A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FISHING BAY YACHT CLUB

In the spring of 1939, nine Richmond yachtsmen, who during the preceding summer had sailed the water of eastern Virginia looking for a suitable home port, decided to organize a sailing association at Urbanna, Virginia. The first formal meeting was held on May 8, 1939, at 407 North Allen Avenue, Richmond. Attending were Reid Dunn, McDonald Wellford, Robert S. Cochran, Benjamin P. Alsop, Jr., John Marchant, J. Marshall Moseley, Matthew W. Maughan. Patrick A. Gibson, and Dr. Marvin Burton. The new organization was named the Urbanna Sailing Association. The first season was a success, in all respects. The Association grew and flourished, and before a year had passed had become incorporated as the Urbanna Yacht Club. It had a fleet of 35 enrolled sailing yachts, 63 members, and had rented quarters for the Yacht Club at Urbanna. Also, it had been made a member of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association.

During World War II, 35 Club members were in the armed services, representing practically every branch of the fighting forces in America. Of the yacht squadron, both the schooner "Nighthawk" and "Windflower," under the ensign of the United States Coast Guard, made gallant records under sail in hunting down the submarine wolf packs which were destroying Allied shipping off the Virginia capes. The "Nighthawk" was commanded by J. Rucker Ryland, who resigned from the office of Commodore to accept his charge, and his second in command was Joseph L. Kelly, Jr., who resigned as Secretary to put to sea. As explained in Richard "Jud" Henderson’s book, Chesapeake Sails – A History of Yachting on the Bay: "Many of the Bay’s larger sailing yachts were donated to the U.S. Coast Guard for antisubmarine patrol. Known as the Coastal Picket Patrol or Corsair Fleet, these yachts conscripted into wartime service were mostly able sailing vessels that could stay at sea for long periods of time. They could not be detected by submarines from the turning of a screw. On the other hand, the sailing yachts, fitted with sonar and radiophones, could detect and report U-boats; they discouraged the German subs from surfacing near shore to use their deck guns or charge their batteries."

Although the major efforts of all members of the Club were directed to winning the war, the burgee continued to fly and UYC did not cease operations as so many other clubs were forced to do. However, due to diminished levels of activity, the regattas of the Virginia Sailing Association, consisting of the Urbanna Yacht Club, Rappahannock River Yacht Club, Hampton Yacht Club, and the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club were consolidated into a single regatta, the first of which was hosted by UYC in July, 1944. Trophies for this wartime event were War Bonds and Stamps. These Virginia Sailing Regattas, as they were known, survived the war years until the end of the 1960’s with each of the participating clubs hosting an extra regatta on an alternating basis even after the resumption of their regular annual regattas.

After the war, sailing activity increased rapidly. Regattas hosted by UYC fielded entries of Hampton One-Designs, Snipes, Penguins, Moths, Comets, Chesapeake Twenties and Knockabouts, in addition to smaller fleets of offshore yachts. During the 1940’s, Isabel Dunn authored a regular column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch entitled "Light Airs" which chronicled yachting activities at UYC as well as at other areas around the Chesapeake Bay. One of her columns described the creation of a new 15 boat fleet when "members of the Urbanna Yacht Club got together to form a UYC Penguin fleet for the 1947 season, and, faced with sky-high prices for inferior stock hulls, decided to ‘roll their own’ on a mass production basis. Forthwith, they organized themselves into what they labeled The Penguin Project, ordered a load of plywood, and set out to prove that two hands are better than one." The 11-½ foot garage-built Penguins served adult members for many years until the fleet was consigned to their children for junior activities in the mid-1950’s.

The Club hosted the 1948 Hampton One-Design National Championship as a result of Club member Lloyd Emory winning the previous year’s event at the Hampton Yacht Club in H O-D #1 "Rough Passage," now on permanent display (renamed "Jaysto" by a subsequent owner) in the Mariners Museum at Newport News. With membership approaching 200 near the end of the decade, a site committee was appointed to find a more permanent home that would support the future growth of the Club. On April 24, 1949, groundbreaking ceremonies were held on a strategic two and one-half acre site purchased for $10,000 and located at the mouth of the Piankatank River on Fishing Bay that offered an ideal combination of a sheltered racecourse for small one-designs and a safe harbor for the mooring of cruising yachts, both within close proximity to the broader waters of Chesapeake Bay. The name of the Club changed to reflect its new location, and the now familiar red and white Club burgee was formally adopted. In addition to a new clubhouse dedicated on July 16, 1949, a boat ramp and two piers – one on Fishing Bay and the other on Jackson Creek – were constructed.

During the 1950’s, sailboat racing thrived at the new site with participation in annual regattas often numbering in excess of 100 yachts. Still the most intense competition occurred among one-design fleets of Hamptons, Penguins, and Sailfish rather than the larger cruising yachts. By mid-decade, the Hampton O-D fleet at FBYC succumbed to a new generation of higher performance dinghies, the fiberglass Mobjack that designer and member Roger Moorman manufactured in neighboring Gloucester County and the cold-molded plywood Jolly Boat designed by Uffa Fox and imported from Great Britain. In 1954, Lloyd Emory, now a Jollyboater, won both the Chesapeake Bay Men’s Sailing Championship and the Central Atlantic Sailing Championship. Some will claim Lloyd to be the best racing sailor ever to have plied the waters of Fishing Bay. In 1959, strong measures were undertaken in cooperation with local police authorities to curb the boisterous behavior manifested at social activities during Club regattas.

By the 1960’s, the number of one-design yachts still far exceeded the number of cruising yachts, but the number of members participating in cruising events approached the number involved in one-design activities. A vigorous schedule of races stimulated keen competition in closed-course and point-to-point races for the larger yachts. Mass production techniques for offshore yachts utilizing low maintenance fiberglass as an economical construction material made family cruising as well as rail-down racing affordable alternatives for Club members. Numerous CCA and MORC rated yachts began to compete successfully around the Chesapeake Bay region. At the same time, one-designs proliferated with fleets of Sailfish, Sunfish, Kites, Jet 14s, Mobjacks, Jolly Boats, Windmills and Cougar catamarans taking part in racing events. As the number of dinghy fleets burgeoned around the Bay with the consequent lengthening of starting sequences, the Club held the Annual Regatta over two successive weekends for several years to accommodate the increased level of participation. In 1964, the Club was honored to host the quarterfinals of the Adams Cup, the women’s national sailing championship, using its fleet of Mobjacks for the competition.

In 1968, a long-range development committee utilizing the various talents of the membership undertook the task of directing the Club’s second major physical expansion. A swimming pool was the first (and most eagerly anticipated) of the new facilities installed in 1970 followed by a new bathhouse and pier on Jackson Creek in 1971. In order to fill the new slips, the Club had to make numerous appeals to members to relocate cruising boats from neighboring marinas.

During the early 1970’s, one-design activity began a gradual period of decline although Hobie 16s, International 5-0-5’s, and Albacores briefly injected new energy into Club programs. Then, in 1973, the Laser Fleet formed and experienced phenomenal growth after the Laser’s selection as the Club’s junior training boat. FBYC attracted significant one-design championship regattas during this decade as host of the Albacore Nationals, the Jolly Boat North American and World Championships, and the Mobjack Nationals.

The 1970’s brought significant changes to the Offshore Division with the implementation of the new but controversial IOR Rating System displacing the aging CCA rule and with the establishment of the "Bounders" fleet utilizing a simplified rating rule that introduced a broad spectrum of cruising yachts to competitive racing. By 1975, the increasingly popular "Bounders" (sometimes irreverently dubbed the "Boozers") had adopted the West Coast PHRF Rule, and FBYC became the first club on the Chesapeake to use this rating system. Under the leadership of Club members Auzzie Jackson and Fred Williams, PHRF racing spread rapidly throughout the Bay region and eventually became recognized for CBYRA High Point Competition. Today it remains the predominate rule for rating offshore yachts throughout the United States. In 1974, FBYC was represented in the Southern Ocean Racing Circuit (SORC) by "Rappahannock" which also won the CBYRA High Point Trophy in the Southern Bay the same year. Also, a FBYC team won the 15^th Annual Lloyd Phoenix Regatta in Annapolis sponsored by the U.S. Naval Academy.

The increasing popularity of offshore racing created a need for a new race committee boat more suited for the open waters of Chesapeake Bay than for the sheltered waters of the Piankatank River. Accordingly, the Club purchased a wooden 40-foot deadrise cabin cruiser in 1980 and modified her for RC duty. Enthusiasm for the new committee boat was greatly dampened by the death of William C. B. Roberts, beloved Club Manager for over 30 years. It was a great loss to the Club, but, by christening the new committee boat "Mr. Roberts," we would be reminded of Bob’s loyalty, dedication, and stewardship that contributed so much to the success of the Fishing Bay Yacht Club. By the early 1990’s, the committee boat was ready for retirement after many hours of racecourse duty. Her replacement was a newer fiberglass version sporting dual engines, offering greater reliability and open water capabilities. Outfitted in "state of the art" fashion, she is named "Mr. Roberts II."

In 1986, the Club launched its third major physical expansion with the purchase of adjacent property just to the west of its cruising boat facilities on Jackson Creek. The completion of a third pier, addition of a hoist for a dry sailing facility, and conversion of an existing cottage on the site as a secondary clubhouse positioned FBYC to meet the expanding needs of its members through the 1990’s. In 1997, the existing cottage, actually a converted chicken coop that had been relocated from a neighboring property during the 1950’s, was demolished and a larger, more functional structure built in its place. The new Clubhouse was christened the Fannie House in honor of Frances "Fannie" Taylor who retired as Executive Secretary after 28 years of unflagging service to the membership of FBYC. Fannie’s retirement followed the 1992 retirement of Steve Thornhill, Club Manager for 13 years.

Commitment to our younger sailors was further strengthened during the 1980’s. While a junior program had always existed from the earliest years of Club, the program took a major step forward under the leadership of Kenzie Hubard and John Hawksworth who established an annual Junior Week, a format that proved to be highly educational as well as a popular event for young and old alike. This format has survived through the present day after multiple changes of leadership and attracts more than 100 youngsters each year who learn the basics of sailing and competitive racing under the tutelage of certified coaches many of whom have been graduates of the FBYC program. The Optimist eventually became the trainer/racer for the younger junior members, many of whom have successfully campaigned their boats throughout the CBYRA region. While the older juniors have continued to use the Laser, the Byte and the International 420 have also become popular training vessels in recent years.

With the exception of the Mobjack and Laser fleets, all other one-design fleets were placed on inactive status by 1980 due to lack of participation. However, the two remaining fleets enjoyed a high level of competitiveness that more than offset the effect of attrition among the other fleets during this decade. While the Windsurfer, J-22, JY-15, Byte, and Front Runner (designed by Past Commodore Bill Spencer) achieved fleet status in subsequent years with various degrees of success, perhaps the most notable growth occurred in the Flying Scot fleet that, throughout the 1990’s and up to the present day, has continued to enjoy increased popularity among the ranks of our older dinghy sailors. Important O-D events hosted by FBYC during the 1980-2000 period were the Albacore Worlds, Mobjack Nationals, Laser Atlantic Coast Championship, Laser Pan Am Qualifiers, Laser District Championship, Laser Chesapeake Bay Masters, Laser US Masters, and Lightning Mid-Atlantic Championship. During the 1992 Chesapeake Laser Masters Championship hosted by our Club, Gary Jobson, an internationally renowned America’s Cup sailor, author, media commentator, and now honorary club member was a race participant.

In 1980, Rives Potts, son of Past Commodore Allen Potts, served as Project Manager and crew on the America’s Cup Defender "Freedom," skippered by Dennis Conner in Newport, Rhode Island for which he was awarded the Maury Bowl. Also, in the 1980’s, offshore racing surged in popularity with the PHRF gradually supplanting the IOR rating rule for the larger yachts. During these last two decades of the century, FBYC offshore yachts participated in a number of nationally recognized events, such as the Newport to Bermuda Race, Marian to Bermuda Race, the Miami to Montego Bay Race, the New York Yacht Club Cruise, and Block Island Race Week. In 1994, "Albermarle Pippin," Strother Scott’s New York 40, retired from a distinguished racing career spanning 16 years under the FBYC burgee.

For offshore yachts 30 feet and under, the MORC fleet dominated the 80’s and 90’s at FBYC. Also, J24’s and J29’s helped to swell the MORC ranks while competing on a offshore one-design basis as well. The dry sailing facility build in the mid-80’s on Jackson Creek served to encourage these smaller yachts and helped enable some members to trailer their boats to compete in distant events such as Block Island and Key West Race Weeks and mid-winter championships in Florida. In 1987, FBYC hosted the MORC East Coast Championship followed by the 1991 and 1997 MORC International Championships, and Club member Mike Karn was elected MORC International Commodore for the years 1996-97.

Beginning in the late 1980’s, an enthusiastic group of members, primarily interested in "cruising, snoozing, and boozing," formalized a program of scheduled events to serve the non-racing segment of the Club. In the intervening years, participation has grown to the extent that some cruising events often attract a greater number of yachts than do the offshore racing events. The cruising class has a full schedule each year with trips and tours throughout the Chesapeake Bay region and as far north as New England. Remarkably, two successful overseas cruises have been undertaken in Greece and France utilizing chartered vessels. In May of each year both the offshore and cruising fleets participate in the annual rendezvous at Rosegill located on the Rappahannock River near Urbanna.

While it appears that the Club hibernates each winter, this has never been the case. Important administrative and planning activities occur during this time that lay the groundwork for a successful sailing season the following spring. Additionally, the annual Bermuda High Party in February along with an active program of entertaining and educational events serves as an effective antidote to the wintertime blues. Notable Winter Program events in recent years include presentations given by Elizabeth Meyer, owner and restorer of the classic J-Class yacht "Endeavor" and by Jim Brady and crew, the eventual winners of a silver medal in Solings at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Particular excitement was generated by an appearance by Dawn Riley, captain of the 1993-4 Women’s Challenge in the Whitbread Round-the World Race and Team Captain of the "America 3"crew, the first ever women’s team to vie for the America’s Cup.

Organizationally, FBYC welcomed its first two female Commodores during the 1990’s: Lydia Strickland followed by Judy Buis later in the decade. As an extracurricular effort, Judy actively took the lead in committing the Club to a sponsorship role in the Volvo Leukemia Cup Regatta that raises funds to fight this dread disease. The first regatta hosted by Hampton Yacht Club was instrumental in raising $55,000 while the 2000 and 2001 events were sited at FBYC raising $78,000 and $90,000 respectively. Of the 44 Leukemia Cups held nationwide, many of which are held in large metropolitan areas, the FBYC event was ranked 7^th in the country despite its rural Virginia venue. We are justly gratified that the national Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Board of Trustees voted FBYC’s Leukemia Cup Regatta to be the best in its Southern Region.

As we approached the new millennium, the main clubhouse constructed in 1950 and renovated in the 1980’s began showing its age. Roof and termite problems demanded a major financial investment in a structure that had outlived its functionality for Club events and for the needs of the members. After much internal study and debate, it was decided to demolish the building that had served us well for 50 years and to erect a new and larger clubhouse in its place. Under the leadership of Commodore Strother Scott who was ably assisted by many member volunteers, a capital campaign appealing to the extraordinary generosity of the membership raised sufficient funds to proceed with construction. Accordingly, the existing site was cleared in the spring of 2001, which meant that FBYC had to confront the difficulties associated with conducting a sailing season without the benefit of a main clubhouse. As we watched our new clubhouse slowly take shape over Fishing Bay during the year, we forgot about the minor inconveniences and instead focussed eagerly on the projected completion date in 2002.

Finally, the new two-story clubhouse was officially commissioned at a gala ceremony on Opening Day, April 13, 2002. Past Commodores, representatives from area yacht clubs, other dignitaries, and a huge crowd of members attended the ribbon-cutting event on this beautiful spring day. The Rt. Rev. F. Clayton Mathews dedicated the new building with a commissioning prayer, after which the attendees toured the new facilities and feasted on a fabulous meal prepared by Chef Alain Vincey. It is fair to say that the new clubhouse exceeded the expectations of all the members present, an accomplishment that can be attributed in no small part to the tireless efforts of Commodore Strother Scott who enjoys the distinction of being the only commodore to have served two consecutive terms since 1960. With its expanding membership base, the Fishing Bay Yacht Club will be well prepared in the future to promote the "development of the art and science of sailing" as prescribed by the Club’s Constitution over 60 years ago.

Revised December 2002 – J.D.