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| About the Lake Sunapee Yacht Club |
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The following is an excerpt from an essay by Dexter Richards chronicling the history of Lake Sunapee and how the LSYC fits into that history.
In the late 1800's and early 1900's, sailing had become quite popular among the many families and tourists that inhabited Lake Sunapee in the summer. Regattas were held and the competitions between rival groups on the lake were covered in the Boston and New York papers. This frenzy in sailing activity spawned the creation of yacht clubs on Lake Sunapee. On August 29, 1902, about a dozen avid sailors met at the Ben Mere Inn to found the Lake Sunapee Yacht Club. A constitution and bylaws were accepted. Dr. JR Nilsen was elected Commodore and H.S. Welsh, the only other officer, became Secretary-Treasurer.
Dr. Nilsen proposed the now familiar club flag, which was accepted.
The Covell sisters, at the urging of Dr. Nilsen, had built the beautiful Granliden Hotel in 1906, overlooking Gardner Bay. It is beleived that Dr. Quackenbos enlarged his small cluster of guest cottages that same year into the magnificent 200 guest resort, Soo-Nipi Lodge, so that it would be bigger than Dr. Nilsen's Granliden. (The latter stood until torn down in 1967. Soo-Nipi closed its doors in 1965, and was demolished in 1970.)
In 1907, the Soo-Nipi Park Yacht Club was formed with Dr. Quackenbos as Commodore. At this point, neither club had a clubhouse, but in 1908, Dr. Quackenbos built one, and it is interesting to note that Morris P. Ferris appears as chairman of the Executive Committee of the Soo-Nipi Park Yacht Club in 1909.
A very interesting rivalry had developed between the east and west sides of the lake in many facets of summer life. Since 1902, Dr. J.R. Nilsen had been sailing his "Jan Ridd" with great success, winning many regattas. Dr. Quackenbos had a paid crew sail his "Camilla" which he steered with a wheel. Dr. Dickenson Richards Jr. told of the time when, after winning a race, Dr. Nilsen was suddenly hit by a line squall and capsized in his "Jan Ridd" near the Soo-Nipi Yacht Club. He had to be hauled from the water in full view of everyone at the club. He was so mortified, he refused to race the "Jan Ridd" thereafter...
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