The New York Yacht Club

To the uninitiated, the New York Yacht Club might seem just that, a yacht club somewhere in New York. For those in the know, however, the very name is legendary – and synonymous with the very best in yachting tradition.

Indeed, in the world of yachting, the NYYC enjoys nothing short of aristocratic rank. To begin with, it is located both in New York City and in Newport, Rhode Island. It is from these waters that the NYYC, founded in 1844, would become one of the most distinguished and important yacht clubs in the world, contributing hugely to the sport, its traditions and even to yacht design itself.

Building both on the fast-growing American pedigree in sailing and on close relations with Europe, and in particular Britain, the club established a rich tradition and prominent reputation during the 19th century, a period during which it played a key role in the development of the groundbreaking schooner-yacht, the America. The NYYC was also fundamental in the founding of the America’s Cup, the world’s longest-running and most prestigious sailing race.

Successive yachts of legendary stature were built under the auspices of the club in a titanic race that pitted the prestige of America against that of Britain. For over a century, from 1870 to 1983, the New York Yacht Club maintained a stranglehold on the America’s Cup that not even the greatest yachtsmen from around the world could break. Such is the pedigree of yachting in Rhode Island, and such has been its dominance in international sailing competitions, for while the NYCC’s official headquarters are in New York, its real operational heart is at the iconic clubhouse in Newport.

Distinction and valour
In a modern country, the NYYC holds on to traditional values such as distinction and honour. Membership is as coveted as it is selective, and to be invited to join means you have ‘arrived’ in New York and Rhode Island society. Very much more an old money rather than new money environment, this is a club that upholds tradition and reputation whilst engaging itself fully in the high-tech world of modern yachting.

The club’s land-bound quarters in New York, a beautiful turn-of-the-century Beaux Arts masterpiece situated at 37 West 44 Street in downtown Manhattan, have the feel of a gentleman’s club, but at Harbour Court, the main clubhouse in Newport, Rhode Island, the main focus is squarely on the business of yachting. Not surprisingly, Harbour Court is a state-of-the-art yacht club with stunning facilities. In a town that counts itself a bastion of world yachting Harbour Court is the unmistakable jewel in the crown.

A Newport revival
With Oracle’s reclaiming of the America’s Cup in February, the stage is set for a Newport renaissance. Oracle boss Larry Ellison, founder of computer company Oracle and a keen yachtsman himself, is known to favour a return to Newport for the next America’s Cup, though both Valencia and San Francisco remain strong contenders too. Ellison recently joined the ranks of prominent figures who have bought property in and around Newport – making the most of the best prices for years as they snap up iconic estates in prime locations within a region that is on the up.

With the renaissance of Newport it seems as though another chapter in the illustrious history of the New York Yacht Club is about to begin.

Fabulous, old-style millionaire’s retreat on Newport’s prestigious Ocean Drive

Beautiful Georgian mansion perched on the edge of Cliff Walk

Impressive Bill Burgin-designed villa on Newport’s Ocean Drive

Gorgeous British style country estate with a multitude of luxurious touches

New post on at Tuesday, 2 March, 2010, 12:16 pm and is archived in Lifestyle, Luxury, Places of Interest, Sport. Subscribe to answers with RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or make a trackback from your web.