1927

The history of the Miami Yacht Club is entwined with the history of the City of Miami. The early Commodores from 1927 to 1950 (John Robinson, 1927-30, Arthur Bosworth, 1931-36, Henry Thompson, 1937-38, Robert Collins, 1938-40, Jack Wirt, 1941-46, '48 and '50, John C. Oakes, 1947, and Paul Palmer, 1949) and their fellow Flag Officers and Members are remembered for their adventures and contributions to both the Club and the City.

In the post World War I era, development fever swept over the Greater Miami area and brought about the birth of Coral Gables, Fairchild Tropical Garden, Miami Beach, the University of Miami, and Vizcaya. The Twenties also saw the rise of many hotels, as well as other commercial and residential buildings. Attracted by all this development, people came to sunny Florida, and many settled in Miami. Among the new residents were sailing enthusiasts who loved boat racing and yachts, and in mid-1927, the South Florida Boat Racing Association grew out of the monthly meetings held by these sailboat lovers, mostly people of modest means who owned small vessels, such as Snipes, Crickets, Suicides and Moths.

1928-1932

Despite the Association's modest origins, it gained an international reputation starting in 1928 as a proven success by organizing and sponsoring "The Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup Race," a regatta off the coast of Miami Beach. The Lipton Race was named for the renowned tea magnate, who three times challenged for the America's Cup in his Shamrock. He also donated the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, as the cup for the regatta and in so doing helped to put Miami on the map of international regattas. Nine years later in 1937, the Club deeded the trophy and race to Miami's oldest yacht club, the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, for continuance of the regatta. The reason for turning the Lipton Race over to the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club had to do with the fact that the former Association, which by this time had become the Miami Yacht Club, held two annual races, the Lipton Cup and the Miami to Nassau Race, and the Board of Governors decided it was "to the best interest of the sport of yacht racing and yachting in general in the Miami waters to have the two races conducted under separate sponsorship." Thus, the Board passed a resolution inviting the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club to sponsor and conduct the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup Race, with full custody of the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, "upon condition that such race is held annually during the week preceding the Miami-Nassau Yacht Race and upon further condition that should the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club fail for any reason to continue the race as an annual event, then the custody of the Trophy and the right and privilege to conduct the race shall revert to the Miami Yacht Club." The Biscayne Bay Yacht Club accepted these conditions and have to this time sponsored and conducted the race.