The Isle of Wight in the Solent has long been the epicenter of yachting in England. In 1851, a schooner painted black arrived there looking to win races. This was the yacht America, owned by John Cox Stevens, the first commodore and other members of the New York Yacht Club.

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History

John Cox Stevens and eight other progressive New York yachtsmen met aboard Stevens new yacht Gimcrack during the afternoon of Tuesday, July 30, 1844. Gimcrack was anchored off the Battery at the foot of Manhattan Island. Stevens proposed forming a club among New York businessmen and residents, which could serve as an organization for weekend New York Harbor racing, and summer cruises in the cooler New England waters.

These nine individuals agreed to form the New York Yacht Club, with Stevens to serve as commodore.  With much enthusiasm for their accomplishment, the group further agreed to assemble their yachts three days later and cruise to Newport, Rhode Island.

A summer cruise among New York Yacht Club members has been an annual event ever since, with the exceptions of 1861, 1898, and the war years of 1917-1920 and 1941-1945. In 1998, the club celebrated the 100th anniversary of its first cruise to Maine.

A rich and storied history of the New York Yacht Club is available on their website.