History

In the years following World War II, the waters of Northport and Huntington Bay became a growing center of one-design sailboat racing.

A number of these racers, calling themselves the Centerport Yacht Club, began operating out of a small shack on Centerport Harbor and challenging the existing Huntington and Edgewater (Northport) Yacht Clubs in the area. On Valentine’s Day in 1947, a certificate of incorporation was approved by the Supreme Court of the State of New York and The Centerport Harbor Yacht Club was officially established.

David Manley, CYC’s first Commodore, then went about the business of building Club membership by attracting other local one-design sailors and thus established our strong racing tradition. Ninety percent of CYC’s original 52 members were boat owners, and the majority of the fleet consisted of Stars, Lightnings, Comets, Thistles and Long Islanders.

The Club began looking for a permanent home in 1948 while taking up temporary quarters at the Holiday Lodge on Northport Harbor. The following year, the summer home of the Daniel P. Morse Family came up for sale across the harbor, and the CYC’s founders knew they had hit upon their new home. After much renovation work by Centerport Yacht Club members, our current clubhouse was formally dedicated on July 2, 1950.

From that day forward, the Centerport Yacht Club has been a special place for racers, Olympians, cruisers, friends and family to gather together in the Corinthian tradition.

For a detailed history of the Club’s first 50 years, “The Centerport Yacht Club 1947-1997” anniversary book is available to members in our Library.