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PANELS-Sailing_FNL Design & layout by Quench Design & Communications Inc. | Port Hope | www.quenchme.ca The Club & The Countess In 1963 a group of sailing enthusiasts came together as the "Great Pine Ridge Marine Association" to promote and encourage the sport of sailing. The following year the Cobourg Yacht Club was formed and received its o�cial charter in 1965. Early club racing was among classes of open, one-design dinghies, often hand built by the owner for reasons of economy. As racing and day sailing became more popular, di�erent classes were introduced and a general move to larger boats gradually occurred. The year 1967 was a banner year for the CYC as a new clubhouse was built on the beach west of the centre pier. Also that year, the Port Hope Yacht Club was first challenged to race for the now famous brass cuspidor (spittoon). To the victor went the spoils, and the classic relic has changed hands many times over the years. Today the Cobourg Yacht Club has boats ranging from 13ft dinghies to 40ft keel boats, cruising locally and racing on a club maintained course. Keel boats race on Tuesday evenings and dinghies on Thursday plus occasional longer races. SAILING In 1876 the Countess of Du�erin, a 92' yacht, was built in Cobourg for a member of Toronto's Royal Canadian Yacht Club to challenge for the "Queen's Cup" (later to become the "America's Cup"). Disappointingly, it was defeated in an early race by the yacht Madeleine. Unfortunately, that loss was a harbinger of poor performances in further meetings. On April 3, 1876, the Cleveland Herald expressed regrets about the Canadian ship's name, "for it necessitates the beating of a lady - a thing a Yankee seldom does". Three months later the same newspaper reported: "The yacht Countess of Du�erin was in Quebec on Monday receiving a new mast as the one she stepped in Kingston has a bad habit of turning around to see what is going on". The Countess was sold to John Prindiville of Chicago, who overhauled her and raced again in 1882. However, later that year she sank in the waters o� Chicago, where the wreck still remains. Countess of Du�erin The Countess under construction at Cobourg harbour. Photo courtesy of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club The old clubhouse with fleet on the sandy beach. Photo courtesy of the Cobourg Yacht Club