The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) was established on July 30, 1844, when John Cox Stevens invited eight friends to his yacht Gimcrack, anchored in New York Harbor. The nine who met 161 years ago resolved to form the NYYC and named Stevens commodore. The theme of the club was, in those days, to race sailing yachts. Three days hence, the new commodore announced, members would be departing on a yacht-club cruise to Newport. Thus, began the historical connection between the NYYC and Newport, RI.

The 2006 Annual Cruise will be the club's 150th. In 1851, a boat named America won the 100 Guinea Cup given to the winner of a race around the Isle of Wight. The winners, members of the New York Yacht Club, donated the trophy to the Club, to be held as a ‘challenge’ trophy. Thus was born the America’s Cup, named after the boat, not the country.

http://www.nyyc.org/