Leonard B. Fowle Trophy Yacht Club of the Year

The Constitution Yacht Club

The Constitution Yacht Club was officially "chartered" as a not-for-profit social organization in 1980 with Sven Tullberg as the first Commodore. 

The roots of CYC are actually much older.

In the sixties and seventies there was a social life and some organized yacht racing at the Lewis Wharf (Bosport) marina.

Bob Davidoff and Jack Roberts were the founders of a marina that catered to pleasure craft in downtown Boston, then known as the Bosport Yacht Club. Meetings and parties were held aboard the work boats and barges used by Bosport Docking Company in their commercial endeavors.

In the mid eighties, Bosport Marina moved to new quarters at its present site next to pier one in the former Boston Naval Shipyard.

Being next to the USS CONSTITUTION led to a name change of the marina to Constitution Marina.

About 1987, the club in turn officially changed its name to Constitution Yacht Club.

Bill Matthews, who retired as Commodore in 2004, brought discipline and organization to the race committee. Thanks to Bill's hard work and the use of his trawler as the committee boat CYC's in harbor races became a great training ground for both those entering racing and experienced racers preparing for weekend regattas.

Bob Hartl, CYC's Corresponding Secretary and Webmaster, has brought this same discipline to their web site.

Together Bob and Bill started CYC on a course where a small club of 75 dedicated sailors without a clubhouse could look and act like a bigger well run organization.

In the 1980s the club instituted a flexible racer / cruiser rating system which allowed boats to be scored based on the sails actually flown in each race. This had the effect of quickly advancing novice sailors up to racing (spinnaker) class to remain competitive.

CYC's racing season starts January 1st with the Jack Roberts memorial trophy New Year Day Race.

Each year CYC runs three series of six races, for a total of 18, Wednesday night from May through September together with a Spring and Fall Regatta.

This year they also ran the Volvo Ocean Race PHRF Challenge. Over 23 boats participated to make this early May race a great success.