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Club History

Augusta Sailing Club House and Ground Rules Appendix A                                                      (Revised 20180109)

               During 1952, a small group of Augustans became interested in sailing on the newly constructed Clarks Hill Reservoir. The Augusta Sailing Club was formerly incorporated as a non-profit organization on July 24, 1953, with its stated purpose as follows: 

"The object of the corporation is to establish, maintain, and conduct a club for the purpose of promoting sailing and boating; to provide a clubhouse, docks and other facilities for sailing, boating, swimming, mooring, keeping, maintaining and repairing boats of all kinds and character for the convenience of its members and their guests; to hold and conduct regattas and races of boats of all kinds and classes and to provide a place for the social entertainment and sport of its members and their guests and to do generally any and all acts and things necessary, convenient, expedient and ancillary to or in aid of the accomplishment of the foregoing." 

While seeking a permanent site for locating the Club, the early members gathered at the Modoc Public launching area on the Carolina shore. On June 15, 1955, the Club signed a twenty-year lease with the government for the use of approximately ten acres of unimproved, wooded land which includes what is now known as the clubhouse point and the West Point. The rent was $250 per year. 

Martha Harden recalled those early days: "First the dock was constructed and the members and families cleared the area. Boats were anchored out and captains and crews rode out in dinghies, carrying sails and other necessities. There were two boat trailers in the crowd. It was like moving day when a family arrived with sails, chairs, food, water and barbecue grills every Saturday and Sunday. The 'clubhouse' was a picnic table on the boat point. Occasionally some of the younger boys spent the night sleeping out on the boats.” 

"There was great rejoicing in 1956 when the real clubhouse was built and the fine well was dug and was functioning. This was financed by selling bonds to members." 

Even in the early days, the focal point of the Club was on the racing program. The Minis trophy was established in 1956 by a group of Savannah sportsmen and the Minis Sporting Goods Store as a competition between the Savannah Yacht Club and the Augusta Sailing Club. In 1957, Clem Castleberry established an intra-club competition and later gave a handsome silver punch bowl to the Club as a permanent trophy and annual keeper trophies for the individual winners. This series of races later became known as the Castleberry- Robertson Regatta because of the close association of Clem and devoted Club member, Jim Robertson. 

In October of 1959 the Club leased the East Point area. The rent for the Club site increased to  $355 per year increasing the land mass of the ASC to approximately 15 acres. In 1960, the Club filed a plan of development with the Corps of Engineers designating certain tracts of Club property for the construction of privately owned cottages and other tracts as semi permanent "tenting" areas. Although cottage sites were available to any member, only seven cottages were built. The original cottage permit provided that the cottages were exclusively for recreational use and could not be rented without Board approval and could not be sold outside the Club membership. This has subsequently been modified with the implementation of the uniform cottage site leases.

On March 13, 1962, the water between the clubhouse point land the East Point was named Harden's Cove in recognition of the contribution of William D. Harden. To date, this has been the only area of the Club formally designated, though through usage the dinghy area is known as the West Point and the camper area known as the East Point. In 1968, the clubhouse was expanded (actually rebuilt) around the original fireplace and included a large kitchen, showers, and all of the comforts of home.

Since the Club's inception. Club members have been active in competition at home and around the country and beyond. In 1975, Boykin Wright won the Y-Flyer Nationals with David Annis as crew. Bob Teabeaut carried the sailing Club burgee as far as the Royal Thames Yacht Club in England. Over the years, members of the Augusta Sailing Club have excelled in other fleets as well, including the Jolly, Lightning, Flying Tern, Cougar Catamaran, Catalina 22, Capri-25, and Coronado-15. In 1975, the Club negotiated a new twenty-year lease with the government. The annual rent increased from $355 per year to $3,900. That same year, the Mid-Winter Cup was founded in an effort to encourage competition between the cruising sailors at the new Tradewinds Marina and those at the Augusta Sailing Club. The regatta is now open to all cruising sailors on the lake. 

The Club has always supported a training program for young sailors and several of the Club's current members were originally members of these junior programs. During the early 1980's, the program received a boost as the Club began assembling a fleet of Sunfish for use in the Junior Program as well as by the general membership. 

In 1985, the Augusta Sailing Club successfully negotiated the purchase of the present Club site and consummated the transaction in December for a purchase price of $56,000. In 1990, the Augusta Sailing Club was remodeled and the kitchen was enlarged and modernized. The clubhouse restrooms and shower facilities were updated facilitating handicap access. The exterior framing was stained and painted. A new septic system was installed and the electrical system was brought up to current building code standards 

In 1993, in the wake of a major revision to the Corps of Engineers' Lakeshore Management Plan, the Club successfully negotiated permit authority to construct additional boat slips.  Over the next several years these docks were built.  The Dock Authority began a major replacement cycle in 2010 with a plan to replace a dock every two years.

The Club has over the years established several awards distinguished from the competitive awards. These awards are given at the annual meeting. The following are the major awards:

 Gilbert Lacy Klemann Award for Service: The Service Award is presented by the Commodore to an ASC member or members who have unselfishly given themselves to the betterment of the Club or made a significant contribution to the Club or the sport of sailing. The award is not necessarily presented to a member each year and in some years, there may be more than one winner. The name of the recipient is displayed proudly on a permanent trophy in the Club's trophy case. The award is presented at the Club's annual meeting. Past recipients include:

 1989 Bennie Moultrie       1996 Charles Burkelman

 1990 Walton Usher           1997 Ed Joy

 1991 Max D. Miller            1998 Gilbert Samuelson

 1992 Graeme Addie          1999 Don Putnam & Family

 1995 Dick Mayne               2000 Ed Durant

2002 “Red” Elinefield        2009 William (Bill) Collins 2010

2003 Jim Paschal                2010 Dale Demyan

2005 Jim Holder                 2011 Robert E. Harkrider

2006 Richard Mayne         2013 Daniel West

2007 Jeff Annis                   2017 Tim Buss

                 

 Hardin Award for Sportsmanship: The Sportsmanship Award is presented by the Commodore to an ASC member or members who have through their actions demonstrated the values of sportsmanship and the Corinthian spirit in an exemplary way. The award is not necessarily presented to a member each year and in some years, there may be more than one winner. The name of the recipient would be displayed proudly on a permanent trophy in the Club's trophy case, but this trophy has been lost (if you know where this trophy is please let someone on the Board know). The award is presented at the Club's annual meeting. Past recipients include: 

1989                                 2003 - Richard Mayne

1991                                 2004

1992                                 2005

1993                                 2006

1994                                 2007

1995                                 2008

1996                                 2009

1997                                 2010

1998                                 2011

1999                                 2012

2000                                 2013 - Dale Demyan

2001                                 2017

2002  

ASC Cruiser of the Year Award. (Sponsored by Ed Durant and Justin Annis.) The Cruiser of the Year Award recognizes the ASC member or member couple who embraces or, by example, personifies non-competitive sailing (cruising). The member or member couple will have participated in local or blue-water cruising, entertained in a cruising environment, embarked on a cruising lifestyle, provided coaching during cruising, derived joy from cruising and/or imparted enthusiasm for cruising. Special consideration is given for organizing, enrolling and/or participation in the club events that promote cruising. Additional consideration is given to participation in the cruiser racing fleet, acknowledging the value of racing as a means to improve sailing skills and decision making under sail. The award is presented at the Club's annual meeting. Award is based on membership vote administrated by the Commodore and is not necessarily awarded every year. The award is presented at the Annual Dinner and the winner’s name(s) are memorialized on a plaque on permanent display in the clubhouse. Past recipients include:

 2010 Tony & Brenda Coy                    2016 Harry Garcia

 2011 Greg & Rhonda Hatcher            2017 Bob & Sharon Harkrider

 2012 Bob & Becky Hopkins

 2013 Tony & Brenda Coy

 2014  Bob & Becky Hopkins

 2015 Bob & Margaret Centers

 

The “Pottie” Award: The Pottie Award is presented by the Commodore to an ASC member or members who have intentionally or by accident produced a result that in retrospect might not be considered well-reasoned. Special consideration to social indiscretions are also made along with plane bad luck. The award is not necessarily presented to a member each year and in some years, there may be more than one winner. The name of the recipient is displayed proudly on a permanent trophy in the Club's trophy case. The award is presented at the Club's annual meeting. Past recipients include:

 

1986 Steve & Doothy Hennick                   1995 Jeff Annis, Bob Harkrider

1987 Carl Muska                                           1996 Phil Cox

1988 Jeff Annis                                              1997 Frank Brewster

1989 Jeff Annis                                              1999 Jim Pascal

1990 John Wulk                                             2000 Ed Joy 2002

1991 W. Usher, E. Durant & R. Mayne      2002 Craig Robnick

1992 Dickie Thompson                                 2005 Mike Konesky

1993 Bob & Dorothy Williams                     2007 Bennie Moultrie

2003 Bob Harkrider                                       2017 Bob Harkrider

 

   Past Commodores 1953-Present  

 

1953   William S. Burdell                              1986 Gil Samuelson 

1954   William S. Burdell                              1987 Jim Farmer 

1955 William D. Harden                               1989 Charles Burkelman 

1956 H. Winston Bedingfield                       1990 Ed Joy 

1957 Gwinn H. Nixon                                    1991 Dennis Primrose 

1958 James L. Robertson                             1992 Steve Swickard 

1959 James L. Robertson                             1993 Patti Henderson 

1960 Walter G. Rice                                      1994 Bob Kaltenback 

1961 Andrew Speed-Walter G. Rice           1995 Andrew Johnson 

1962 J. Walker Harper                                  1996 Joseph Rubin 

1963 Gilbert L. Klemann                               1997 Max Miller 

1964 Preston Lea Wilds                                1998 Donald G. Putnam

1965 Lawrence V. Annis                               1999 Roger H. Davis 

1966 Thomas J. Jarrell                                   2000 Johnnie G. Poole III 

1967 John W. Kelker Jr.                                 2001 Bob Williams 

1968 John Tobin Jr.                                        2002 Ed Joy 

1969 H. Ray Worthey Jr.                               2003 Chris Samuelson 

1970 J. Walker Harper                                   2004 Al Britton 

1971 George R. Bernard                                2005 Emma Addie 

1972 Boykin Wright III                                   2006 Dave Koth 

1973 M.L. (Skip) Jones Jr.                              2007 Russell Cathey 

1974 Walter M. Sloan                                    2008 Greg Hatcher 

1975 Jerry A. Walker                                      2009 Brian Slater 

1976 Tom Hodges                                           2010 Richard Mayne 

1977 Don Howard                                           2011 John N. Lovin

1978 Jud Barber                                              2012 Daniel West 

1979 Bill Tumlin                                              2013 Rob Sherman

1980 Don Dearing                                           2014 Bob Damen

1981 Ted Kelker                                              2015 Ian Buckley

1982 Jeff Annis                                                2016 Tony Coy

1983 Robert E. Harkrider                               2017 Jim Claffey

1984 Graeme Addie                                       2018 Daniel Fodera

1985 Jim Claffey 

1988 Roy Hill