Established 1894
Introduction to Cohasset Yacht Club was the dream of George Howe, Harry Mapes and Charles Cousens, who on July 7, 1894, called a meeting for the purposes of founding the yacht club. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts granted a charter in August and the club was launched with the purpose “to encourage yachting through the promotion of good fellowship among those interested in sailing, seamanship and enjoyment of the ocean and its environment”.
Cohasset’s strong sailing tradition and the town’s unique location on the coast of Massachusetts Bay, midway between Boston and Plymouth, and eighteen miles directly across the bay from Marblehead, make it an ideal setting for competitive and pleasure boating. Boasting many of the nation’s top sailors as members, including Philip Benson, F. Gregg Bemis, Richard Sullivan, Edwin Hills and Frances McElwain Wakeman, the club has also been host to many national, regional and local sailing championships.
Picture: Minots Light
Past Commodores
1898 | Frederick H. Pratt | 1961 | H. Kingsley Durant |
1899 | Benjamin C. Clark | 1962-63 | Kempton C. Churchill |
1900 | Lyman D. Willcutt | 1964-65 | Robert C. Jordan |
1901 – 1902 | John Bryant | 1966-67 | Philip N. Bowditch |
1903 – 1904 | Daniel N. Tower | 1968-69 | Donald J. Evans |
1905 | Alanson Bigelow, Jr. | 1970-71 | John Bishop |
1906 | Charles H. Cousens | 1972 | N. Frank Neer, Jr. |
1907 | William R. Sears | 1973-75 | L. Emmett Holt |
1908 | Frank R. Pegram | 1976-77 | Eli Manchester, Jr. |
1909 | Charles W. Gammons | 1978-79 | Kenneth B. Cook |
1910 | George W. Collier | 1980-81 | Charles L. Smith, Jr. |
1911-12 | Hugh Bancroft | 1982-83 | Richard L. Yake |
1913 | Burton S. Treat | 1984-85 | Peter F. Tague |
1914-15 | Gilbert S. Tower | 1986-87 | Charles C. Ford |
1916-18 | Dean K. James | 1988-89 | Samuel W. Wakeman |
1919-28 | C. W. Barron | 1990-91 | Robert C. Jordan, Jr. |
1928-31 | Hugh Bancroft | 1992-93 | F. Allen Weisenfluh |
1932-33 | James S. Dean | 1994-95 | Raimund G. Vanderweil, Jr. |
1934-36 | Charles Higginson | 1996-97 | Richard E. Horn |
1936 | J. F. McElwain | 1998-99 | S. Woodworth Chittick |
1937-40 | John Chapin | 2000-01 | Charles W. Dean |
1941-45 | Ralph E. Scripture | 2002-03 | Daniel S. Evans |
1946-48 | Philip Benson | 2004-05 | Matthew R. Steele |
1949-51 | Roger B. Coulter | 2006-07 | F. Wisner Murray |
1952-54 | F. Gregg Bemis | 2008-09 | Peter Pearce |
1955-56 | G. Churchill Francis | 2010-11 | Harald S. Gundersen |
1957-58 | Samuel Wakeman | 2012-13 | Grace H. Evans |
1959-60 | Roscoe E. Sherbrooke | 2014-15 | George W. Parks |
2016-18 | William B. McGowan | ||
2019-20 | Rolf N. Gjesteby | ||
2021-22 | Elizabeth B. Baker | ||
2022- | Eric C. Crews |