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                   Island Heights Yacht Club    Founded 1898

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Seaside Park Yacht Club

Located on Barnegat Bay on the barrier island town of Seaside Park, New Jersey, SPYC was founded in 1899, beginning with a series of Sneak Box races for large cash prizes that evolved into first a Sneak Box owners club and soon afterward the Seaside Park Yacht Club.

From the Commodore:

“The Seaside Park Yacht Club is pleased to continue its commitment to our sailing tradition by becoming a Founding Member of the National Sailing Hall of Fame. The promotion of the spirit of sailing as a sport dates back to the Seaside Park Yacht Club’s founding in 1899, which was home to some of the earliest formal yacht racing contests in the United States. Our members have continued to honor and expand the tradition of the earliest races, and are delighted to join the NSHOF in the furtherance of sailing through recognition of its history and its future.”

Marilyn Lennon, Commodore

The Seaside Park Yacht Club (SPYC) owes its birth to Henry J. West of Gloucester, N.J., who inaugurated a series of sneak box races on Barnegat Bay for large cash prizes. The principal contenders in these races were the Life Guards who manned the then “Life Saving Stations,” which eventually became the United States Coast Guard stations.

The starting line was at the present Public Dock in Seaside Park and the course was the same as the present SPYC Course, except perhaps that it was longer, from the Public Dock to Westray’s Point to the Drawbridge to the Public Dock, four times around.

As a result of these races it was often suggested by the Captains that an Association of Sneak Box Owners be formed and that a club house be erected at the foot of the Public Dock. These discussions took place in the basement of  the Cottage owned by Henry J. West and later by  SPYC Commodore Robert Wolstenholme at the corner of 5th Avenue and the Bay. Later that year (1899) a meeting of all the cottage owners and yachtsmen in Seaside Park was held at the home of John Weaver and the Seaside Park Yacht Club was formed.

John Weaver was elected the first commodore and the Board of Directors was composed of the leading yachting enthusiasts such as Henry J. West; Harry B. Wyeth; John E. Creth; Dr. George H. Thacher; George S. Gandy and Harvey T. Weber.

The club house was built and soon expanded and boating boomed to an unprecedented degree in Seaside Park.  As the area developed, the spirit of yacht racing grew and a series of contests between other early clubs: Island Heights, Bay Head, Mantoloking and Lavallette soon began. The older Toms River Yacht Club resurrected the Toms River Challenge Cup, which had been inaugurated in 1871.  Barnegat Bay took on a racing fever unsurpassed in the annals of yacht racing.

SPYC, with its fleet of famous racing yachts, such as “Tsar”; “Mermaid”; “Lazy Jack”; “Another Old Maid”; “Fran Roy”; “Dorothy,” and others, swept everything before it. All along the Atlantic Seaboard, Barnegat Bay became known as the home of the world’s fastest catboats.

SPYC and other clubs on the Bay have played and continue to play an important role in the development of yacht racing in the United States. Barnegat Bay and SPYC are home to some of the earliest formal yacht racing contests in the nation and all the BBYRA clubs continue to honor that tradition in the annual contests that incorporate the old and the new.  The Sewell Cup was presented as a perpetual trophy in 1900 by the then United States Senator from New Jersey, William J. Sewell and is still raced for every year.  In later years the Rodman Wanamaker Trophies, the Middleton Cup (1921), the Morgan Cup, Stanger Cup, Wolstenholme Trophy, Doan Cup, Chance Cup, Thatcher Cup (1927) and others were offered.

The social features of the club are many.  Over the years entertainments provided by the club members were many and varied. Cabarets, dances, card parties, and musical entertainments were staged every Friday and Saturday evening. The social program at Seaside Park and its delightful Club house were so popular in the ’30’s and ’40’s that the Seaside Park Yacht Club marina was filled with visiting boats from other Clubs who came for the swing bands and dancing on the deck on Saturday nights.

SPYC continues to hold a special place in the hearts of all BBYR sailors who traditionally wrap up the “official” sailing season on the Seaside Park Course on Labor Day weekend.  Upholding tradition and creating new traditions on “Race Day” is a glorious finale to a summer well spent racing on the Bay.

For more information on SPYC History please contact:  Joan Horvath Leach – Historian

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The Bay in the Early Twentieth Century

Did you ever wonder what Barnegat Bay must have been like when the barrier islands and mainland were sparsely settled? Here is one glimpse into a past time.

BARNEGAT BAY

The Rudder, 1901

That there is such a place as Barnegat Bay is a fact known to probably a great many people, but with most of them knowledge on the subject goes not beyond the fact of its existence. And I sometimes think that those who are nearest to it, the people of Philadelphia, have the least information. A sheet of water extending from Bay Head to Atlantic City, or roughly fifty miles, varying from two to eight miles in width over most of the distance It is surprisingly free from calms, abounds in safe harbors, small towns and summer resorts frequent its hanks, there are three or four safe inlets to the open sea if one wishes to get there, fishing is excellent at almost all seasons, and game in the fall very abundant. Does that not sound inviting to a yachtsman?

The reason it is not explored more oftener by our eastern friends is on account of its shallow waters, but we who sail there regularly have learned to consider this shallowness a distinct advantage in many ways. For to a sailor who is strictly an amateur it gives a feeling not at all uncomfortable to realize that in the event of an accident there is a certainty that some part of his boat is sure to be left above the water as a hitching post. But Barnegat Bay is no place for a fin-keeler; a boat of over three feet draught is at a disadvantage, although craft of twice that draught may navigate freely if they know the channels.

Northern Barnegat Bay

But it is of the northern half of this bay that I wish to write. The Pennsylvania R. R. with its line from Philadelphia runs almost due east till it strikes Barnegat Bay, which it crosses on a trestle about two miles in length, then turns and runs due north along the ocean beach, as far as Long Branch. The station of Barnegat Pier is located on this trestle, and is the usual port of departure for the fishing grounds. Of a summer morning it is an interesting sight to see the fishing fleet of fifty or more boats waiting at the pier for the arrival of the morning trains from west and north, bringing their parties. And then when all are under way down the bay - not racing, but simply seeing who will be the first to anchor on the fishing banks.

The procession of white sails is very beautiful. The bay widens at once to nearly eight miles, and stretches away south as far as the eye can reach, with Barnegat Light towering up about twelve miles away. A truly magnificent stretch of water, almost entirely free from shoals, and the western coast full of little rivers that twist and turn inland, and offer most attractive fields for the inquisitive cruiser. To the north the bay is not so wide and is more shallow but is still fine sailing for ten miles or more. At the eastern end of the railroad pier is the home port of the Seaside Park Yacht Club, Seaside Park, N. J., a rapidly growing settlement of summer homes. This is not a summer resort in the ordinary sense of the term, though having three first-class hotels, electric lights, artesian water with city water works, etc. The ocean beach here is very fine and the strip of land separating ocean and bay is only about half a mile in width.

If we do not inquire too closely into the meaning of the term, but accept without question the dictionary definition of a "yacht" as a boat used for pleasure sailing, there has always been a large amount of yachting on Barnegat Bay. Each year with the advent of June there would be almost a complete disappearance of sails from the bay. Then a few days, and presto! A full fleet of yachts is ready for the shekels of the summer visitor. The erstwhile oyster boat or clammer has scraped his mast, mended the holes in his sail, scraped the barnacles off his bottom, calked his leaks and painted his dirt - and verily in these yachts paint covers a multitude of sins.

The Yacht Clubs

About three or four years ago the Bay Head Yacht Club was organized, in the summer of '98 the Island Heights Yacht Club, and in the summer of '99 the Seaside Park Yacht Club. That summer the first Corinthian races ever sailed on Barnegat Bay were held by the three clubs. A number of handsome cups were put up as prizes, and much interest and enthusiasm was excited. During the spring of 1900 the Seaside Park Yacht Club erected a very cozy and comfortable clubhouse, costing about $6,000, and being paid for by bonds taken up entirely among its members. The Bay Head Club had previously put up a small house of about $2,000, and the Island Heights Club soon made a third, with a neat $4,000 house.

The home of the Seaside Park Yacht Club is built on piling over the water of the bay, connected with the shore by a substantial dock about 250 feet in length. The house itself is three stories, a dock surrounds it, and also extends about 150 feet beyond it into deep water. The first or basement floor of the house contains a janitor's room, floats for landing with rowboats, inclines for hauling out small boats, and a number of boat stalls for storing smaller craft. The main floor has a reception hall with open fireplace, a smoking room, men's lavatory and lockers, a ladies' room with lavatory, and a large room containing two billiard and pool tables and four shuffle boards. Wide porches extend across both the bay and shore fronts. The third floor contains a card room and a large assembly room, with stage, etc. The interior finish is in natural wood with the walls throughout covered with burlap in stenciled and paneled effects.

There were a number of new boats built for local racing the past season: the Polly, a 35-foot open race about of Crownin- shield design; the Lazy Jack, a 30 foot catboat with jib, fitted with large cabin for cruising and designed by Bacon; the Bouquet III, from a Gary Smith model; the Captain, Nemo and Nellie Bly by local builders and a number of others. The racing throughout the season was most interesting, there being scarcely a Saturday afternoon without a close race in one class or another.

The Sewell Cup Race

Particular interest attached to what was known as the Sewell Cup Race . Senator Sewell, of N. J. had recently presented to the Seaside Park Yacht Club as trustees a very handsome sterling cup as a perpetual trophy to be raced for annually by the yacht clubs of Barnegat Bay on the second Saturday in August over the Seaside Park Yacht Club course. Last August was the first contest for this trophy. During the earlier races of the season the Lazy Jack, of the Seaside Park Yacht Club, had shown a marked superiority. She won with ease an open race for the championship of Barnegat Bay, and every other race in which she had entered, and she was looked upon as certain to hold the Sewell Cup for her club. But the uncertainty of yacht racing was never better illustrated. The breeze was a fine two-reef one, the Lazy Jack took the lead at once and apparently had the race well in hand. When her captain ran her a little too near a well-known shoal her centerboard jammed and she was held as fast as though anchored. When she finally got started she gained steadily, but could not entirely overcome the handicap, and was beaten out by a little over two minutes by the Bouquet, a Gary Smith boat.

The officers of the Seaside Park Yacht Club who superintended its organization, all hail from Philadelphia, and are still at the helm. Commodore John Weaver, a well known and prominent attorney; Vice-Commodore H. B. Wyeth, President of Morley Pharmaceutical Co.; Secretary G. H. Thatcher, M. D. ; Treasurer Benj. Deacon, of the Ronalds Johnson Co. The other members of the Board of Trustees are: G. S. Gandy, Capitalist; J. D. Johnson, of the Ronalds Johnson Co.; and H. T. Weber, Merchant Tailor. The clubhouse is open from June 1 to October 1 of each year, and a hearty invitation is extended to all yachtsmen.

----------------------------------- The article was adapted from the February 1901 issue of "The Rudder." There is obviously a boat centric theme to the article but it does also bring up a number of neat references to other things. It is interesting to read that there apparently was a railroad station right at the edge of the bay.

It must have been nice to see Barnegat Bay when sailing ships ruled the day. Could you imagine not seeing a single motorboats or jet ski out there!

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Seaside Park Yacht Club-PRIVATE

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http://seasideparkyachtclub.com

Seaside Park, NJ | N 39° 55.320' / W 074° 04.940'

Seaside Park, NJ 08752

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2015 Battle of the Paddle - Seaside Park and Lavalette YC, NJ

The Battle of the Paddle by  Ron Kiss #5509 and Rob Vogel #6058

In the parking lot of just about every yacht club on Barnegat Bay in New Jersey sits a number of covered Flying Scots just waiting to unfurl their sails in a perfect breeze.  But the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association can only seem to attract a small percentage of the Scot sailors to the weekly Saturday races that they have been holding for over a century.

As enthusiastic sailors, we all feel disappointment seeing so many Scots sitting under cover instead of on the water.  By an unscientific estimate, there are 40-50 Flying Scots around the bay and on any weekend, we only have 10-15 on the water.   Currently there are three Flying Scot fleets, Toms River YC, Seaside Park YC and Lavallette YC.  Toms River has hosted the NAC’s more than once, and Lavallette has hosted the Atlantic Coast Championships.  Each of these clubs has its own club racing schedule and the Barnagat Bay Yacht Racing Association hosts a 10 week series during the summer where Scots from all clubs participate.  To encourage more participation, this past year Lavallette and Seaside Park agreed to join one another’s fleets for a home and home regatta.   “LYC has 7 or 8 boats out every Sunday and Seaside has 5 or 6.  Combining our fleets for a couple weeks offers sailors both good racing and the comradery of other Scot sailors they might not have the chance to meet,” said Rob Vogel, the SPYC Scot fleet captain.

Lavallette conducts a ten race Sunday series consisting of one long race each Sunday while Seaside holds club races 5 times a summer with 3 short windward-leeward challenges.  With a little planning over the winter, “The Battle of the Paddle” was initiated. The team having the lowest score for the two day series would win a wooden paddle trophy to proudly display in their club.    

On Sunday, July 19th, Peter Sayia towed four Scots and a crowd of sailors and supporters from Seaside Park to the waters off Lavallette.  “The tow is often the best part of the day where morning chatter is about wind speed, forecasts and catching up on the gossip of the week “ observed Sayia. “While the tow home is filled with recounting minute by minute of the day’s races.” After a tasty lunch all sailors rigged their boats and proceeded to the starting area where winds were Southeast at 9-11 mph. At 2:05 PM the start gun sounded and the race was on.  Peter Sayia quickly grabbed the lead and was never threatened on the 9 leg windward/leeward course.  The next three spots went to LYC boats - Ron Kiss, Dave Lambie and Roy Childers respectively.  A view of the LYC start from the Signal Boat is shown below.

After racing, all competitors enjoyed a nice reception and awards ceremony on the deck at Lavallette Yacht Club. “All clubs are proud of their traditions and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to display our hospitality to our fellow Scot Sailors from Seaside Park”, remarked Roy Childers from LYC.

Three weeks later, two power boats towed five LYC Scots to Seaside Park to complete the Battle for the Paddle.  After an equally excellent lunch hosted by the SPYC Junior Sailing Grill the combined fleet of 11 boats headed to the starting area for the first of three short races.  A Northeast breeze of 7-8 mph greeted the fleet at a crowded starting line and the sailors were aggressive.  On a short course, the first rounding of the windward mark can be more meaningful than the start, where an inside position and clean rounding can mean the race.  Roy Childers of LYC didn’t have a great location at the start, but he had clear air and managed to round the windward mark in first and held that position the entire race.  The second race included a general recall, followed by Ron Kiss being over early in the second start.  Kiss made a recovery following Dave Lambie of LYC to the right where they recovered the fleet and ultimately finished 1,2.  In the third race, Kiss started better than the prior two and slowly moved up to pass Childers and Lambie on the last spinnaker leg.  He held them off to take first.

Seaside Park Yacht Club

Back at the dock, the sailors were welcomed by SPYC with a spread of hors d'oeuvres and pitchers of beer.  The results were tallied and the winner of the 2015 Battle of the Paddle was LYC.  The series was so well received by the sailors that planning for next year is already underway.  “There’s no doubt this will be become an annual tradition,” observed Childers.  It’s a small step to get some more Scots “on” Water.

More pictures are attached below,  Full results can be found here .

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Cuisine (20 of 129), 938 restaurants available nearby, 1. ocean @ the crescent beach club, 3. 2 spring, 4. stellina ristorante, 5. rothmann's steakhouse, 7. mill creek tavern, 8. grasso's, 9. harbor mist restaurant, 10. hunter the restaurant, see what locals rave about.

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• ME MEGuarini vip New York City • 55 reviews 5.0 Dined 2 days ago The tasting menu is amazing, four courses for $98. Excellent and plentiful with great choices for each course. Definitely go back. I mentioned it was our anniversary and we received complimentary champagne and an extra appetizer. More info 2 Spring $$$$ Price: Very Expensive • Contemporary American • Oyster Bay • 4.8
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• OT OpenTable Diner New York City • 9 reviews 5.0 Dined 2 days ago I booked this venue in advance through Open Table and am glad I did. A group of angry guests were screaming at the General Manager by the podium after being informed that they would be seated inside because they booked late; Not sure how he kept his composure. The table the GM assigned us was on the lower deck next to another group of angry individuals who complained that trees were blocking their view and refused to eat until another table was offered. A table to our right was dissatisfied that they were not seated with the band upstairs. The couple across from us was complainin' and sighing that the umbrellas were up. I have never encountered so many self-privileged, miserable guests at one venue in my life. I am pleased to report that my family and friends had a wonderful time celebrating the Fourth of July. As the general manager stopped by, we assured him that we would submit a review describing the bickering we witnessed from the tables around us, so here it is. This establishment is one of the best in the North Shore regarding service, views, and entertainment, so it is a shame that people cannot simply go out and enjoy them. The Fourth of July celebration here has been a tradition for us for the past five years and is simply spectacular. Thank you Ocean staff, for making our 🇺🇸 4th of July epic. More info Ocean @ The Crescent Beach Club $$$ $ Price: Expensive • American • Bayville • 4.3
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Seaside Park Yacht Club

Play in the heart of downtown baltimore, marina info.

In Seaside Park, New Jersey, Seaside Park Yacht Club is based at Bay Front. NJ boaters can always be found in the waters of Seaside Park. No reviews by any members for Seaside Park Yacht Club have been submitted. Contact Seaside Park Yacht Club at 732-793-9611.

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