compete in 4th Edition of Corinthian YC’s Thayer Trophy Women’s Invitational Team Race, June 22-23, 2024.

With a deep field of sailing talent across all the rosters, the table is set for this edition of the Corinthian Yacht Club’s National Women’s Invitational Team Race, the only women’s 3v3 team racing event in keelboats with spinnakers. Six teams from across the US and beyond will vie for the Thayer Trophy off the coast of historic Marblehead, MA this weekend in what has quickly become a preeminent team racing event.

Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association, Eastern Yacht Club, New York Yacht Club, and Newport Harbor Yacht Club are all returning to compete along with host Corinthian Yacht Club’s team. Royal Thames Yacht Club is making its event debut.

“The Thayer Trophy [is] next-level sailing, sportsmanship, and sisterhood,” said Newport Harbor Yacht Club sailor Erin Batchelor whose team is back after finishing third last year. Newport Harbor is a team-racing powerhouse with a Thayer Trophy roster that includes Sally Mace and Colin Voigt who helped secure the club’s 2023 Global Team Racing Championship win last fall.

It could shape up to be another battle with Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association who edged Newport Harbor out in the Thayer Trophy finals last year to take second on a tiebreaker. Most of the Chesapeake sailors are veterans of the event, including skippers Ashley Love, Sara Morgan Watters and Janel Zarkowski. Having just finished second at the New York Yacht Club Women’s 2v2 a few weeks ago, Chesapeake may be eager to shed runner-up status.

“It is incredible see how the level of competition has gotten stronger every year because clubs are prioritizing this event and really developing their women’s teams,” said Thayer Trophy Event Chair Miranda Bakos. “That said, the vibe of this regatta is definitely a focus on fun, and this year, thanks to support from BNY Mellon Wealth, we are amping it up.”

The Thayer Trophy two-day event schedule is a traditional round-robin format with the potential for sailing 50 races. The finals will be streamed live on Corinthian Yacht Club’s YouTube Channel starting at Sunday, June 23 at 10 AM, local time.

Racing is held in club-provided Sonars, 23-foot, one-design keelboats typically sailed with four or five crew.

Details about the Corinthian Yacht Club National Women’s Invitational Team Race for the Thayer Trophy including results can be found on the event site .

THAYER TROPHY 2024 TEAM ROSTERS

CHESAPEAKE BAY YRA Jenn Calhoun Gwynie Dunlevy Alli Gutenkunst Ashley Love Jane Millman Sara Morgan Watters Martha Parker Saidee Price Katja Sertl Sunny Sturmer Sophie Taczak Janel Zarkowsky

CORINTHIAN YACHT CLUB Miranda Bakos Megan Bamford Emily Dellenbaugh Sarah deSilva Karen Fallon Karen Finocchio Emily Gonzales Lisa Keith Ery Largay Jane Loutrel Peg MacMaster Elise Mazareas Nash Christina Pandapas Colleen Guertin Parenteau Kelsey Shakin Juliana Testa

EASTERN YACHT CLUB Rachel Foster Julia Fuller Ashley Hoguet Alix Israel Lane Kaeyer Jen Lambertz Laura Lee Hannah Lynn Kelly Marie Lilly McGrath Debbie Noble Hannah Polster Katie Roger Megan Strehlow Kim Sturges

NEW YORK YACHT CLUB Taylor Kirkpatrick Caroline Levesque Sara Mac Swanson Emily Maxwell Blair McCarthy Maddy McGrath Abigayle Konys Moreno Lindsay Powers Julia Reynolds Ann Sheridan Allie Tillinghast

NEWPORT HARBOR YC Erin Batchelor Haley Dahl Skylar Jacobsen Jenn Lancaster Sally Mace Mandy McDonnell Katie McDowell Amy Sabourin Carolyn Smith Payton Thompson Victoria Thompson Colin Voigt

ROYAL THAMES YC Catherine Brooke Ella Brown Sammie Evans Alice Kidd Jemima Lawson Philippa Lawson Alice Lucy Gabi Mascio Bethan Matthew Macey McCann Zoe Nieveen Emily Wiltshire

Event details: https://thayertrophy.com

Source: Christina Pandapas

Tags: Thayer Trophy

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Six teams set to compete in Thayer Trophy Women's Team Race

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