A Short History of Sorts.
This year the Windham Sailing Club is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of it’s incorporation. It being a very respectable age for an organization of it’s kind, the Chronicler felt himself moved to author a short history. Because of the scant source material of the club’s early years much of it is the result of interviews with “old timers” and personal recollection.
In addition 1999 is the tenth anniversary year of NEPCO’s NO MOORING policy. What happened during the years of 1989, 1990 and 1991 is well documented. Jim Robinson and Alan Stewart were kind enough to lend me their files (2 inches and 1 1/4 inches respectively). I have tried to condense the events of those years for easy reading. I consider it important for us, the current members to know what effort had to be expended to regain mooring privileges at the cove.
1967 & 1968
A group of Vermonters, some of whom had boats moored at Ward’s Cove, decided it might be fum to race sailboats. Olin Stephens, Lee Sheridan and Peter Ash were some of the core members of the group. A few races were staged. At the time about 20 boats were moored at the Cove. Mooring was unregulated. Only few of the boat owners showed an interest in racing. On the other hand some people who owned no boats purchasing a number of used boats: Sunfishes as single-handers and Sprites as double-handers. The Sprite (a 10 foot Widgeon) was dismissed as being too small. Eventually Olin Stephens and Lee Sheridan bought a number of Blue Jays.
With serious race activity about to begin the membership decided to purchase insurance. The insurance agent suggested a corporation be formed to whom he could issue a policy. So it came that on June 29 a meeting was held at Ward’s Cove to elect officers, adopt by-laws and to do whatever else was necessary to start a corporation. The Meeting started at 2:10 PM and was attended by Peter and Cassandra Ash, Carol Doen (?), Nino de Prado, Richard Joyce, Roald Magussen, John Plausteiner, Olin Stephens, Lee Sheridan, Richard Engel.
The officers elected were:
- Commodore: Olin Stephens the III
- Vice Commodore: Peter Ash
- Secretary: Cassandra Ash
- Treasurer: Richard Joyce
- Directors: Lee Sheridan, Fred Cummblad, George Schneeberger
- Race Commitee: Olin Stephens, peter Ash, Nino de Prado
With a proper slate of officers elected the club started life as the Windham Sailing Club Inc. The entire mem;bership served as officers.
Other business of note:
From the firm “sails & centerboards” the club received a 14 ft. Boston Whaler as a gift. The club owned one Blue Jay (Sora) Which was loaned to “boatless” members for racing. Olin and Carol Stephens finished first in most of the races. Repeatedly the Commodore exhorted, begged the membership to please pay the club dues. Well, life was hard in the days before “mooring fees”.
1972
Gerry and Carolee Seibert and Bill Andersen (former NYC fire boat skipper) joined the club. Bill Didn’t buy a Blue Jay. He built one. He became the first Harbormaster. He became the first Harbormaster. At that time the club didn’t administer the mooring process at the cove, so his position was called “Fleet Captain”.
On race days a paid hand (in this case a high school kid) ran the Whaler. It was a neat arrangement because it allowed all the members of the small club to race. Some outsiders called it a display of “yacht clubism”. By this time the commodore’s dinner in fall had become an “old” tradition.
