Embedded Files
The Anchorage Yacht Club was founded in 1928 by a small group of civilian sailors who had the unusual privilege of keeping boats at Naval Station Great Lakes on the north shore of Lake Michigan. What began as an informal gathering of sailing enthusiasts soon became an organized club dedicated to racing, seamanship, and camaraderie on the water. In the mid-1930s the club helped develop a distinctive one-design racing dinghy known as the Moffett, named in honor of William A. Moffett, the naval air pioneer who served as commandant of the base. The 17-foot wooden boats were built locally by craftsman Bill Quigley, and by 1937 a fleet of fifteen Moffetts was racing regularly on Lake Michigan, establishing Anchorage as an active and competitive sailing club.
Like many civilian activities associated with military installations, the club’s early years were shaped by world events. When World War II began, civilian access to the naval base was suspended and club sailing temporarily ceased. After the war, Anchorage members returned to the water and gradually shifted toward larger keelboats and handicap racing. Over time the club developed a tradition of informal but spirited weeknight competition, particularly the Thursday night races, which became a highlight of the summer sailing season and a gathering point for sailors from across the northern Illinois lakefront.
For more than seventy years the club maintained its close connection to Great Lakes, but security changes after the September 11 attacks significantly restricted civilian access to the base. Many Anchorage members responded by relocating their boats a few miles north to Waukegan Harbor in Waukegan, Illinois, where the club’s racing and social traditions continue today. Although the harbor location has evolved over time, the spirit of the Anchorage Yacht Club remains much the same as it was in 1928—an informal community of sailors brought together by their love of racing on Lake Michigan and the friendships formed on and off the water.
Anchorage Yacht Club Timeline
Anchorage Yacht Club Timeline
1928 – Club Founded
Anchorage Yacht Club is established by a group of civilian sailors with boats at Naval Station Great Lakes. The club forms around a shared interest in sailing and friendly competition on Lake Michigan.
1937 – The Moffett Fleet
The club helps develop a fleet of one-design wooden dinghies known as the **Moffett**, named after William A. Moffett, then commandant of the base. By the late 1930s a fleet of about fifteen boats is racing regularly, establishing Anchorage as an active sailing organization.
1941–1945 – World War II
During World War II civilian access to the naval base is suspended and club activities temporarily stop.
Late 1940s–1990s – Postwar Racing Tradition
After the war, Anchorage members return to sailing and gradually transition to keelboats. The club develops its long-standing tradition of Thursday night sailboat racing, becoming a weekly gathering for sailors along the northern Illinois lakefront.
2001 – Move to Waukegan Harbor
Following increased security restrictions at the naval base after the September 11 attacks, many club members relocate their boats to Waukegan Harbor. Anchorage Yacht Club continues its racing program and social traditions from its new home.
Today
Nearly a century after its founding, Anchorage Yacht Club remains a volunteer-run sailing organization dedicated to friendly competition, seamanship, and the camaraderie of sailors on Lake Michigan.
Google Sites
Report abuse