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The Hudson River has not been immune to oil spills. In 1955, an oil barge collision that occurred between New Hamburg and Poughkeepsie caused problems, and, in April 1960, heavy oil was released from Effron Fuel Oil Company in Poughkeepsie. The tide and the current carried the oil to Chelsea and deposited it on the North Point and at the Club. Effron sprayed the rocks with a chemical to remove the oil and replaced the oil-soaked sand on the south beach.
Sunfish Fleet #18 got its start in 1962 and grew to a fleet of seventeen in 1964. Being the most mobile fleet, its members have traveled the East and have brought home many a proud trophy. In 1965, Dana Crumb represented the United States at a regatta in Puerto Rico. The same year, I. Rubin took first in singles and third in doubles at Miami. Dave Davies was the 1964 National Sunfish Champion.
Our Sunfish skippers brought home 50% of the trophies from Barnegat Bay, NJ in 1965 with Dana Crumb first, Rich Rudert third, and R. Miller fifth in the singles. In the doubles, D. Davies was first and Sara Crumb fourth. Rich Rudert was a member of the winning team at the North American Team Racing Championship held in Bermuda in 1968, and Tom Taylor won the doubles in the 1971 Nationals.
According to A.R. VanderPloeg, the Sunfish sailors did more than sail. In 1964-65 Dana Crumb led his fleet in building a "Sunfish" dock on the south side of the North Point. He even was able to involve non-CYC members in the work.
Prior to 1961, Juan Jova, A.R. VanderPloeg, and Ray Ruge had Blue Jays that they sailed in open-class races. Then Phil Cartier motivated the purchase of six kits for building Blue Jays. They were built in the winter of 1961-62 by Phil Cartier, Bob Williams, Gene Riordan, George Evans, Tom Stafford, and co-owners Pat Flautt and Dana Spencer. With that increase, the Blue Jays were able to race as a class. The fleet grew to sixteen boats. Juan Jova became a vice president of the Blue Jay National, and the Blue Jay Nationals were held a Chelsea in 1963. The fleet then dwindled and became inactive by 1967. (January 2, 1985 conversation with Phil Cartier.)
Ray Ruge with William E. Witkowski and six or seven others formed the Ensign Fleet. No one is sure of the year, but they are still racing as a class in the nineties.
In June 1965, Diego Kahr, Alfred Shepard, and Ted Mowry organized Fleet #21 of the Aqua-Cat Catamaran Sailing Association. This new design, a lively, twin-hulled boat, presented an exciting sight as it skimmed over the crests of the waves.
Linda Muller bought the first Catalina 25 at Chelsea. However, it was Sal Cerniglia who had the idea of organizing a fleet. The first meeting was held on October 25, 1979 with eleven skippers in attendance. They were Ned Christiensen, Karl Droge, Matt Bingham, Al Califano, Linda Muller, Sal Cerniglia, Jim Dowling, Carmine Cusano, Judie Rubin, Steve Smith, and Steve Gordon. The November 1994 "Mainsheet," the Catalina & Capri Boat Owners Magazine, lists the Chelsea Catalina 25 Fleet as Fleet 6 with Joe Klein as its fleet captain. The fleet has raced as a class for many years. One of its other activities is the sale of CYC apparel with the profits being used to buy equipment for the club. One item was a large tent for lawn parties, and another was an ice chest for the sale of ice. (Information from Judie Rubin and John Mitchell.)
Gordon Robbins bought the first Catalina 30. Sal Cerniglia bought the second. Again Sal was the one who had the idea of forming a Catalina 30 fleet.
CYC is a member of the Hudson River Yacht Racing Association (HRYRA). Richard Armstrong was HRYRA president in 1965, and Blake Moran in 1969 and 1970. Dr. Albert Dumke received the Association's "Sailor of the Year" award in 1964 for his many contributions to sailing on the Hudson. Among them were the introduction of Lightning Class races to the river, his work with Al Webb and Jack Orlup in designing a workable spinnaker for the Lightning, and his instrumental role in forming the Lightning Class Association.
By the end of 1971 annual racing events included four major series of sailing races for both cruising and one-design classes; special events, such as the Cookie Jar, Powder Puff, and Junior Championship Regattas; the CYC Open Regatta, which draws competitors from Clubs up and down the Hudson Valley; The Skipper-Crew Race, the Long Distance Race; and even fun races for the Sundays when much of the fleet is away at a HRYRA race.
In addition to the racing events, the cruising classes enjoy one or two long cruises each year. Many of the cruises are to Long Island Sound. One memorable one was led by Ed and Sam Livingston northward on the Hudson. They led a flotilla of eight sloops carrying twenty-five people, departing from Chelsea on Saturday, July 21, 1984. That evening six of the sloops were rafted together near the falls on Rondout Creek, and the two others were anchored nearby. Those taking part were the Carrolls, the Chobars, the Karpels, the Livingstons, the Mitchells, Linda Muller, Ed Orchowski with numerous children, and the Posters.
On the following days the flotilla stopped in mid-afternoon at the Hop-O-Nose Marina on Catskill Creek, at the Shady Harbor Marina at New Baltimore, at the Albany Yacht Club in Rensselaer, and at the Van Schaick Island Marina above the lock at Troy. The early stops provided time for a party before going out to supper at a nearby restaurant. The exception was Albany where a trip was made to the museum in the city.
The return trip included a pause at only the Albany Yacht Club so that the flotilla could arrive at Chelsea on Sunday, July 29.
With all these racing and cruising events and a full social calendar, Chelsea Yacht Club is a very active club.
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