2022-06-22

Yacht club celebrates 75th birthday

HERMANS ISLAND - The landmark organization in this community is marking its diamond anniversary with a slate of celebratory events this season.

The Lunenburg Yacht Club's 75th birthday kicks-off on Canada Day with live music and family activities at its Hermans Island Road address.

A remote control sailboat event is also scheduled during a bustling July. Those interested can take in that attraction on July 17. Club members are also hoping the crew of the Bluenose II, who'll be aboard Canada's famous schooner anchored in the area at Princes Inlet, will join them for some festivities on July 23.

Gale Fullerton, who leads the group's anniversary planning committee, said the milestone is about recognizing the yacht club's affect on the community. The club hosts learn-to-sail programs, community events, also volunteers participate in neighbourhood clean ups, among other contributions.

"The yacht club means a lot of different things to different people," she said. "Overall, it's their happy place; they come to have fun, to be with people."

On Sept. 3 there will be a special Commodore's Ball dinner and dance, along the vibes of what used to bring the crowds in the 1950s and 1960s. Invitations will be extended to past commodores to attend.

"There is a lot of really great history at the yacht club that we want to really have fun with," Fullerton said. "We have people who are gathering vintage photos and we will be posting some of those."

The club also has its original trophies that were awarded to sailors over the years "and we'll be making a big deal about those trophies this year during some of our race days."

Like other organizations on the South Shore, the club is expecting a busy summer.

Unrelated to the 75th birthday, the club is hosting a series of on-the-water events. A major one, in partnership with the Chester Yacht Club, is a national competition taking place over a week in late August.