One summer evening in 1937, Carolyn and Ernie Fay, Homer and Al Fay, and Bobbie and Boy Streetman dined at Will Voss’ Cafe on the Seabrook Flats and decided that the time was right to create a new sailing club on Galveston Bay. They asked two more families to join them as founders, Tina and Dudley Sharp and Mary and Bill Farish.
The purpose in establishing a new Club was clearly stated in the club by-laws: “the education of its members and their families in the art of sailing, seamanship, boat handling and related arts, and to provide and maintain a clubhouse, pier and anchorage for the recreation of its members.” Another major purpose of the proposed Club was to support and encourage participation in national and international yacht racing. To achieve these goals, they modeled the new club after Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in Oyster Bay, New York, which had an established reputation for promoting amateur sailing.
They searched around Galveston Bay to find the best land for the new club; high ground for protection against storms and a large expanse of water for race courses. They also needed adequate acreage to create a true family club with space for a centrally located clubhouse surrounded by cabanas built by the members on club property. The plan was to provide a gathering place for everyone for all meals and social activities. Later a small junior clubhouse was built near the family club. The land they chose was in Kemah, owned by the Womack family who became enthusiastic members.
The architect, Burns Roensch, drew up a simple, well-thought-out design that was constructed and completed in late summer of 1938, with the official opening on Labor Day weekend. The original clubhouse consisted of the living room as it is today, a grillroom with a horseshoe bar (today’s dining room) and a screened dining porch. The bar, swimming pool and children’s dining room were added in the 1950’s. Chester Hill, a local man-of-all-trades, built the first pier for $600. It was not as long as the present one, and did not include boat slips. Boats were moored close to the pier and reached by a small powerboat named “Hurry Up,” which was all the sailing instructor who operated it ever heard.
The next logical phase was to develop a one-design sailboat suitable for racing on Galveston Bay. Olin Stephens of Sparkman and Stephens in New York was commissioned to design a boat suitable for the shallow depths, short waves and strong breezes of Galveston Bay. The final product was a 21-foot sloop keelboat which resembled a Lightning with a 500-pound keel, and was named “Corinthian.” Platzer Shipyard, located on the south side of Clear Creek, built the first boats until Ernie and Al Fay established their Seabrook Shipyard.
The original purpose of promoting amateur sailing has been carried out with local, national, and international racing victories for our helmsmen and crews. They have won world championships, national championships, an Olympic silver medal, the Mallory Cup, the Sears Cup, the 5.5 Meter Scandinavian Gold Cup and many competitions on Galveston Bay. Today, women’s, men’s and youth’s summer sailing instruction programs are training more enthusiastic sailors, and many are competing well in local and national regattas.
