JAYC 100: The 2020s

This is the final weekly post about the history of JAYC. See you at the JAYC100 Celebration!

As JAYC approached its 100th birthday, the program continued to grow and thrive. Though the COVID summer of 2020 forced all junior sailing to reimagine itself with sailors grouped into “pods,” more sailors picked up singlehanded boats like the Laser 4.7 (ILCA 4) and regattas held as solely meet on-the-water events, JAYC continued, and was in many ways, a welcome respite from the global crisis, just as it had been through World War II. As COVID receded, JAYC bounced right back, with between 140-150 sailors participating every summer, many of whom are second, third, or even fourth generation JAYCers! JAYCers continued to shine on the water, racing competitively on Long Island Sound and beyond. More JAYCers than ever have continued their sailing in high school and college sailing, with particular highlights including Michelle (2020) and Vanessa Lahrkamp (2024, 2025, 2026) both earning the ICSA’s Women College Sailor of the Year Award.

One hundred years of JAYC have seen many changes at AYC and in the sport of sailing. JAYCers in the 1920s could not have imagined sailors sporting bright colored lifejackets, rash guards and helmets who zip around the harbor in boats that plane or that require sailors to carefully balance on a trapeze. They would have understood starboard and port tacks, but might have been baffled by markbots, a three-minute starting sequence (run by an automated box no less!), or having the option to take a two-turn penalty for breaking a rule. Instructors in the early decades of JAYC were certainly not communicating on VHF radios, checking weather forecasts from their pockets, or snapping photos to share via social media. After sailing was over for the day, early JAYCers could not stop by the AYC pool for a quick cooldown or have dinner with friends and family on Picnic Point. But – decade by decade, members of the Junior American Yacht Club have learned to enjoy time on the water, respect the elements, earn respect across Long Island Sound for being smart, swift, and sportsmanlike on the racecourse, and forge lifelong friendships.

As we begin the second century of JAYC, the future is bright!

JAYC 100: The 2010s

This is the eighth weekly installment about the history of JAYC, leading up to the JAYC100 Celebration at AYC later in June. The 2010s were a particularly exciting decade for JAYC, as Sailing Director Kevin Broome joined AYC in 2010 and oversaw several strategic changes. Under Kevin’s leadership (with

JAYC 100: The 2000s

This is the seventh installment in a series about the history of JAYC in anticipation of the JAYC100 Celebration later this month. JAYCers celebrated the beginning of the 21st century by continuing what they had been doing for the previous seven decades – having fun on the water, building character, racing

JAYC 100: The 1990s

This is the sixth weekly installment in a series about the history of JAYC, leading up to the JAYC100 Celebration at AYC in June. JAYC roared through the 1990s and toward the millennium. JAYCers continued to sail Optimists, Blue Jays, Lasers, and Laser Radials. The International 420 was replaced by

JAYC 100: The 1980s

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! This is the fifth installment in a series about the history of JAYC, leading up to the JAYC100 celebration at AYC in June. The 1980s were another fabulous decade for JAYC. As AYC celebrated its 100th anniversary and JAYC its 60th, JAYCers continued to learn to

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JAYC 100: The 2010s

JAYC 100: The 2000s

JAYC 100: The 1990s

JAYC 100: The 1980s