Biloxi Yacht Club - Sailing History

Sailing History

Organizing, reorganizing, building and rebuilding spacious club house facilities was a lot easier than establishing themselves as masters of the fine are of competitive sailing in the GYA the Biloxians were to discover. Perhaps that was because of their fiercely independent nature. "Biloxi fishermen neither know nor care anything about rules," Gerald Taylor White, famous for his America's Cup coverage, wrote in the 1926 The Rudder. "If a boat is in your way, you sail over her or through her at your own discretion." However, he added quickly, "For seamanship and snappy sail handling, we enter the Biloxi fishermen for world honors."

And, so it was for 17 years BYC participated in what must have seemed an exercise in futility. Through 1936, seven clubs had figured in the win column, Pensacola, captor of the inaugural in 1920, sailing off with six Sir Thomas Jr. Lipton Interclub Challenge Series Victories. Other champions were Sarasota in 1930, '31 and '32, Eastern Shore, '21, Southern Yacht Club, '25, Mobile, '28, and Buccaneer, '34. In 1922 and again in '27, Southern and Pensacola tied, and Eastern Shore and St. Petersburg wound up all even in 1926.

BYC's Junior Program, meanwhile enjoyed only brief period in the sun, but it was a scorcher. After Southern's victories in the first two Junior Lipton Interclub Challenge Regattas, and a World War II - imposed four-year Series lapse, BYC's youngsters stormed back to capture the Lipton Cup in 1947, '48 and '49.

BYC's most notable team sailing achievement, it could be argued, came in an event to encourage the sport among the fairer sex. In 1938, Commodore Bernie Knost of Pass Christian Yacht Club offered an elaborate trophy to the winner of an all-girl three-race interclub series hosted by his organization. The event was an immediate hit and has remained a highlight among Gulf sailing activities. With its large number of Skipperettes to draw from, most notable Joyce Fountain Wiltz, Janet Ferson Green, Beatrice Kennedy and Emily Joullian Dale, BYC over the years has compiled the second best record, winning the Knost nine times. Only Pass, with 11 victories, has done better. In addition to her Knost heroics, Joyce in 1949 became the first girl in the history of BYC to earn a skipper's position on the club's Lipton team.

The BYC also hosted several PHRF (Performance Handicapped Racing Fleet) events. The BYC was host to the GYA's Gulf Ocean Racing Series during the 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century, the GCYA (Gulf Coast Yachting Association) Round the Sound Series, which started at the Singing River Yacht Club (Pascagoula, MS) traveled to the Gulfport Yacht Club, and ended at the Biloxi Yacht Club. This series was transformed into the Biloxi Summer Series. The club also hosted a Leukemia Cup and the GYA Offshore Race in 2002.

Off the race course, BYC also has an impressive record. Seven of its members have held the lofty position of Gulf Yachting Association Commodore—Dr. Eldon Bolton, Wallace Chapman, Jerry J. Ellis, Byrd Enochs, J.J. Kennedy, J.P. Moore and Walter Seymour.