Alphabet File page 39

  With favorable weather and water conditions in prospect, the race committee of the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club promise lovers of speed motor boat thrills, a generous feat of such this Sunday, May 27, in the big regatta, for speed boats driven with outboard engine, which is to be started on beautiful Bay St. Louis at 2 o’clock p.m.

  This is the regatta which was dated for last Sunday, May 20, but had to be postponed a week because of unprecedentedly  rough water and generally boisterous, inclement weather for this season of the year.  There had gathered at the Bay for the event last Sunday, upwards of forty outboard engine-driven racers of every description, hailing from Pascagoula to New Orleans.

  The elliptical course, over which the craft in the four races carded will speed, is staked-off paralleling the new automobile and pedestrian bridge  crossing Bay St. Louis, and close enough to the structure to afford a close-up view by the crowds  of spectators who will gather on the sidewalks of the structure  where they will be safe from passing automobiles. Each of the four races will be at four laps of the course.  The New Orleans contingent of Southern Yacht Club members, and others, will leave on the early train Sunday morning, quite a number of them to drive over in their automobiles.

  The Bay -Waveland Yacht Club, that which there is no more generously hospitable on the Gulf Coast, will keep open house all day, having made elaborate arrangements to entertain the visitors.  The regatta was arranged, and will be conducted,  by those veteran yachting enthusiasts, Capt. Charles A. (Uncle Charlie) Breath, Capt. Justin Green, chairman of the BWYC race committee and Capt. Emilio Cue, a fact which, in itself, insures  an unqualified success.

Excerpt from newspaper article May 1928 - by R. Lee Edwards - Times Picayune

 

  Speed Boat races took place in the Bay for many years.  The meet was known as the All-Weston Outboard Motor Boat Regatta so named because of  the  four handsome and expensive trophies donated by the Weston Hotel and owners, all of BSL, who chose “Uncle Charlie” Breath and W. L. Cue to sponsor the event.  In an article dated Aug. 2, 1929, C. A. Breath, Sr. calculated the  number of cars and people who viewed the races that past weekend and there were almost 1000 cars and approximately 4,840 people who came by car and countless residents who lived close by and walked to the races.

 

BAY WAVELAND REORGANIZES IN 1921

 

  The club had flourished ever since its birth in 1896.  The well attended regattas and grand social events had boosted yachting activity as well as an increase in membership.  In 1901, Bay-Waveland had close to 600 members , which was the limit, and dues were $6.00 per year.  I obtained a list,(to the right) from THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTHERN YACHT CLUB of officers and committeemen of 1903:

 

  The officers of the club were:

 

  J. A. Rawslins, commodore

  Richard Mandes, treasurer

  L. H. Fairchild, vice-comm

  W. J. Chapman, fleet captain

  J. B. Dunbar, rear comm

  Dr.R. J. Turner, fleet surgeon

  E. J. O’Brien, secretary

  Gilbert Marshall, treasurer

 

  The committeemen were:

  C. C. Bacon, N. E. Bailey, Jr., Dr. J. C. Beard, Lloyd Blake, W. W. Boullemet, E. J. Bower, Charles Breath, J. S. Breath, H. L. Burton, C. A. Butler, Edmond Cabiro, A. F. Cameron, J. R. Cazenave,George Clay, Paul Conrad, H. P. Dart,J. M. Demarest, W. J. Demarest, Rene de Montluzin, Capt. W. A. Dill, John K. Edwards, T. L. Evans, Edmond Fairchild, John A. Fell, James Garvey, J. W. Glenny, W. B. Gillican, W. J. Jannon, A. R. Hart, Henry Heber, L. J. Henderson, John M. Huger, W. W. Jenks, George Mallard, B. F. Markey, J. Mazerat, John Menge, J. Edmond Merill, John T. Michel, N. H. Moody, Charles  G. Moreau, Dennis Lenauc, Leonard Nicholson, Yorke Nicholson, W. E. Norris, R. F. O’Brien, Lawrence O’Donnell, John Olsen, E. A. O’Sullivan, Hednry Peters, A. W. Powell, Jodge H. H. Price, George R. Rea, James Rea, E. H. Roberts, Dr. A. R. Robertson, John C. Shansy, B. C. Shields, Dr. J. M. B. Spence, L. N. C. Spotorno, C. A. Thiel, Sr., and S. T. White.

 

  During the early years, a large portion of the membership of the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club were also members of the Southern Yacht Club due to the large number of New Orleanians who had summer residences in the Bay-Waveland area.  Many of these men served as Commodore, Vice Commodore or committeemen of both Yacht Clubs.

 

   The year 1915, (Sept 28), brought the largest storm recorded up to that date to the coastal areas from Pensacola, Fl. to Morgan City, LA.  Major destruction in these areas was reported and our clubhouse was one of the many buildings destroyed.  Biloxi Yacht Club was also without a clubhouse.  With no clubhouse and no dues being collected, inactivity set in.  The organization remained inactive from that day in September, 1915, through November, 1920, with only a few avid sailors keeping up with the sport of yacht racing in Bay St. Louis.

 

  It was not until  December 1920, that a group of men met and decided to begin reorganizing what was once the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club.  The group of men included Messrs. Earnest J. Leonard, P. V. Lacoste, H. S. Renshaw, John Osinach, Charles Breath, and G. R. Rea.  It would be called the Bay-Waveland Yacht and Athletic Club.  It wasn’t long before the original name found its way back to the organization.  The group purchased August Keller’s building, (built in 1894), which was on the corner of Washington and Front Streets.  Most people now, would know it as the old Star Theater.  Incidentally August Keller served as Bay-Wavelands treasurer in 1899.  Officers  elected were E. J. Leonard, commodore; Carl Marshall, vice commodore; R. W. Sistrunk, treasurer; and Hugh Bourgeois, secretary.

 

  On May 21st, 1922, the newly reorganized club would entertain 500 guests from Bay St. Louis, Waveland, New Orleans and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast at a reception and dance which would mark the formal opening of the Bay-Waveland Yacht and Athletic Club.

 

  In an article in the Sea Coast Echo, concerning the reception, it states, “The large representation was worthy of the auspiciousness of the occasion.  Every department of the club building was thrown open from the spacious ballroom and reception hall to the club quarters proper and the gymnasium as well,  The interior of the ballroom with its ivory tinted walls, from which hung the decoration of blue and white, the club’s colors, and the club’s flag and pennants, along with the American flag was illuminated to advantage.  The punch, ices and delicate edibles were served in one continuous round...nothing was spared.  Last night’s affair proved  in fact that the club at the outset took on its instant success, sponsored by perhaps one of the largest membership of its kind.”

 

  In 1922, the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club was officered by E. J. Leonhard, commodore; whose boat Winnifred is shown to the left, Edgar M. Rea, vice-commodore; E. V. Richards, rear-commodore; Bernard C. Sheild, vice pres; Emile J. Lacoste, 2nd vp; P. V ictor Lacoste, treasurer; R. W. Webb, secretary.  Other executive officers were: H. S. Renshaw, C. S. Matthews, George R. Rea, Rev. H. Perry, L. H. Burns, John Osinach, Charles G. Moreau, W. W. Chapman, Charles A. Breath, W. Patridge, and B. C. Shields.  Adam Lorch was chairman of the reception committee that night and S. L. Engman was the floor committee.  Other members instrumental in reorganizing the club were W. J. Gex, Sr.;  Clem Penrose Edward Schwartz, R. R. Perkins, George J. Toca, C. A. Sporl and Sam Zemurray according to Historical Society data .

 

  That same year, Bay-Waveland Yacht Club was elected to  membership of the Gulf Yachting Assn. (GYA).  Bay-Waveland had been a charter member of the predecessor of the GYA, the Southern Gulf Coast Yachting Assn. which was founded in 1901.  The first annual regatta of the reorganized club was on July 15, 1922.  The yacht club remained active through the 20’s, until The Great Depression.