Stepping inside the super-exclusive New York Yacht Club where the America’s Cup race started – complete with a 25ft tall fireplace, an original Tiffany glass ceiling and $150,000 joining fee

• The New York Yacht Club at 37 W 44th St formally opened its doors on January 19, 1901
• It was designed Whitney Warren of Warren and Wetmore, who later masterminded Grand Central Terminal
• Standout features include a dining room designed to look like a ship’s hold and a library with 13,000 books 

Standing 25ft high and 15ft wide, the 25-ton stone fireplace at the super-exclusive New York Yacht Club is certainly a sight to behold and I felt dwarfed by the structure as I stood close to the flame-licked hearth.

This design marvel was just one of the many jaw-dropping features I spied during a private tour of the Midtown members-only club, which formally opened its doors on January 19, 1901.   

Tucked away from the throng of Times Square on 37 W 44th St, the six-story Beaux-Arts clubhouse was purpose built by yachtsman and banker John Pierpont Morgan to accommodate the organization’s burgeoning fleet of members. 

Thanks to regular maintenance, the building looks shipshape, with some of the standout features – along with the ‘Model Room’ fireplace – being a stunning Tiffany stained-glass ceiling, a 64ft by 19-ft Oriental rug, a grill room designed to look like the hold of an old sailing ship, and a library containing more than 13,000 books and antique manuscripts.

Standing 25ft high and 15ft wide, the 25-ton stone fireplace at the super exclusive New York Yacht Club is certainly a sight to behold. Above it, there is a magnificent stained-glass Tiffany ceiling

Tucked away from the throng of Times Square on 37 W 44th St, the six-story Beaux-Arts clubhouse was purpose built by yachtsman and banker John Pierpont Morgan to accommodate the organization’s fleet of members

Before the 44th St clubhouse was built, the New York Yacht Club had a number of outposts in the wider area. The first clubhouse opened one year after the club was founded on July 15, 1845

Thanks to its eye-catching and unique ship-like design, the exterior of the 44th St building was designated as a landmark by the City of New York Landmarks Preservation Commission on September 11, 1979

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mjmvNKkcz4w%3Frel%3D0

It was a Wednesday night and the downstairs bar area was buzzing with members – mostly men in smart suits – with an oyster shucker dishing out rounds of fresh mollusks and a suited waiter taking drink orders. 

In keeping with the maritime theme, every way I turned, I caught sight of something sailing related, with model boats lining the walls and paintings depicting wave swept scenes.

As I put my glass down on the table, I noticed that even the paper napkins featured a design with boats and an anchor on, along with the club’s motto Latin motto ‘nos agimur tumidis velis’ – ‘we go with swelling sails.’

Other sailing motifs, I noticed, are part of the building’s brick and mortar design.

For example, three bulbous bay windows at the front of the building were modeled after the sterns of 16th century Dutch ships and there are various carvings on the premises running from the cornicing to the fireplace surround depicting seaweed, shells, dolphins, lightning bolts, stars and more.

The characterful property was designed Whitney Warren of Warren and Wetmore, who later masterminded Grand Central Terminal. 

In a video tour of the clubhouse uploaded to YouTube, narrator and pro sailor Gary Jobson explains that while there were several architects in the running for the project, John Pierpont Morgan preferred Warren’s ‘much more whimsical design.’

To help finance the construction of the city clubhouse, members dues were raised from $25 per year to $50. 

Today, according to ncesc.com, regular membership is a little pricier, with an initiation fee of $150,000 and annual dues of $12,000.

Along with having a buoyant bank balance, perspective members must be nominated by an existing member, with this nomination supported by at least four other members.

The membership committee will then invite the nominee to submit an application along with letters of recommendation outlining their qualifications. 

In terms of the benefits of becoming a member, ncesc.com explains that the perks include ‘access to the club’s facilities, which include dining rooms, bars, meeting rooms, and sailing centers.’

‘Members also have access to the club’s extensive library, archives, and art collection. In addition, the club organizes numerous social events throughout the year, including regattas, dinners, and receptions.’

In Jobson’s video tour, he also reveals that there are 19 ‘comfortable bedrooms for members and their guests,’ which can be booked out at a discounted rate. 

Before visiting the club, we were warned that business attire must be worn, with a tie, jacket and collared shirt for men, and a suit or a smart dress for women. 

The paper napkins in the dining room feature a design with boats and an anchor on, along with the club’s motto Latin motto ‘nos agimur tumidis velis’ – ‘we go with swelling sails’

An exterior shot of the characterful clubhouse taken in 1934. It looks much the same today

The library within the Manhattan clubhouse contains more than 13,000 books and antique manuscripts

One of the club’s unique features is a grill room, designed to look like the hold of an old sailing ship

Certainly one of the club’s standout spaces is the cavernous Model Room, which can comfortably accommodate more than 300 people with 3,800 square feet to play with

The space is home to 1,340 scaled replicas of sail boats, with the earliest model dating to 1819

If you can’t stretch to club membership or don’t have the right qualifications to join, the New York Yacht Club runs public tours on the last Tuesday of each month

Certainly one of the club’s standout spaces is the cavernous Model Room, which can comfortably accommodate more than 300 people with 3,800 square feet to play with. 

Along with the fireplace, the space is home to 1,340 scaled replicas of sail boats displayed in large glass cases, with the earliest model dating to 1819.

One of the star vessels is a mini version of the ‘America,’ which was responsible for the start of the America’s Cup. 

On August 22, 1851, the full-size 101-foot schooner, built by New York Yacht Club commodore and founder John Cox Stevens, raced against 15 English yachts from the UK’s Royal Yacht Squadron in an annual race known as the ‘100 Guinea Cup,’ which involved a lap of the Isle of Wight. 

The visiting America won, finishing eight minutes ahead of its closest rival, and the trophy was renamed in its honor and donated to the New York Yacht Club.

An accompanying ‘Deed of Gift’ stipulated that the cup should be held in trust as a perpetual challenge trophy and so the America’s Cup race was born. 

Today it takes place every four years as a two-yacht race, fought between the previous year’s winner – known as the ‘defender’ – and a challenger, which is usually the best boat from a series of run-off rounds. 

Before the 44th St clubhouse was built, the New York Yacht Club had a number of outposts in the wider area.

The first clubhouse opened one year after the club was founded on July 15, 1845.

The club’s website notes that this location was was a one-room Gothic Revival building designed by ‘noted’ architect A. J. Davis, on land owned by Commodore John Cox Stevens in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Over the next half century, the club went on to occupy four additional clubhouses: two in Manhattan and two on Staten Island and it also maintained 11 ‘stations’ at one point.

These ‘stations’ came in the form of smaller buildings and landings where ‘members and friends could rendezvous, send a letter or make a telephone call.’

Now, along with the 44 St property, the club only has one other outpost, with this located next the water in Newport, Rhode Island. 

Thanks to its eye-catching and unique ship-like design, the exterior of the 44th St building was designated as a landmark by the City of New York Landmarks Preservation Commission on September 11, 1979.

If you can’t stretch to club membership or don’t have the right qualifications to join, the New York Yacht Club runs public tours on the last Tuesday of each month. And after paying a visit myself, it’s a voyage well worth making. 

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