The Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club was founded (as the "Seawanhaka Yacht Club") in September 1871 aboard the sloop
Glance, anchored off Centre Island.
Glance's captain, William L. Swan, was elected Seawanhaka's first Commodore. Charles E. Willis became the Vice Commodore, Frederic de P. Foster assigned as the first Secretary, Gerard Beekmanthe Treasurer and William Foulke as the Measurers. For many years, club meetings were held aboard this flagship. In the 1880s the Club maintained a clubhouse and anchorage at Stapleton,
Staten Island near the clubhouse of the New York Yacht Club. On February 1, 1887, it was incorporated under the latter name. In 1881 Seawanhaka held Cup races from the New York harbor to
Sandy Hook, NJ.
Burgee Club's triangular blue burgee has 12 White stars, eight in a horizontal direction and four others crossing vertically. The design was made to perpetuate the memory of the 12 founders.
Clubhouses In 1881, the club leased space on
Centre Island, and the word "Corinthian" was incorporated into the club's name. In 1887 the organization leased a club house in
Manhattan. Finally, in 1891–1892, the club returned to
Centre Island, where a new club house was opened, and the club merged with the Oyster Bay Yacht Club. Recognizing its important history, the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Commodores • William L. Swan • William A.W. Stewart •
Elias Cornelius Benedict (1834–1920) •
Arthur Curtiss James • William K. Vanderbilt Jr. • Harold S. Vanderbilt • Clinton H. Crane •
Henry S. Morgan •
Phillip J. Roosevelt •
Frederick R. Coudert Jr •
George E. Roosevelt • Henry H. Anderson Jr. • Charles G. Meyer • P. James Roosevelt • George S. Meyer • Hugh Jones • Willets S. Meyer • Robert DeNatale • Joseph C. Pickard
Seawanhaka Rule In 1882, the club adopted a rating rule that would govern all its races: Rating=\frac{Load\ Waterline\ Length+\sqrt{Sail\ Area}}2 Simply known as the "Seawanhaka Rule", it served as a rating for all eastern seaboard races from 1887 onwards, including the
America's Cup from 1893 to 1903. The
Load Waterline Length was usually placed under a class limit, where any amount beyond the limit was counted double. In the 1893 America's Cup the limit was set at 85 ft, so the Load Waterline Length of an 86 ft yacht would have counted as 87 ft. == Junior Club ==