The Poughkeepsie Yacht Club (PYC) is a small private yacht club based in the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York, United States. The club was founded in 1892, and is one of the earliest yachting institutions in America. It is located on the eastern shore in the heart of the Hudson Valley, on a part of the Hudson River about halfway between New York City and Albany. It is near the Hyde Park historic sites and the town of Rhinebeck.

Club officers include a commodore, vice-commodore, rear-commodore, measurer, secretary, and treasurer.

History The Poughkeepsie Yacht Club was founded in 1892 by a small group of working sailors and yachtsmen.

It now has approximately 120 "active" (boat owning) and "social" (non-boat owning) members.

During the early years of the club, rowing played an important role in fostering interest and membership. This led to negotiations securing the first race of the "University Eights" (Intercollegiate Regatta) in June 1895. In addition to racing, yachting, and rowing, iceboating was popular with club members as well. The club field had as many as seven ice yachts, generally storing four in the boat house.

Traditionally the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club has been a "working club," where members take part in maintaining the club facilities and grounds. Participation hours include activities such as the "all hands on deck" docks in and docks out, as well as working on the annual events hosted at the club. Members may join committees relating to docks, membership, house, grounds, moorings, and entertainment.

Clubhouses

In 1892, the club's first clubhouse was established in a modest building in Poughkeepsie, New York, on what is now the waterfront of lower Main Street. The club leased a dock known as the "Sand Dock" from the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad company at a rate of $25 per year. The first clubhouse was built by May of the following year. It was located on the site of the old Revolutionary Ship Yard (or Continental Shipyard) at Ship Yard Point, now known as Fox's Point in Poughkeepsie. The first clubhouse was a wooden structure twenty by twenty feet, and two stories high. With money in short supply, unusual fundraising methods were employed. In 1897, the veranda in front of the house was added using the proceeds of the "Autumn Carnival". The club has always been a "working man's club", and today aims to uphold the humble tradition.

In 1905, the club's second clubhouse was erected at a new location. The club largely had an untroubled history until the fall of 1904, when they had to move due to a land deal. After a great deal of effort and negotiation, a deal was made just south of the present Mid-Hudson Bridge, at the end of Union Street.

In 1974, the club's third clubhouse was built. Due to frustration with the Poughkeepsie Urban Renewal project, and the lack of land for winter storage and launching, the club moved to its present location in Staatsburg.

The current clubhouse is a two-story building offering an unobstructed panoramic view of the Hudson River from its East shore location. Although the name ("Poughkeepsie") comes from the club's origins in the late 19th century (founded in 1892), it is now located in Staatsburg, on historic Route U.S. 9. Nearby attractions include the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hyde Park Home, FDR Library and Museum, the Eleanor Roosevelt Home, the Vanderbilt Estate and grounds (including hiking trails), the Ogden Mills Estate, Norrie State Park, and the Culinary Institute of America.

Commodores Year(s) Commodore Year(s) Commodore 1892–1894 Powell Hobert 1962–1963 Frank Koff 1895 Edward Laufersweiler 1964 William E Murphy, Jr. 1896 James E. Birdsall 1965 James Creighton 1897–1899 William H. Frank 1966 George A. Beutel 1900 Herman Von der Linden 1967 Dr. George T. C. Way 1901 William H. Frank 1968 Richard C. Smith 1902–1903 Frank E. Daubert 1969 Einar D. Reves 1904–1905 Javy Ackert 1970–1971 David A. Harrand 1906 George P. Bogardus 1972–1974 Harold E. Krom 1907–1914 William H. Frank 1975–1976 James C. Clapp 1915–1916 Albert Traver 1977 Wilbur M. Rouse, Jr. 1917 Henry S. White 1978–1979 Robert K. Brown, Sr. 1918–1919 George Saltford 1980–1981 Frank R. Vinciguerra 1920–1922 Albert Traver 1982–1983 Richard E. Martineau 1923 Robert J. Pascoe 1984–1985 Edward A. Feldweg 1924–1929 Alpheus Wright 1986–1987 Cornelius S. Krajewski 1930 Alfred Heyer 1988–1989 Duff M. Neely 1931–1933 Keene Richards 1990–1991 Kenneth A. Sautter 1934 Howard M. Sherwood 1992–1993 Claus Uhl 1935–1937 Philip Mylod 1994–1995 Wiliam F. Washburn 1938–1939 Louis J. Hall 1996–1997 Harold L. Placke 1940 Keene Richards 1998–1999 William J. Spencer 1941–1942 Joseph Davis 2000–2001 Gerald Movall 1943 Dr. Howard P. Carpenter 2002–2003 Clark Henderson 1944 Einar B. Petersen 2004–2005 Mark V. Still 1945 Louis J. Hall 2006–2007 Leathem Mehaffey 1946 Keene Richards 2008–2009 William Fitchett 1947 Clifford F. Andrews 2010–2011 Frank Desiano 1948 Duncan Jago 2012–2013 Mark Jaggi 1949 Carl Fritz 2014–2015 Allen White 1950–1951 Clifford F. Andrews 2016–2017 Morgan (Greg) Smith 1952 Keene Richards 2018–2019 Mark VanDemark 1953 Stanley V. Post 2020–2021 Rudy Colich 1954–1955 Ralph B. DeLano, Jr. 1956–1957 Stanley V. Post 1958 Thomas A. Moawood 1959 Arthur W. Southwick 1960 Allan C. Miller 1961 James E. Carroll, Jr.

Gallery

Notes

References Minute books for the years 1892–1975 located at the Local History Room of the Adriance Memorial Library, Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY The Poughkeepsie Yacht Club, copyright 1992, Arthur E. Scott

External links Official website