The First Hundred Years: Clearwater Yacht Club, 1911-2011

Satisfaction with Aspects of the Membership Experience Survey results indicate members are very satisfied with the overall experience of being a member of Clearwater Yacht Club. Findings also suggest, however, there are several characteristics that predict levels of overall satisfaction. Members who have family in the club, those who joined in search of a friendly, companionable environment, frequently use a transient slip at the club, and spend more time at the club report the most positive attitudes toward the overall experience of being a member of CYC. Findings also suggest there are some particular aspects of club membership with which members are particularly happy, and of which they are particularly proud: the friendly atmosphere, the club’s world class athletes, its reputation for excellence in race management, and the club’s emphasis on boating of all kinds. As one member put it: “We are a friendly club and at the same time, we have a very high standing among yacht clubs throughout the world because of our sailors and cruising activities.” This club has come a long way from the ultra-exclusive men’s sailing club of 1911. While members are still proud of the yachting and cruising heritage that has characterized its history since the beginning, and of the accomplishments of today’s competitive athletes, they are also proud of the club’s friendly, inclusive atmosphere. Taver Bayly once said: “If the Clearwater Yacht Club has made one outstanding contribution to the city’s life, it has been its part in the closing of any distance between the townspeople and the winter visitors.” (Ransom and Tracy, 1961: 3). Results of this study suggest in the twenty-first century, the club has gone one step farther by creating an atmosphere in which people with a wide range of interests (on and off the water) and from a wide variety of geographic and social backgrounds Many members joined for more than one of these reasons. One interviewee said for example: “I wanted to actually accommodate a sailor like myself. I also joined because there is a restaurant here with lots of social activities. I also joined because… I was new to the area so I wanted to meet other people that live around here and form friendships and the quickest way to form friendships is to belong to a club…” These findings suggest that, while still fairly homogenous in terms of race and ethnicity, Clearwater Yacht Club has a relatively diverse culture in terms of other background characteristics, levels of community involvement, and reasons for joining the club. It is clearly not the kind of ultra-exclusive men’s club envisioned by the founding fathers.

Chapter 15: The Current Culture of CYC 135