RYC History

This year the Riverton Yacht Club will be celebrating its 150th anniversary. The club is the oldest on the Delaware River, oldest in New Jersey, and one of the oldest in the United States with continuous service. Today's 175 active and contributing members enjoy the same enthusiasm about sailboat racing as did the founding members' in 1865 when the club was officially founded.

Not long after the town's founding fathers purchased the Joseph Lippincott farm there was a need for transportation of building materials and also transportation for the home owners to get to work in downtown Philadelphia. In 1851 the Iron Pier was completed. The pier ran out into the Delaware's deeper water so that any size ferry could land at the pier. Along the sides of the pier, locals could tie up their small craft. Sailboat racing began once the second sailboat arrived in Riverton and continued to grow as more boats appeared on the scene.

Racing boats were divided into three classes; First Class twenty five feet and above; Second Class twenty to twenty four feet; and Third Class under twenty feet. It wasn't until July 1, 1865 that The Riverton Yacht Club was formally organized at 503 Bank Avenue, the home of Edward H. Ogden. That day Caspar W. Morris was elected Commodore, Jacob G. Morris vice Commodore, and Edward H. Ogden Secretary Treasure. The first year saw the membership grow to fifty.

The country was alive with patriotism after Abraham Lincoln's assassination in April 1865. At that time, the yacht club's burgee was designed. The membership chose stars and stripes in a swallow tail flag, much like our pennant burgee that we fly today. In the fall of 1865, the United State Congress passed a law that no private signal could use the stars and stripe design. You will not see another burgee in the US using a design close to ours. The swallow tail design was used until the late 1880's.

With so many members and boats, the club was in need of storage and a meeting facility. In 1881 the clubhouse at the end of the pier was completed. The only stipulation was that the clubhouse must have a waiting room for the ferry passengers. In the early 1900's, club members shot the clay bird sport of trap at the end of the pier during the fall after the sailing season was over. As the shooters got more proficient, the game called for shootesr to move further away from the trap. The building was in the way as they shot towards the river. To insure the shooter was the correct distance from the trap they moved the club house twenty feet closer to Main Street to where it is positioned now. The building has had three major restoration projects over the years. The last restoration, with the help of a grant, brought the club back to its' original design and color with many new amenities.

Racing has continued at the club with today's members sailing a Sunday afternoon series, a Wednesday evening race series that has continued since the early 1930's, plus various other regattas. The Wednesday evening series is the most popular today with as many as 75 boats sailing races that start at 6 p.m. Many of the local residents visit the club that night to sit in the cool evening breeze and enjoy watching the races. Today, as when the club began, there are different types of one-design boats racing. The most active fleets are J/22, Lightning, Mariner, Flying Scott, and two cruising classes: PHRF A, and PHRF B. These are all privately owned vessels. The highlight of the racing calendar is the Governor's Cup Regatta, held during the second weekend in June. This regatta has up to 100 boats and has been held every year since 1949 when the Governor, Alfred Driscoll, donated The Governor's Cup Trophy, a silver Revere bowl, for an overall first prize. Over the years there have been over 100 World, North American, National, America's Cup and Olympic Champion sailors who call Riverton Yacht Club their home. This is a source of pride for all of our members.

The yacht club has been very active in the community. In 1897, yacht club members Charles Davis and Albert Briggs founded the very popular Children's Parade held each year on the fourth of July. The parade, now over 100 years old originally ended at the yacht club for patriotic speeches, yacht races, band concerts, aquatic events, and concluded with fireworks on the pier. Today the parade starts at the yacht club and proceeds to Riverton Park where larger numbers can participate in athletic events for children. The club hosts the popular Fourth of July fund raising Cocktail Party each year on the pier as a community service.

The club has also provided adult and children's sailing classes for many years. Each year over one hundred children learn safe seamanship and sailing skills. This is to ensure the sport of sailboat racing continues. Many of our junior sailing class participants have gone on to the US academies to sail on their sailing teams.

This, our 150th year, will be full of special events, starting with a special opening day ceremony, the Governor's Cup Regatta with a Commemorative Anniversary Dinner, the Duster National Championships, a special demonstration radio control J class model regatta, and our year end Commodore's Dinner.

Taken from the 1899 Riverton Yacht Club year book...

On the opening of the Yachting Season in the year 1865, a few gentlemen, owners of yachts on the Upper Delaware River, met at the residence of Edward H. Ogden, Riverton, N.J., to consider the project of forming a yacht club. After a full interchange of views it was unanimously decided to organize the Riverton Yacht Club, and on July 1st, 1865 an organization was effected, which to-day stands as the oldest yacht club on the Delaware River, and the ninth oldest in the United States. Caspar W. Morris was elected Commodore; Jacob G. Morris , Vice Commodore, and Edward H. Ogden, Secretary Treasurer.

This occurred at a time when our civil war had just closed: President Lincoln had recently been assassinated, and an intense loyal and patriotic feeling prevailed over the country. The Committee appointed to select a club signal, concluded that nothing could be more appropriate than one with thirteen stars in a blue field and the red and white stripes.

Much of the success of the Club is due to Edward H. Ogden, who succeeded Caspar W. Morris as Commodore in 1875, and continued to act in this capacity until the spring of 1895, when he declined re-election, having served for twenty years.

For several years after its organization the Club suffered much inconvenience in not having a club house in which to hold its meetings, and as a place of rendezvous for its members; when funds were subscribed and the present club house was erected on the pier in 1880, and on March 9th, the Club was incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey.

Since this time the Club has enjoyed continued prosperity, until now it has a fleet of eight steam and twenty sailing yachts, and a membership of eighty-nine on the rolls.

The club has always been the rendezvous of the yachting fraternity on the upper Delaware River, and it extends a hearty welcome to all yachtsmen who may be cruising in these waters.