The Bay-Waveland Yacht Club was founded in
1896.
Newspapers
of the day
describe its first annual regatta and the name of its
commodore, a
gentleman named T. R. Richardson. The
clubhouse,
constructed at
a cost of $2,500 and described as a double story
over the water
with "water works and departments for accommodations
of ladies as
well as gentlemen," was opened in 1897 with “a ball
in grand
style.”
In 1901 the BWYC became a charter member
of the Southern Gulf
Coast Yachting
Association, but a hurricane destroyed the club's
facility in
1915, resulting in decreased activity and no dues
collection.
The BWYC was reorganized in 1921 as the
Bay-Waveland Yacht
and Athletic
Club. The club was admitted to the Gulf Yachting Association (GYA) in
1922. Inactivity set in during the Depression years
and continued
through World
War II and into the late 1940's.
In 1949 the club was reorganized by
a group of yachtsmen
and civic
leaders, with John E. Bell, Jr. serving as commodore. The clubhouse
was built on the present location. The
1949 building
was completely
destroyed, along with many members’ homes on August
29, 2005 by
Hurricane Katrina.
The current, clubhouse was
dedicated on July 1, 2008.
In 1963 BWYC won its first Junior, and
also its first Senior
Lipton
title. Today, club members are active
regionally and
nationally. The club has produced national champions in a variety of classes, as well as three winners of the U.S. Men's National Championship, in addition to numerous collegiate All-American sailors.
Club members
are proud to be
part of the long tradition of yachting on the
Mississippi
Gulf Coast, a way of life that has survived hurricanes,
wars,
epidemics, and hard times.
NOTE:
Compiled from
various sources by Commodore Walter Chamberlain '87
Revised 8/2008
by Commodore Michael D. Chapoton ‘01
Revised 4/2011
by Commodore Edgar W. Santa Cruz Jr. ’82 & ‘83