Page 14 - PCYC 75th Anniversary Book

The early years

Everyone loves a winner and word of the fun and have all the fun? This was a purely social event, women
camaraderie of the Port Credit Yacht Club must have spread were not allowed to be members at that time, and was held
quickly in the community, by 1937 membership had grown at the home of Mrs. Percy Oke on Cumberland Drive. PCYC
to 45 and plans were underway to expand the Clubhouse. sailors raced with other Clubs around the lake, one of the
The membership fee was raised to $7.50 and a one-time earliest associations being with Queen City Yacht Club. On
entrance fee, similar to today’s initiation fee, of $5.00 was Sunday, September 3rd, 1939 the start of the race was
fi rst introduced. The growing ranks of seaman held regular interrupted and life changed for many forever. Listening to
races on Wednesday nights, Saturday and Sunday. the radio as Britain declared war on Germany that morning,
“Footitis” was evident even back then as many members the sailors knew the lazy hazy days of summer sailing were
moved up to bigger and better boats. Sailors are always on over for awhile.
the lookout for the next best (faster) thing. In 1937, the
Falcon was the newest sailboat on the scene. There were
only two in Canada, one of which was brought into PCYC by
Grant and Brock Farrow. Their boat was so fast, the Farrow
brothers had to give a fi ve minute per mile handicap to the
rest of the PCYC fl eet. If you can’t beat them join them.
...The Falcon actually became the fi rst offi cial racing class at
PCYC with 4 more being built by or for members in 1938.
Also, in 1938 the ladies of Port Credit Yacht Club got
together as a group for the fi rst time…why should the men

The Original Clubhouse
Extension completed in 1937. (Left)
Original clubhouse in 1936. (Right)

12 The 1930s