History of the Navy Yacht Club Pensacola— Celebrating 80 years— and the Navy Cup, May 21-22 By Kim Kaminski was held in Sarasota, FL. Throughout ighty years ago, on April 12, 1931, the 1930s, the Navy Yacht Club’s quala challenge was issued to a group ity and tempo of sailing skills of Naval aviators—who, being increased significantly. So much so, Navy aviators, never turned down a that by 1937, the sailing instruction dare—met on Pensacola Bay for a and informal races were held three friendly competition in a small onedays a week, with formal races on the designed sailboat known as the Fish. weekend. Four Fish-class boats from the Navy In 1940, the U.S. Naval Air Station were sailed against four Fish-class The Pensacola Yacht Club sailors and Naval boats from the Pensacola Yacht Club. aviators head out to the racecourse during the Yacht Club took the Patterson Cup Even though the Navy boats lost that first competition that helped to establish the away from the Pensacola Yacht Club, initial contest, a community relation- Navy Yacht Club. Photo courtesy West Florida earning them sailing supremacy in Historic Preservation. Fish class boats. However, the ship was built upon that first club began to decline in numrace, as well as the origins of bers during the next few years the Navy Yacht Club of due to the war, and it wasn’t Pensacola. The Navy sailors until 1962 when a resurgence did avenge their loss by sailing in numbers occurred, thanks in a meeting later that month to the encouragement of Vice to win four races against the Admiral Fitzhugh Lee. The Pensacola Yacht Club. These club was now known as the initial efforts helped establish Navy Yacht Club of the friendly competitive spirit Pensacola—complete with that still exists today between bylaws, a constitution and an the two clubs. official burgee—a navy blue During the 1930s, the and white flag with a set of Navy instituted a program to gold Navy aviation wings train aviation students in rowemblazoned in the middle of ing and sailing through The first race for the Navy Yacht Club was held in the Fish Class the pennant. organized intramural sailing gaff-rigged 20-foot sailboat. Pictured are four of the eight Fish In June of 1962, the first and established a club of a boats from that first competition. Photo courtesy West Florida Navy Cup regatta was held. It semi-formal nature. In August Historic Preservation. has become one of the oldest of 1931, this club became offiand most prestigious regattas held along the Gulf Coast due cially known as the U.S. Naval Air Station Yacht Club and to its unique format where competitors are yacht club joined the Gulf Yachting Association (GYA), the organizing against yacht club, instead of individual contestants, pitting body for sailing for the southeastern United States. In 1932, club strategies instead of individual racers to determine the the “new” yacht club felt confident enough with its sailing final outcome of the competition. The Navy Cup perpetual program to enter its first GYA Lipton Cup regatta, which
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May 2011
SOUTHWINDS
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