The Annapolis Yacht Club’s heritage is firmly anchored in the activities of boating and yacht racing. The forerunner of the Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) was the Severn Boat Club organized in 1886 as an informal canoe club. Just imagine Annapolis circa 1886, and AYC’s forerunners starting their races with someone on the shore counting down — “5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - Go!” These were uncomplicated affairs held on Memorial Day and Labor Day. Shell and canoe races started up Spa Creek at Old Woman Cove (at the foot of Monticello and Thompson streets) and ended at the Eastport bridge.
Around 1910, members began to acquire small sailboats and organize regattas. In 1937, AYC was incorporated, and the first formal Annual Regatta was held that year. AYC racing continued to grow. The Fall Series’ first year in 1940 featured just five boats competing. By the 2016 series there were 89 competitors.
The 475-mile Annapolis to Newport Race — one of the great ocean races — began in 1947 with 32 entries (back then it was Newport to Annapolis) and has been held every two years since. The largest fleet was in 1965, with 93 boats; and the smallest at 27 boats in 1955. In 2015, we had 67 entries.
AYC Wednesday Night Races started in 1959, and Frostbite racing began in the winter of 1962-63. We had 147 entries in Wednesday Night Races in the 2016 season and have 95 competitors in the 2016-17 Frostbite series.
Setting a Racing Structure
As the Club’s sailboat racing activities grew, competitors wanted a framework for everyone to enjoy the sport in whatever capacity and to whatever level the individual desired. The AYC Board of Governors delegates the oversight of the racing program to the Sailing Committee, which determines the types of regattas the club will host, logistics, equipment, and the onshore social activities. In the past year, the Sailing Committee made a concerted effort to boost participation in racing, and that resulted in a 10.5 percent increase.
All on-the-water activities are handled by the Race Committee – race management, fair competition, and training of committee members. Annapolis Yacht Club has a long and distinguished history of excellent race management for the sailors. The Race Committee was recognized in 2011 by US Sailing when AYC was awarded the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy for excellence in race management.
AYC is distinguished by having two International Race Officers, three National Race Officers, three International Judges, two members of World Sailing — the international governing body of sailing — and three past presidents of US Sailing. Their expertise has improved our regattas and provided training for members of the Race Committee. AYC has hosted World Championships, North American, and East Coast championships for a multitude of boat classes, as well as being a three-time host of the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship.
Racing Volunteers
Well-trained volunteers manage the races. Most weekend regattas include approximately 18 volunteers to the Race Committee, working aboard the signal and mark boats. For the National Offshore One Design and Annapolis Labor Day Regattas, AYC fields two full committees. Many of the members — some who are Certified Race Officers — have attended race management workshops and are certified by US Sailing in powerboat handling, mark setting, and rescue.
Racing at AYC is competitive and, with Wednesday Night and Frostbite racing, occurs year round. The activities of the AYC Race Committee attract approximately 150 volunteers. The majority have racing experience and enjoy watching the competitors start or round marks. At the end of the day, committee members get satisfaction giving back to the sport. Another integral part of race management is the Protest Committee, whose judges adjudicate any on-the-water controversies. AYC is proud to have a long list of internationally recognized judges serving on the committee over the years, including Past Commodore Ron Ward, who was a member of the first US Sailing Judges’ Committee, which created the judge certification program that became the model for the International Judges program. Three of our members have chaired that same committee.
Achieving the AYC Mission
The Race Committee actively incorporates our cruising members, who offer their yachts to serve as signal and mark boats. The cooperative effort is a sign of a strong membership that supports the Club’s mission to encourage and foster “interest in all aspects of yachting through excellence; in training sailors of all ages, conducting and promoting racing events, race management, and facilities.”
Our sailors promote our Burgee nationally and internationally, resulting in high esteem for Annapolis Yacht Club. Tangible evidence is the reciprocity with other clubs throughout the U.S. and the world. The Race Committee is educational, challenging, and fun. The committee features members with a common interest who enjoy a day on the water. Their efforts perpetuate yacht racing — the foundation of Annapolis Yacht Club.
by Past Commodore Peter Gordon
