Established 1887
The Shinnecock Yacht Club was organized on April 20, 1887 by a group of summer residents whose mission was to promote sailboat racing in Shinnecock Bay in general, and in the waters of Weesuck Bay and Tiana Bay in particular. Then known as the Shinnecock Bay Yacht Club, its first race was held on July 4, 1888, from a dock on Philips Point in East Quogue. A photograph from that day can be found on the walls of the current yacht club, showing fifteen boats underway, or soon to be.
The Clubhouse
The name was shortened to the Shinnecock Yacht Club in 1901, and after using a series of shacks, shooting boxes, and commodores’ flagships as headquarters, an agreement was reached with the Trustees of the Town of Southampton to establish a club house at the east end of Niamogue Lane in Quogue. There a building was erected (with a contract price of $1,053) in 1904. East End of Niamogue Lane (“Shinnecock Yacht Club”) c. 1904 Section 10/Block 3/Lot 51 One-story, four-bay gambrel roofed and shingle sided maritime structure occupies a wharf projecting into Penniman Creek at the easterly end of Niamogue Lane. The building continues to house the Shinnecock Yacht Club, which was organized as the Shinnecock Bay Yacht Club on April 20, 1887 (incorporated 1890; name changed to Shinnecock Yacht Club in 1901). According to club records, the clubhouse was constructed in 1904 by John Loving of Atlanticville at a cost of $1,053. Despite repairs and general refurbishing in recent years that included renewed roof and wall siding, replacement windows and doors, and an extension of one story that provides a viewing deck that overlooks Penniman Creek, the building retains original structural framing, bead board sheathing and original lockers that housed members’ gear on the loft story, and at least one panel door with hardware that dates from the c. 1904 structure. 1916 (Yacht Club).”
Fleets
After a number of classes of sailboats were introduced and raced by the members, with varying degrees of success, a fleet of one-design boats was purchased in 1908. These boats, designed and built by Benjamin Hallock of East Moriches, were the first of the fabled SS Class. This class was so successful that they were the boat of choice for racing, not only at Shinnecock Yacht Club, but at yacht clubs all along the south shore of Long Island. This continued until the late 1950’s, when the Sailfish and Sunfish were introduced. In the mid 1970’s the Shinnecock Yacht Club began sailing and racing Celebrity Sloops. Today the yacht club has an active senior fleet of SS Sloops racing every Saturday in the summer months on Tiana Bay, and also has a junior fleet of Opti Prams and JY 15’s.
135 Years of Boating on Shinnecock Bay
The Shinnecock Yacht Club is proud of its firm place in the history of boating on Shinnecock Bay. The Yacht Club has been instrumental in establishing and continuing the find traditions of one design sail boat racing, not only on the south shore of Long Island, but nationally as well. We celebrated our first century in 1987, and are well on our way to a second century of promoting boating on Shinnecock Bay, which continues to be our mission, just as it was at that first regatta on Phillips Point many years ago.