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V AUGUST «. )»7S • PLAIN DEALER CENTENNIAL EDITION PAGE, M ' > (Continued from page 13) • It was the timely aid 6f the Buehler family which averted the probable dissolution of the club. In another fifteen years the club would again require extensive remodeling, this time with the help and direction of Carl's son. Commodore H L. Buehler. sc The 1920's Scivv' new activity in the club. The club developed a regular schedule of social events, all starting after dinner as full kitchen facilities were ° not yet available ar the club house. Card parties were frequently held under the direction of separate com­ mittees in charge of contract bridge with suitable prizes for the winners at all tables. The successful Venetian Nights of earlier years, providing awards for the elaborate decoration of yachts and cfot- tage grounds, gave way to a new annual event--the Water Carnival, complete with swimming, canoe racing, running, and inner-tube events for the younger children Of the club. Toward the late 1920's, the younger, or teen members, took over one night of the summer social schedule to organize a special party of their own. The basic social format of club social activities established in the twenties prevailed through the thirties and up to the late forties. During the second World War, with members in uniform, gas rationing and the other inconveniences of the times, there was reduced activity in the club. In 1947, on the oc­ casion of the golden an­ niversary of the club, Com­ modore Ralph D. Keeley initiated many needed im­ provements to the club, in­ cluding new service and snack bars, juke box, and a new pier. As a special event to com­ memorate the club's fiftieth year, Pistakee Yacht club hosted the Inland Lake Yachting association Class C Invitational Regatta. The decade following the end of the Second World War saw great changes in the club. During the first fifty years of the club, the vast majority of its members had been summer residents, owning Lake fron­ tage in the Bay area. Im­ provements in transportation and the development of land in the Lake-McHenry county area brought more year-round residents to Pistakee Lake and its neighboring communities. While the sailing fleets giW in size, so also did the number of members who looked to the= club for a social Outlet. In 1967, parts of the club's physical plant became in need of replacement. By 1970, the club had acquired a new steel * hoist, a new septic system installed in the parking lot behind the club house, and had even brought the pleasure of hot running water to'the ladies' and men's bathrooms. In 1971, under Commodore James R. McMahon, the parking lot was resurfaced, the drive to the boat hoist was repaved and the club house interior completely painted. In 1970 the Directors of the club authorized the purchase of some additional land northwest of and adjoining the club parking lot. The purchased lots were made available to the club by Commodore Marion G. Mocker. The first racing fleets in the club consisted of sloops and catboats. The sloops were rated under the ILYA rules as Class A (38 feet long with 500 square feet of sail) or Class B (32 feet long and 350 square feet of sail), The 1901 club records designate the catboats, then about 16 feet in length with 175 square feet of sail, as Class C, although this - formal classification would not appear iru-t+te- ILYA rule books until 1906. The sloops were an active class from 1898 to 1912 with spirited competition between Harriett H, Pistakee, Pats, Clarabelle, Mavis, Buttinsky, and Hyperion not only for the season prizes but also for honor of representing the club at the ILYA annual regatta. Trial races were held in July of each year to allow the club's regatta committee to select the most qualified yacht. In 1902, the club achieved its first prominence in ILYA racing as MAVIS, owned by past Com­ modore Alexander Beck, first defeated Henry L. Hertz's Harriet H in a six-race trial series and then went on to win third place in the annual ILYA regatta at Pewaukee Lake. By 1925, the ILYA had created the new E class, a sloop 28 feet in length with marconi or triangular rig to replace the gaff rig which was still used by the Class C yachts. For seven years the club would have a fleet of 6 Class E scows and 15 to 20 Class C scows. Brother teams seemed to abound in Class E, with the Luckes, Buehlers, Ericssons, and Glaesers, while in Class C, the competition was dominated by Herbert Lundahl in Skipaway, Sidney Peterson in Klenup II and Dewey Ericsson with the Virgie. It was in this period of great,sailing activity that the club was honored with its first, and to this date, only ILYA Class champion. In a sixty- seven boat fleet at Lake Geneva in 1928, Klenup II, sailed by Sid Peterson, won the Class C championship, »vhile Skipaway finished fourth. Twenty-five years passed before Pistakee would again make such an impressive showing at an ILYA annual regatta. From 1936 through 1945 one of the feature events of the sailing year was the Fox Lake In­ vitation Regatta for the George M. Maypole trophies. Boats were entered from Pistakee, Delavan, Geneva, Pine and Pewaukee Lakes, with regatta headquarters at the old Yacht Club Bohemia, now known to night owls as the Last Resort. Virginia Maypole and Pete Peterson sailed Schatzie, the leading boat not only on Pistakee but also at the Fox Lake regatta. They brought home many club and regatta prizes in the period of the late thirties and early forties. \ During the war years from 1941 to 1945 the C Fleet dwindled in size but began to grow again by the late forties. The boats which had persevered, such as Schatzie, Ed Rollberg's Hold Tight, Mike Kendall's Mischief, the Ericsson sisters' Mistakeee and the O'Conners' B&B en­ countered a new wave of brother teams--the Ludwigs, Ludfords, Pomierskis and Jensens. The addition of other young sailors so heightened the competition that in 1953, three Pistakee boats won prizes at the ILYA Annual regatta held on Lake Minnetonka: Freckles, sailed by Jack Deroche and Dick Norsworthy, won the Pine Lake Trophy for second place in a close battle with Jane Wiswell's Calamity Jane for the regatta championship; Swede's Harem, sailed by^Eric Theis and Ray Olson won 9th? and Waters' Wagon, sailed by Frank Waters and Bill Slater "squeezed in for tenth place," according to an old news clipping from the McHenry Plaindealer. During the sixties the club was also the home of Snipe Fleet 511, the Snipe being an international class with the largest fleet membership of any one-design yacht in the world. Weekly races were held for the Snipes ^until 1970 at which time interest in this class waned and the fleet was dropped. At this time several members, including some former Snipe sailors, became interested in the Butterfly, a small scow type single or double handed racing class. Active racing commenced for the Butterflies in 1971, culminating in a successful regatta at Pistakee in Sep­ tember at which even the most hardened C fleet sailors were seen to observe that one could really have fun in a Butterfly. With the thought in mind of having the Pistakee Yacht club make a major contribution to inland scow racing, John E. Looze in 1960 conceived the idea of a Blue Chip Regatta for Class C. Entrants would be limited to the very best boats in the class based on their performance during the current season. Initially, fleet champions from the ILYA member lakes and winners of major C Class events, if not otherwise qualified as a fleet champion, were invited to attend. The first annual regatta held at Pistakee on the second weekend after Labor Day was an instant success, and was won by Laugh, sailed by Jim Laughlin of Powers Lake. Under the Blue Chip Regatta Committee originally composed of Mr. Looze and Drs. Alex and Ralph Pomierski, the entrance rules were gradually changed to limit the participants to 25 in number, twelve being qualified by regatta performance during the season, another twelve selected by an anonymous committee known as the Fearsome Fivesome, plus one mystery challenger, being a well known sailor from another class. The mystery guests have included such noted sailors as former Lightning Class champion Bruce Goldsmith, Twelve Meter skipper Ted Turner, Butterfly Class Champion Nick Coates, and Olympic medalists Peter Barrett and Bud Melges. After twelve years. The Blue Chip Regatta has become an out­ standing Class C event and has annually enabled the Club to graciously entertain its many friends throughout the ILYA. While many hundreds of families have been associated with the club over the years, the descendants of at least two of its original eighty-six memberjit-have remained ac­ tive in its affairs. Franz Oscar Peterson's sons Clarence ("Pete") and Sidney L. became accomplished sailors. Pete continued sailing every summer right up until his death in December, 1974. His son, Old photo above shows men and women on pier after first race at Pistakee Yacht club in 1909. Chuck, is uthe club's current rear commodore. Sid, club secretary from 1938 to 1947, and later rear commodore, passed away in the fall of 1971. Sid's son. Sid Jr., was a director and past secretary of the club while two grandsons, Mike and Glen Musser, are leading sailors in the fleet. Another charter member was Henry Ericsson, whose sons, Walter and Clarence, and two grandsons, This is the scene at the sixth annual "C" Regatta July 27,1941 Commodore, and is now a Director of the Club. Other families are well into their second generation of mem­ bership in the club. This history, encompassing seventy-eight years of the existence of the club, must necessarily focus attention on just a few of the highlights, and some of the past commodores and leading sailors of the times. Perhaps not named, but surely not forgotten, are the countless Bill Ericsson and Ray Olson, have served as commodore, the grandsons still racing in the club. other members whose in­ dividual and collective efforts have contributed greatly to the present well-being of the club. Honorary members of the club include two daughters of turn-of-the-century members: Mrs. Harry E. Hoff, daughter of Joseph F. Haas and Mrs. R.T. Waters, daughter of Frank B. Edelmann. Mrs. Waters' son Frank is a current skipper in the C Fleet, a former Rear The success of the $ club continues to be founded upon the interest and active par­ ticipation of the entire mem­ bership and it is the good for­ tune of the Pistakee Yacht club that this foundation has proved to be a solid one. Good car care makes good ense Keeping your car in top running condition is more important today than ever before. To conserve fuel...and save money...be sure to have your car tuned up and repaired where they use dependable N.A.P.A. parts. N.A.P.A. parts are known throughout the country for their quality and dependability. So...be sure to have your car repaired the right way...at the garage or service station using top quality N.A.P.A. parts. Quality N.A.P.A. Parts and Martin Senour Automotive Paints are Distributed Locally By: McHenry Auto Parts. Inc. 3318 W. PEARL McHENRY, ILLINOIS PH. 385-8080 I