History

PREFACE

Sailing as a sport began in the U.S. in 1844, when John C. Stevens founded the New York Yacht Club. The sport quickly spread to the South and sailing became popular at Lake Ponchartrain and along the Gulf of Mexico. On July 1, 1849 Thomas Dabney and other yachtsmen, mostly from New Orleans, met in Pass Christian, Mississippi and organized the Southern Yacht Club. This launched yachting as a pleasure sport in the South.

Following the Civil War, the sport persisted along the Gulf Coast. Inland Louisianan’s could not sail until there was a suitable body of water upon which to float a boat. As Shreveport’s population grew, water supply became a problem. The city was dependent upon Twelve Mile Bayou and Cross Bayou for its water, and from 1903-1912 there was a period of water shortage. This shortage prompted the residents to construct a dam across Cross Bayou upon the Kansas City Southern Railroad Company’s property. Thus, Cross Lake was formed. Wallace McGuire, a New Orleans native who operated a tannery near the Red River, is thought to have introduced the first sailboat on Cross Lake in 1926. It was a 22 meter gaff-rigged racer. Soon after, other sailboats appeared: Biloxi catboats, Star Class yachts, and other various craft. Hulls were made of wood, sails of cotton, and cordage was either manila or cotton. Due to shallow water, most of these boats were centerboard boats.

Shreveport Yacht Club’s history is similar to that of other inland clubs such as the Corinthian Sailing Club on White Rock Lake (1928), and the Fort Worth Boat Club on Eagle Mountain Lake (1929). Both these clubs were located on city water supplies and the same fleets developed there, providing out of town competition for Shreveport Sailors.

The Club was organized in a small cove in the east end of the Cross Lake off Dilg League Drive in 1927. The Dilg League Club was selected as a name by the organizers. The first Commodore was Zack Lawhon and the first Secretary was Marvin Bass. Members were Wallace J. McGuire, Harold Arthur, Floyd Hodges, Holmes Thurmond, Ben Gray, H. E. Marion, Glen Walker, Ed Dickinson, Sherwood Loe, Dozier Webster and Ben Connally. Wallace McGuire served as Commodore from 1929 to 1931, during which time the name of the club was changed to the Shreveport Motor Boat Club, and then to Shreveport Boat Club. The Club was incorporated in 1932.

As organized racing took hold, a judges’ stand was constructed at the opening of the cove. Races started with the firing of a cannon, as boats sailed out onto the main body of the lake. Long distance races were sailed around Buzzard Island.

One popular class of boats in Shreveport and across the nation was the Lightning. This boat was unveiled in New York in 1939, signaling a new era in yacht racing. It was a sleek 19 footer that was more affordable; no longer was the sport of racing dominated by the wealthy who previously could afford the larger vessels. Individuals could order Lightning plans from the class association and build their own boats. The boat was also trailerable. In 1947, the first fleet of Lightnings (#175) was organized by Dr. R.B. DeLee, Dr. D.M. Davidson, and R.A. Roy. They were joined shortly after by Charles O. Hardey. Fleet 175 participated in several major sailing events in the area. In May, the Roy Family participated in the Pan-America Regatta held in New Orleans, and the Hardy Family drove to Dallas over the Labor Day weekend to compete in the Southwestern Championships. Sailing against tough competition, the Hardys’ Melody brought home the hardware. The fleet also competed in the Sugar Bowl Regatta in New Orleans in 1950.

By 1951, the fledgling Lightning fleet had increased to sixteen boats. These boats were reputed to be the best-maintained and most beautiful Lightnings to be found anywhere. Sailing season officially opened in April and closed at the end of November. In June, first and second places in the Fort Worth Boat Club Invitational Regatta were captured by David P. Comegys, sailing Strict Middlin and Gilbert S. Johnson, sailing Prelude, respectively.

Other fleets were organized in the late 1940’s. The "Y" Flyer, Fleet #7 was chartered in 1947, the Snipe Fleet #38 in 1948, and the Thistle Fleet #26 in 1949. Charter members of the Thistle Fleet were: Paul F. McBride, J.G. Yearwood, and Dr. Walter Colquit. Each type of boat offered different sailing experiences. The "Y" Flyers are eighteen feet long, flat-bottomed scows, the Snipe is a light weight fourteen-foot long sloop with a small sail area, and Thistles are light-weight seventeen foot dinghies.

One of the highlight events held at the yacht club, the Holiday In Dixie Regatta, was started in 1949. This regatta us still held today and is one of two major sailing regattas held by the club each year, the other being the Cross Lake Combeaux. The Holiday In Dixie Regatta was so popular in 1949 that it matched or surpassed the Cotillion Debutant Ball as a regional venue for celebrating the anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. Sailors were drawn from Dallas, Fort Worth, Mobile, and New Orleans and filled the club house and Cross Lake with different classes of boats. There were the popular Lightnings, Thistles, Moths, Y Flyers, and Snipes, all classes which were sailed nationally. Locally, there were more than fifty people from Shreveport who entered the competition, and few regattas offered more challenging competition outside the Gulf Coast than the Holiday In Dixie Regatta. Nationally and Internationally known sailors such as Ted Wells, twice world champion of the Snipe Class, and Eugene H. Walet of New Orleans would compete in the regatta. Walet went on to win the North American Yacht Racing Union’s Mallory Cup twice, and in the early 1950’s, he represented the United States in the Olympic Games in Australia.

During a period of drought, low water conditions at the Dilg League Drive site forced a relocation of the club to a harbor between Ford Park and the city fish hatchery. Several sites were considered, but since most of the membership lived in the South Highlands area of Shreveport, an easily accessible location was preferred. The Fleming home, which adjoined the Fireman’s Club and was very near the Municipal Fishing Pier was available. Several members financed the purchase of the Fleming property and the club relocated to the main body of the lake.

There was a great deal of enthusiasm for sailing on Cross Lake during the fifties, but three years of drought during this period and a low lake level curtailed activities at the Shreveport Yacht Club. As the Lake continued to fall, boats were relocated from the harbor to the front of the clubhouse in the direction of Buzzard Island, but not much sailing could be conducted. A swimming pool was constructed on the grounds during this period, and the a swim team was formed and competed in city swimming leagues. Finally, rains returned and the mid to late 1950’s

In 1955, The Southern Yacht Club hosted the Lightning Class Association International Regatta, and many Shreveport club members attended the national sailing event. The W.L. Somner family sailed "Smokey", the Cliff Prados family sailed "Dixie Doodle", Luther Griffith sailed "Solo", Walter and Mary Heiman sailed "Mary E. II". In a 1955 Dixie magazine supplement to the Times Picayune several Shreveport sailors, their families, and their boats were featured. The spring of 1957 was accompanied by flood-producing rains, forcing the cancellation of the Spring Regatta. Rains came again in 1958, and the Shreveport Yacht Club Spring Regatta was held on April 26-27. Seven inches of rain was recorded over the weekend, forcing the cancellation of one race.

In the 1960’s, the lake level stabilized and fiberglass sailboats began to appear on Cross Lake. Fiberglass boats offered design options not possible with wooden boats and much less maintenance. One Club member, Hollis Metcalf, developed a manufacturing facility in Shreveport, South Coast Sea Craft, and began producing a line of cabin sailboats of different sizes. His boats became widely popular in Shreveport and along the Gulf Coast.

It wasn’t until after World War II that serious organized racing occurred.

In 1948, the name was changed to its present name, Shreveport Yacht Club. The Club moved from the Dilg League Drive area to its present facilities in 1954, and the present clubhouse was completed in June 1972.

The following is a list of boat classes, fleet number, and the year a charter was granted to the Club.