http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8jm2c3b No online items A guide to the Richmond Yacht Club photographs, circa 1920s-1977 Processed by: M. Crawford and Amy Croft, April 2013. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Building E, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Phone: 415-561-7030 Fax: 415-556-3540 [email protected] URL: http://www.nps.gov/safr 2013 A guide to the Richmond Yacht P12-001 (SAFR 23370) 1 Club photographs, circa 1920s-1977 A Guide to the Richmond Yacht Club photographs P12-001 San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, National Park Service 2013, National Park Service Title: Richmond Yacht Club photographs Date: circa 1920s-1977 Date (bulk): 1930s-1940s Identifier/Call Number: P12-001 (SAFR 23370) Creator: Unknown Physical Description: 71 items. Repository: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department Building E, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Abstract: The Richmond Yacht Club photographs, circa 1920s-1977, bulk 1930s-1940s, (SAFR 23370, P12-001) are comprised mainly of photographs and some ephemeral material regarding yachts and yachting related to the Richmond Yacht Club and surrounding San Pablo Bay harbor in Northern California. The collection has been processed to the Series level with some Items listed and is open for use. Physical Location: San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department Language(s): In English. Access This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted. Publication and Use Rights Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. Processing Note Each photographic image and each piece of ephemera has been assigned an Item number. In the case of the two business cards in this collection, they have been assigned one number to share (Item 61) as they are duplicates. Information about numeric stamps on the back of the photographs has been included in the scope notes at the Series level and physical description note at the Item level where applicable, because in the early 20th century the stamp often signified the customer number. This might help to identify which photographs came from particular people or which photographs were developed together. Description Notes: Dates refer to when the original photograph was taken. It is possible that some of the photographic prints in this collection are copies that were made later than when the original photograph was taken. Although the provenance of this material is unknown, it is possible that some of the Items were received from Gerald J. Heaphey as there are photographs, clippings, business cards, and a Richmond Yacht Club membership card that refer to him. Where Items are directly connected to Heaphey, it has been noted in the appropriate Series scope note or Item description, when applicable. At least one of the Items in the collection was created nearly seven years after Heaphey passed away, and so it is possible that all the material might not have come directly from Heaphey or that it came from persons directly affiliated with him. The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information. Such sources include the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material and subject matter experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors in this guide please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide. Please cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff. Preferred Citation [Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item Number], P12-001 (SAFR 23370), Richmond Yacht Club photographs, San Francisco Maritime National A guide to the Richmond Yacht P12-001 (SAFR 23370) 2 Club photographs, circa 1920s-1977 Historical Park Acquisition Information SAFR-02201 This collection was transferred from the J. Porter Shaw Library to the Historic Documents department by SAFR staff in January 2012. It contains photographs and ephemera related to the Richmond Yacht Club that was found stored in a box in the Library mezzanine for over 10 years. The materials were found in an envelope with the return address of "Graham & James; One Maritime Plaza, Third Floor; San Francisco 94111" postmarked August 12, 1988, with the address label removed. The original provenance of the material is unknown. It is possible that some of the materials are from Gerald J. Heaphey, but this could not be confirmed. It is also possible that this material is from multiple donors and was compiled into a collection by SAFR staff based on the subject matter. Historical or Biographical Note Richmond Yacht Club History: The Richmond Yacht Club (RYC) of Richmond, California, is a competitive and recreational boating club located on the San Pablo Bay in Northern California. The Richmond Yacht Club was incorporated in 1932 and its clubhouse has been in six different locations since it was established: 1) Foot of 8th Street (Ellis Landing); 2) Foot of 2nd Street; 3) Bulldog Point (Pt. Potrero); 4) Richmond City Hall; 5) Canal Street & Cutting Boulevard; 6) Brickyard Cove. The RYC was created under the auspice of forming an affordable sailing club, and members have made their own boats and sails, built their own club facilities, and facilitated their own races, earning the reputation of "the sailing-est club on the Bay." The RYC has a "proud tradition of hosting world class championships as well as a multitude of regattas for Bay Area racers, junior and youth boaters, and RYC members," facilitating training and outings for youth and providing a full social calendar for its members. The Richmond Yacht Club began as an informal gathering of high school boys and men that shared their sailing experiences at the end of a day's sail along the Richmond waterfront. These men were invited to join the Aeolian Yacht Club, but the "South Side Boys," as they called themselves, came to the conclusion on August 4, 1932, that they would create a club of their own with dues that they could afford. The club was incorporated on October 21, 1932, and meetings were moved from the outboard club's tin shed on the waterfront to Commodore Lindsey's home in north Oakland. Plans for a clubhouse were put into motion. After less than a year of incorporation, membership had risen to 33 dedicated members. Despite the club coming to fruition during the Great Depression, members were able to gather enough funds to build a clubhouse and facilities to store their boats. The "'Poor Man's' yacht club," raised money through treasure hunts on Red Rock Island, card parties, 50-cent dinners and picnics, and a Snipe boat raffle (Wootten et al., 37). In 1933, they were able to move forward on plans to build their own clubhouse. Through negotiations with H.P. Laurentzen, they rented a piece of waterfront at the Laurentzen Channel. The building site was at the foot of 8th Street, also known as Ellis Landing. Club members volunteered many hours -- sometimes coming out as early as two or three o'clock in the morning at low tide to drive piles for the dock -- to build the clubhouse and boat facilities from the ground up. Aware of the need for oversight, club members appointed Captain Shattuck as the port captain, who hauled his ark on shore to watch over the club. Throughout the 1930s, the RYC established itself as a leader in San Francisco Bay yachting. As membership continued to rise, so did the Snipe fleet of the RYC. Due to the number of Snipe boats being launched at the point where the Laurentzen and Santa Fe Channels met, it became known as Snipe Point. The fleet was captained by Dorothy Hallender, at that time a captain who built her own craft. The club was off to a strong start and began to claim Yacht Racing Association (YRA) race titles, bringing home the first season championship award in 1934. By affiliating itself with the Northern California Power Cruiser Association in 1937, the club further diversified its interests and became an even more established club in the San Francisco Bay yachting scene. Besides organized racing, the RYC also enjoyed sails to Paradise Cove, Paradise Park and Red Rock Island; social events; and special sailing outings such as those organized by the women's group, the "Petticoat Skippers." Towards the end of the 1930s, the club wanted to buy the property the clubhouse sat on, but H.P. Laurentzen refused to sell the property with the hope that industrialization of the area would prove lucrative. With membership in 1939 at 150-and-rising, the club started looking for a new site. Bulldog Point was chosen as the new location and leased for $50 per month. The clubhouse was moved by barge in April 1939, and it was ready for use by May. The club continued to enjoy success in racing and recreational sailing. The RYC also became known for boat design by creating the El Toro class boat in 1939. The "El Toro International Yacht Racing Association Class Handbook (1973)" reports that "in 1939-1940, members of the Richmond Yacht Club on San Francisco Bay met to select a small boat for use as a yacht tender as well as a sailing dinghy. They chose MacGregor's 'Sabot,' an 8-foot pram, plans for which had been published by Rudder Magazine. The first hull was constructed in a night-school boat building class. It followed the lines of the Sabot exactly but was modified in other features.