Brief History of the
Middlesex Yacht Club
Committee Chairs
History
The Mattabesett Canoe club was organized January 7, 1896 by a group of canoe enthusiasts and became what is now the Middlesex Yacht Club. The first location was on land owned by the Davis family at the foot of College Street on the Connecticut River in Middletown. A clubhouse was built here at a cost of $400 and rented on a three-year lease of $80 a year.
The initiation fee was $5.00, active dues $8.00, associate dues $5.00. Only active members could hold office, had to have a boat and live within a six-mile radius of the club.
On February 1905 the club's name was change to "The Middletown Yacht Club." A year later the Club bought the club-house with a sizeable piece of land for $5,700.
The Rudder Magazine sponsored the first long distance race to Huntington, L.I. starting at our club on September 16, 1911.
We were fast outgrowing our club facilities and after much planning we commissioned a new clubhouse (now The America's Cup Restaurant) on May 30, 1916.
MYC held the largest boat race in the East on June 30, 1923, attracting participants from all over including many famous boating enthusiast. Outboard races began at MYC on August 28, 1928 and various outboard associates held their races at our club for a number of years.
In May 1945, T.M. Russell Jr. found a piece of property in Maromas for our third clubhouse. We built a smaller clubhouse here. It was nearer to the Sound, more private, and the flooding did not bother us as much. The winds in the area were ideal for small sailboats and several classes were raced.
Summer Event
Kids Day
Halloween Party
Adult Holiday Open House
Children's
Holiday PartyNY Boat Show '09
In 1954 we were notified that our property was being taken over by the government for a new atomic laboratory. By 1957 we made a settlement with the government in which they bought the property for $32,125 and we bought back the building at the salvage value of $400. We then floated the material we needed down the river to our new location and used it in our present club which we bought for $31,000. An additional amount of $25,000 for renovations was raided by 3% debenture bonds.
In 1959, the Marina was built and slips rented. Again the dues were raised this time to $50.
Improvements continued like the swimming pool in the late sixties; the ballroom was enlarged; grounds improved; marina improved; clubhouse remodeled inside and out; including a new addition for the galley and remodeled restrooms.
Chester, Connecticut