In the early 1970s a small group of marine professionals spent a lot of time together sailing and having fun. They inhabited the then-not-so-palatial Eastport Peninsula which had been the home of the marine industry since the 1700s.This group of young professionals consisted of boat designers and builders, marine surveyors, yacht brokers, marine financiers, yard managers, sail makers, attorneys and accountants who worked among us boating types. They spent most of their spare time racing, and this was the hay-day of yacht racing. These were the days of Bandit and Running Tide, Al Van Meter’s famous local boats; the retired twelves, Phoenix and American Eagle; Amie’s Babes; and the visiting gold platers such as Equation, Malabar, Ted Tumer’s Tenacious and many more.
The glue that held this group together was love of boating, nature, fun and the water. It didn’t matter about sex, color, nationality, how much money you had or didn’t. You were equal and welcome. There were lots of other adjectives which also fit our founders and charter members: opinionated, intelligent, humorous, directed, argumentative, vociferous and independent. This club started years before our founders started putting their thoughts on paper. These thoughts progressed during the Friday night happy hours at the offices of Kaufman and Ladd, in Eastport.
Ross Glover really started the notion of an official yacht club. Being the free thinking Australian he is, it was more conversational than an act of planning. During the spring of 1980 under the chairmanship of Mike Kauffman, the steering committee was formed and included Robert Allen, Eugene Ambo, Thomas Bell-Wright, John Crummy, Ross Glover, Jeffrey Goldring, Frederick Hecklinger, Michael Kaufman, Glenn Klakring, Robert Ladd and Ivon Paulon. The steering committee selected about 200 people who would be appropriate for charter membership. The invitations went out and the first meeting of the charter membership was held on October 13, 1980, upstairs at Marmaduke’s Pub. Charter membership dues were $25.00.
Our first temporary quarters for EYC were at Annapolis City Marina. The opening party was on November 6, 1983, and the membership immediately embraced the new quarters and the increased camaraderie. The races and events grew to include The Solomon’s Island race, The Annapolis Bermuda race, our premier Christmas Lights Parade and Caribbean Night, to name a few. EYC continued to be a fun place enjoyed and respected by yachtsmen near and far.
The search for a property on which to build a permanent home was implemented. Many locations were researched and on April 23, 1989, the membership approved the purchase of a 50-slip marina and large lot at Sycamore Point on the Severn River in Eastport. A fundraiser was held and the membership committed $200,000 in loans and donations. Our new home was underway and so was the work. In the general meeting held in the fall of 1990 the membership approved unanimously to build the current clubhouse for the sum of $400,000.
The planning committee met weekly for a year and at the November 9, 1991, general meeting, Jeff Halpern’s (our architect) plans for the clubhouse were approved. The official ground breaking for the new clubhouse was on August 18, 1991. But things always take longer than planned, particularly when dealing with permitting processes. The building permit was finally received from the city on a cold, blustery day in January and the contractor started the building on January 27, 1992. We bid a fond adieu to our temporary home at the going away party on June 30, 1992, and made do through the summer while we watched the construction of our new home.
Finally on October 3, 1992, we commissioned the clubhouse with a gala dinner party—Island Formal of course.
EYC has accomplished a great deal in its first 20 years. The most important thing is it remains the fun, informal, vital club that welcomes all people young in age or heart. Its events are locally renowned and world famous and the race committee runs some of the biggest and best races on the bay. EYC is the “little club” who could, did and continues to do.
