indian harbor yacht club reviews

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Yacht Clubs

Indian Harbor Yacht Club

Indian Harbor Yacht Club was founded in 1889 by dedicated sailors intent on being part of the thriving sailing community on Long Island Sound. The club’s mission was to encourage and foster the sport of yachting, the art of yacht design and construction and the science of seamanship and navigation. That mission holds true today as our members continue to excel on the racecourse, embrace the pleasures of cruising and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow members.

Stories from Indian Harbor Yacht Club

The current clubhouse was designed in 1919 by noted American architect Henry Pelton and completed by the Charles Wills Construction Company in 1920 to replace the original shingle-style building which was lost in a fire. Both men were club members and while Pelton is best known for designing the Riverside Cathedral in New York, Commodore Wills’ firm built buildings such as the University Club and the New York Stock Exchange. This same clubhouse, with sweeping views of Captain’s Harbor, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Over the years, our members have contributed to the establishment of national organizations that have defined the sport. These include NAYRU, which we know today as US Sailing, the US Power Squadron, the Yacht Racing Union of Long Island Sound and The American Power Boating Association. They have also participated in America’s Cup Syndicates and have organized international regattas for one-design classes, ocean races and US Youth Championships.

For more than125 years, IHYC members have excelled in sailing at all levels, including fleet racing, one-design racing and ocean racing. IHYC members have won the Transatlantic Race, the Fastnet Race, the Southern Ocean Racing Circuit and the American Power Boat Championships. In addition, the IHYC Junior Sailing Program, founded by Commodores Robert Law and Clifford Mallory in 1924, continues to encourage young mariners to develop skills that will encourage a life-long appreciation of the water.

Susan H. Fisher

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THE VIEW FROM: THE INDIAN HARBOR YACHT CLUB IN GREENWICH; In Sail of a Second Century of Seamanship and Camaraderie

By Dennis Fawcett

• June 18, 1989

LEAD: A BOOK called ''A Century of Sailing'' was recently published and is available only in Greenwich, and only at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club. The book, published privately by the club, is, in fact, a history of the club, which this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

A BOOK called ''A Century of Sailing'' was recently published and is available only in Greenwich, and only at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club. The book, published privately by the club, is, in fact, a history of the club, which this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

While its age does put Indian Harbor in the elite fleet of the oldest yacht clubs (it is predated by more than 70 American organizations, including the 101-year-old Riverside Yacht Club in Greenwich), Indian Harbor ranks among the most influential institutions of its kind in the country.

Its members have strongly supported many America's Cup defenses, including that of the Intrepid in 1967 and 1970. A model of the Intrepid, used as a permanent trophy for one of the club's many annual races, is on display in the clubhouse. A Prominent Roster

Understandably, the club's membership includes many prominent business people from the area; the list of ex-commodores at the club's recent anniversary celebration was headed by Thomas J. Watson Jr., the retired chairman of I.B.M. Other members are a part of yachting history, most notably the father-and-son team of Richard S. and Richard B. Nye.

Between 1951 and 1982, in three Indian Harbor-registered boats named Carina, the Nyes became two of the most successful yachtsmen in the world, winning dozens of major international races. In the Newport-to-Bermuda race, which Richard S. Nye won a record three times, Indian Harbor has recorded more entries than any other yacht club, according to the ''Century of Sailing'' book.

''Certainly one reason for the club's success dates back to its incorporation,'' said William E. Cook, Indian Harbor's commodore and a professional boat designer. ''It was the club's stated purpose to foster and encourage the sport of yachting, seamanship and even boat design. They were listed before recreation and amusement, which are more typical of such charters.''

Actually, Indian Harbor (which is on Steamboat Avenue overlooking Greenwich Harbor rather than its namesake to the east) was incorporated in 1889 in New York and held its early meetings in New York City; it was not until 1901 that the club achieved nonprofit corporate status in Connecticut.

''Most of the founders were New Yorkers,'' Mr. Cook explained. ''At the time, Greenwich was mainly a seasonal resort. In fact, several early members commuted by boat to their jobs in the city during the summer.''

Now, the large majority of the club's nearly 600-member families are area residents, but more than 100 are nonresident or winter members.

During the club's heyday in the Gilded Age prior to World War II, huge steamers and two- and three-masted schooners crowded the channel to the west of the club and the harbor area to the south. While there are two large ketches - both over 100 feet - still on the Indian Harbor roster, they would have been small compared with the 233-foot schooner Migrant or the 243-foot steamer Aras, which were registered at Indian Harbor in the 1930's and were representative of their day. The Club's Fleet

Looking out from the club's veranda window, the fleet consists mainly of smaller (under 40 feet) power cruisers and ''one-designs,'' which are sailboats built to uniform specifications throughout the world. The one-designs make up more than half the current roster and include the current standard J-24 and an increasing number of Mr. Cook's own popular Impulse 21's. ''Larger cruisers are becoming more popular again, though,'' Mr. Cook said.

While he acknowledged that some of the club's members belong ''entirely for social reasons,'' Mr. Cook pointed out that ''there are relatively few nonsailors.'' In part, this is due to the fact that while the club has a restaurant, bar, meeting rooms and the boating facilities, it has no tennis courts, exercise rooms and swimming pools.

This last deficiency may perhaps be remedied when the club decides what to do with the small piece of land it recently reacquired (having sold it during the Depression) on the opposite side of the small inlet to the east. 'Family-and-Friends Sailing'

''Many of the social activities are organized around sailing,'' Mr. Cook said. ''During the season, there are regular races, both here at the club and in the Sound in cooperation with other clubs in Connecticut and New York. There's a weeklong cruise every summer - this year up to Nantucket - that's specifically for family-and-friends sailing.''

Another of Indian Harbor's major summertime activities is its annual junior sailing program, started in 1924. The program, running from mid-June through mid-August, trains boys and girls aged 8 to 18 in various levels of sailing from novice through junior. The program is open to qualified youngsters whether or not they are the children of members.

''In recent years,'' Mr. Cook said, ''as many as three-fourths of the kids in the program have been children of nonmembers. We go to the local schools every year to encourage kids to apply. We see it as a service program designed to teach not only sailing skills, but also self-reliance and good sportsmanship.''

For all the summer activity, Indian Harbor is not becalmed during the colder months. ''In the winter, there's frostbiting - short races in one-man boats out here in the channel,'' Mr. Cook said. Last year, the club sponsored its first winter cruise - 34 people on eight boats for a week in the Virgin Islands. ''Most of the boats were chartered,'' Mr. Cook said. ''But several people have already said they want to take their own boats down next year for the cruise in the Windward Islands.''

Another recent first for the club was the election last year of a woman, Carolyn B. Fisher, to the 18-member board. ''While we certainly felt it was time to have a woman on the board,'' Mr. Cook said, ''she was an excellent choice, regardless of her sex. She's young, an outstanding sailor, and her father is a past commodore of the club.''

Mr. Cook defined the club's greatest challenge as attracting younger members. To that end, the club scales down its dues and initiation fees for members under 35. Initiation fees are $200 to $400 for members ages 21 to 30, and $700 to $2,000 for 31 and over. Annual dues range from $295 to $595 for ages 21 to 30, and $890 to $1,485 for 31 and over. ''We also organize special events - cookouts, races - specifically geared to younger members,'' Mr. Cook said.

Commodore Cook, 49, is himself indicative of the club's desire to encourage a more youthful image. ''I guess I am probably the youngest commodore Indian Harbor has had in anyone's memory,'' he said. ''Partly that's because the average age of the members is probably lower than it was 10 years ago. But it's also hard to take on such a time-consuming responsibility when you're in the prime of your career and have other volunteer activities demanding attention.''

Mr. Cook's design firm, located downtown, allows him the flexibility to maintain his duties as commodore. ''It's one of those things that pays in the satisfaction of doing a good job,'' he said. ''As the joke goes, if you do a good job this year, we'll double your salary next year.''

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Check Out These Nautical-Inspired Condos + Yacht Club In Miami

Among the high-rise condos emerging in Miami, a Bay Harbor Islands building opening in 2025 is standing out for standing small. At eight stories tall, the Indian Creek Residences & Yacht Club will consist of only nine homes spanning half-floor, full-floor and duplex units. Private balconies of each residence offer picturesque views of the water below, which houses six yacht slips.

“The property is inspired by the nautical lines and feminine curves of the yachts and sailboats surrounding the waterway,” says Kobi Karp, the project’s architect, who embraced a midcentury modern style for the building’s curves. Ennea Garden Design, too, was influenced by the environs for the structure’s lush rooftop. “To withstand challenging weather conditions, we’ve chosen all native tree species with a touch of coconut palms,” landscape designer Enzo Enea says.

Naturally, the water also drove Zarifi Design’s decisions for the interiors, which feature Gaggenau appliances, Taj Mahal quartzite countertops and Fantini fixtures. “We designed the homes to complement the views, with open living spaces, soaking tubs and neutral materials that play up the surrounding nature,” designer Linda Zarifi shares.

RENDERINGS: WILLIAMS NEW YORK

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