Wawasee Yacht Club
Encyclopedia
The Wawasee Yacht Club was formed in 1935 and is located at 6338 E Trusdell Ave. on the northeast shore of Lake Wawasee
, Indiana
. It currently has 75 families and 35 social members sailing 28-foot E-Scow
, 19-foot Lightning
, and 13-foot Sunfish class boats in three regatta
s held from June through early October.
, the porch was enclosed for meetings. After being in existence less than 4 years the Wawasee Yacht Club emerged as a worthy host of the 1938 Snipe Class International Regatta.
In the following year, 1939, the club was incorporated as a legal entity and, with the continued assistance of Eli Lilly, purchased the current land and original clubhouse on Trusdell Ave. The nearby Tavern Hotel gave the club a 10’ easement so boats could be taken down to the lake and launched for racing. The war years of the early 1940s naturally limited the club’s activities. However, the club rebounded quickly as members were discharged from military duty and it once again became the focus of sailboat racing on Lake Wawasee. The National One-Design class grew in the 1940s; Snipes were raced into the early 1950s; but the Lightning fleet grew quickly in the late 1940s and by the mid-1950s, the WYC raced only the classic Stephens and Sparkman-designed Lightnings.
Eli Lilly, who had founded the earlier Wawasee Yacht and Canoe Club in the 1890s and had traditionally sailed boats named “Cynthia”, bequeathed the sterling silver Cynthia’s Cup to the WYC in 1949. The bequest stated that the cup was to be given annually to the season’s highest ranked skipper. Today the tradition continues with the trophy being shared by the top skippers in single-handed and multi-crewed fleets.
In the early 1950s, the Tavern Hotel burned to the ground and was replaced by two, beautiful lake homes. Along with its existing boat launching area, the club was able to gain additional lake frontage that gave the club the boat yard it has today. In 1954, the club hosted its 1st Hoosier Regatta for Lightnings—a regatta that has run continually and celebrated its 50th Anniversary in early October of 2004. This fall classic is the traditional closing event of the WYC’s racing season
For many years, the Lightning fleet was the mainstay of the Wawasee Yacht Club, but by the early 1990s the local Wawasee Boating Association had developed a growing fleet of E-Scows. The merger of the two groups re-invigorated the WYC and led the way for more growth. The annual E-Scow regatta in early June has become one of the best-attended E-Scow regattas in the region. Additionally, in the early 1980s a Laser fleet was started at the club and today the WYC hosted for many years the Laser District championships in September. For lady sailors, the “Wawashe’s” started a series of races and training in Sunfish in mid-1990s. From that start, a full racing fleet has developed and the Lake Wawasee Sunfish Regatta in August of each season has quickly developed into one of the premier events on the Sunfish Midwest circuit. In September of 2007 the Wawasee Yacht Club hosted the 2007 Women’s Sunfish North American Championship
, E-Scow
and Sunfish. On a typical Saturday morning 15-20 Sunfish grace the waters of Lake Wawasee and on Sundays 8-10 E-Scows and an equal number of Lightnings compete on the lake. An active Junior Sailing program in July of every summer introduces the wonderful sport of sailboat racing to an eager group of youngsters and, with the addition of Junior racing in Optimist in 2006, a new generation of racing sailors is added to the club.
With a racing membership of 75 families and 35 social members, the club sponsors an active social schedule for families and adults. In 2001-2002, the WYC embarked on an extensive remodeling and expansion of the 1920s clubhouse under the guidance of architect and long-time member John Call and with the full financial support of the club membership.
For more information about membership at the Wawasee Yacht Club, please visit the club on weekends or contact one of the club officers listed on the Contacts page.
Lake Wawasee
Lake Wawasee, formerly Turkey Lake, is a natural lake southeast of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. It is the largest natural lake in Indiana. It is located just east of Indiana State Road 13.-History:...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. It currently has 75 families and 35 social members sailing 28-foot E-Scow
E-Scow
The E-Scow is the younger sister of the A-Scow, both boats are manufactured by Melges Performance Sailboats. Its rigging is similar to the A-Scow, and their hull shapes are almost identical, just 10 feet shorter. The boat is competitively sailed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, New York,...
, 19-foot Lightning
Lightning (dinghy)
The Lightning is a sloop rigged sailing dinghy originally designed by Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens in 1938 and was first sailed on Skaneateles Lake, Skaneateles, NY, USA. More than 15,000 Lightnings have been built since then...
, and 13-foot Sunfish class boats in three regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
s held from June through early October.
History
The Wawasee Yacht Club has a strong sailing tradition that began over 70 years ago and continues today. The flagpole and adjacent plaque near the Wawasee Yacht Club clubhouse was dedicated in 1972 to commemorate the memory and the efforts of Joseph Plasket as one of the founders and as one of the former commodores of the club. Joe Plasket, Ed Dodez, Byron McCammon and Henry Wahl came to Lake Wawasee in 1935 to see if it would be a good location to sail, and perhaps race, their boats. Bishop’s Boat Livery and Marine Supply, which was located on the northeast corner of the lake near the Lilly property, gave the men permission to use a porch as a meeting place and base of operations as they started racing their handcrafted Snipe sailboats. They were soon joined by a group of local Snipe sailors—some of whom (the Levinson and Call families) are still part of the club today. With membership increasing, and with the financial support of Eli LillyEli Lilly
Eli Lilly was the founder of Eli Lilly and Company.Eli Lilly may also refer to:* Eli Lilly and Company, a global pharmaceutical company...
, the porch was enclosed for meetings. After being in existence less than 4 years the Wawasee Yacht Club emerged as a worthy host of the 1938 Snipe Class International Regatta.
In the following year, 1939, the club was incorporated as a legal entity and, with the continued assistance of Eli Lilly, purchased the current land and original clubhouse on Trusdell Ave. The nearby Tavern Hotel gave the club a 10’ easement so boats could be taken down to the lake and launched for racing. The war years of the early 1940s naturally limited the club’s activities. However, the club rebounded quickly as members were discharged from military duty and it once again became the focus of sailboat racing on Lake Wawasee. The National One-Design class grew in the 1940s; Snipes were raced into the early 1950s; but the Lightning fleet grew quickly in the late 1940s and by the mid-1950s, the WYC raced only the classic Stephens and Sparkman-designed Lightnings.
Eli Lilly, who had founded the earlier Wawasee Yacht and Canoe Club in the 1890s and had traditionally sailed boats named “Cynthia”, bequeathed the sterling silver Cynthia’s Cup to the WYC in 1949. The bequest stated that the cup was to be given annually to the season’s highest ranked skipper. Today the tradition continues with the trophy being shared by the top skippers in single-handed and multi-crewed fleets.
In the early 1950s, the Tavern Hotel burned to the ground and was replaced by two, beautiful lake homes. Along with its existing boat launching area, the club was able to gain additional lake frontage that gave the club the boat yard it has today. In 1954, the club hosted its 1st Hoosier Regatta for Lightnings—a regatta that has run continually and celebrated its 50th Anniversary in early October of 2004. This fall classic is the traditional closing event of the WYC’s racing season
For many years, the Lightning fleet was the mainstay of the Wawasee Yacht Club, but by the early 1990s the local Wawasee Boating Association had developed a growing fleet of E-Scows. The merger of the two groups re-invigorated the WYC and led the way for more growth. The annual E-Scow regatta in early June has become one of the best-attended E-Scow regattas in the region. Additionally, in the early 1980s a Laser fleet was started at the club and today the WYC hosted for many years the Laser District championships in September. For lady sailors, the “Wawashe’s” started a series of races and training in Sunfish in mid-1990s. From that start, a full racing fleet has developed and the Lake Wawasee Sunfish Regatta in August of each season has quickly developed into one of the premier events on the Sunfish Midwest circuit. In September of 2007 the Wawasee Yacht Club hosted the 2007 Women’s Sunfish North American Championship
General information
Today the club currently has 3 active racing fleets: LightningLightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, E-Scow
E-Scow
The E-Scow is the younger sister of the A-Scow, both boats are manufactured by Melges Performance Sailboats. Its rigging is similar to the A-Scow, and their hull shapes are almost identical, just 10 feet shorter. The boat is competitively sailed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, New York,...
and Sunfish. On a typical Saturday morning 15-20 Sunfish grace the waters of Lake Wawasee and on Sundays 8-10 E-Scows and an equal number of Lightnings compete on the lake. An active Junior Sailing program in July of every summer introduces the wonderful sport of sailboat racing to an eager group of youngsters and, with the addition of Junior racing in Optimist in 2006, a new generation of racing sailors is added to the club.
With a racing membership of 75 families and 35 social members, the club sponsors an active social schedule for families and adults. In 2001-2002, the WYC embarked on an extensive remodeling and expansion of the 1920s clubhouse under the guidance of architect and long-time member John Call and with the full financial support of the club membership.
For more information about membership at the Wawasee Yacht Club, please visit the club on weekends or contact one of the club officers listed on the Contacts page.