Eastern Yacht Club recently took possession of 6 brand new Sonars built by Rondar Raceboats, UK. This was a culmination of years of work by staff and Sailing Committee members, including intensive labor over the last few months to get the boats assembled, race-ready and launched for the start of the season.

With the new boats, the Sonar fleet will continue to serve club members as it always has, aiming to increase sailing participation and carry on Eastern’s tradition of yachting success for years to come.

Plans for the new fleet of Sonars include:

• Use by Team EYC for local fleet, team and match races and practices.
• Sailing lessons, from “Adult Learn to Sail” to advanced clinics.
• Sonar Charters: Everything you need to know about getting out on the club fleet.
• A new summer “pickup” racing series in collaboration with the Corinthian Yacht Club. Designed to be flexible, social and competitive, the series features two race days per month with a mix of fleet, team and match racing.
• Women on the Water (WOW): Connect with our vibrant community of female sailors for coached sessions and social sails.

To honor the Club’s rich sailing history, each Sonar proudly carries the name of an historic racing yacht that helped cement EYC’s legacy as a major player in competitive sailing.

Puritan

The sloop Puritan, launched in May 1885 and designed by Edward Burgess, was a 94-foot center-boarder with a 22-foot beam and a 27-ton lead keel. She successfully defended the America’s Cup in 1885 against challenger Genesta of the Royal Yacht Squadron. This victory marked the first of three successful Cup defenses against the British by EYC yachts in as many years. The prestigious Puritan Cup is awarded to boats achieving the best-corrected time in competitive racing classes, a tradition honoring this historic yacht.

Mayflower

Mayflower was the victorious U.S. defender of the sixth America’s Cup in 1886 against Scottish challenger Galatea. Mayflower was the second America’s Cup defender designed by Edward Burgess, also built by George Lawley & Son and launched in 1886 for owner General Charles J. Paine of Boston. Paine was also the owner of Puritan and Volunteer, each of which successfully defended the America’s Cup against a British challenger.

Volunteer

In 1887, Volunteer defended the America’s Cup against Scottish challenger Thistle. She was the first America’s Cup winner with a steel frame and hull, which provided a strong structure that carried ballast lower than wooden-hulled predecessors. Volunteer was the fastest boat ever designed by Edward Burgess, and the last EYC boat to defend the Cup. Crowds gathered harborside when she returned home, followed by a town-wide celebration.

Yankee

Launched in 1930, Yankee was a legendary J Class yacht specifically commissioned by a syndicate at EYC. Designed by Frank Cabot Paine, she was built to contend for the 1930 America’s Cup. She lost the 1930 defender spot to Enterprise but remained competitive, famously losing the 1934 trial to Rainbow by only one second. As a J Class boat, she had massive proportions, including a 167-foot mast and roughly 6,500 square feet of canvas. In the clubhouse ballroom you can see her mast step and life ring displayed.

Shadow

Built in 1871, Shadow arrived in 1872 under owner/new member Charles S. Randall. A fixture in the yachting scene, she was one of EYC’s best known early yachts, called “the most famous sloop about Boston.” She was a compromise between an English deep, narrow cutter and a beamy, shallow American centerboarder, designed by young Nathanael Herreshoff. She won a high-profile race against the fast EYC boat, White Cap, highlighting the benefits of the Herreshoff design. Shadow’s hull and rigging design set the stage for future yachts, including Puritan and Mayflower.

Rebecca

Rebecca, a 75ft centerboard schooner, was EYC’s first flagship, owned by inaugural Commodore John Heard. She was built circa 1855-1857 by William Tooker in NY originally as a sloop but converted to a schooner. After Heard, she was owned by four more EYC members, including Commodore William A. Gardner. She left the EYC squadron when he sold her after purchasing Cup defender Mayflower in 1890.