40°49′45″N 73°42′06″W / 40.829138°N 73.701659°W
Formation | 1874 |
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Dissolved | 2009 |
Type | Yacht club |
Purpose | to encourage "Yachting and the cultivation of Naval Science and Seamanship" |
Location |
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Key people |
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The Knickerbocker Yacht Club was a yacht club in Port Washington, New York.[1]
The club was founded in 1874, on the Harlem River at 130th Street in Manhattan, to encourage “Yachting and the cultivation of Naval Science and Seamanship”.[1][2][3]
In 1907, it moved to Port Washington. It started the Knickerbocker Cup race in 1982, which became internationally recognized.[3][4]
At its peak in the early 1980s, membership consisted of approximately 290 families with 165 boats.[1]
World champion runner Lon Myers began his track career running for the club.[5][6] Bus Mosbacher, who skippered two winning teams in the America's Cup races, and world champion sailor Robert Mosbacher were members of the club.[7][8][9]
As of 2009, it was the second-oldest yacht club on Long Island Sound.[1] Due to the recession and waning membership, the club ceased to exist in 2009 and was sold for $3.2 million to Cord Meyer Development. In July 2012 demolition of the club began, the developers began on a new structure which today is the Knickerbocker Yacht Hotel designed to evoke a cruise ship. [10]