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Aubeenaubee Yacht Club
Maxinkuckee Yacht Club
1896 - Social sailing began on the lake.
The first prizes (three pennants) were offered for a race five years later in 1901
by the Maxinkuckee Association. Thus awakening the yachting enthusiasm of all
who had sailboats.
1901 - August the Aubeenaubee Yatch Club was organized at Edwards Boat House
they adopted a constitution and elected officers:
Commodore: Henry C. Adams of Indianapolis
First Commodore: Harvey J. Elam of Indianapolis
Second Vice Commodore: Milton A. Edwards of Peru
Secretary & treasurer: Thomas H. Wilson of Logansort
Directors: S. E. Howe Jr.
Anton
Vonnegut of Indianapolis
Alfred
M. Ogle, Jr. of Indianapolis
The first race ran after the yacht club was formed was in August 1901. A fee of fifty
cents was assessed to each boat that enterd the race; the proceeds being used to
buy pennants for the winners. Winners were:
Sloops: "The White Lady", Elbert Shirk, Capt.
catboats: "Natty", Harry Wheeler, Capt.
In Summer of 1902 three races were sailed. Besides the winning pennants for each
race ; this year a Silver Cup was add for the boat which made the most points
during the season for each boat class. Winners were:
Sloops: "the Old Scout", S. E. Howe Jr., Capt. - all three races
catboats: "Le Vite", Milton A. Edwards, Capt. - first & second race
"uncas:, T. H. Wilson, Jr.
Capt. - third race
Silver Cup Winners:
Sloops: "the Old Scout", S. E. Howe Jr., Capt.
catboats: "Le Vite", Milton A. Edwards, Capt.
Officers for the 1902-3 season were:
Commodore: Henry C. Adams
First Commodore: M. A. Edwards
Second Vice Commodore: A. M. Ogle, Jr.
Secretary & treasurer: T. H. Wilson
Directors: Anton Vonnegut
S. E.
Howe, Jr.
Henry
Wheeler
In 1902-3 the yachts were divided into four classes: Flat bottom sloops, flat bottom
catboats, round bottom sloops, round bottom catboats. Five races were sailed that
year also; the first two for pennant and the rest for cups given in each of the
classes and a challenge cup which would be held for one season only. The class cups
being held permenantly. Winners were:
Pennant series:
Class A: "the Old Scout" & "Diana", tied
Class B: "Katherine"
Class C: "Flip", Kenneth Ogle, Capt.
Class D: "Nautilus"
Cup Series:
Class A: "Old Scout" & "Diana"
Class B: "Eleanor", Hervey Perrin, Capt., "Nautilus", Anton Vonnegut, Capt.
Katherine",
Alan Williams, Capt>
Class C: "Indian", Jno. Routh, Capt.; "Flip";"Shark"
Class D: "Tadpole", Henry Bliss, Capt.; "Natyty"; "Uncas"
Challenge Cups: "the Old Scout" & "Flip"
23 July 1903 - Culver Citizen - The Katherine... The 1st race of the Aub-bee-naub-bee Yatch club was sailed Saturday afternoon...
The course was from Edward's Boat House to a bouy off Norris' farm, thence to the mark near the Maxinkuckee Assembly Grounds,
then on to a bouy off Culver's pier and back to Edward's boat house....
Officers for the 1903-4 season were:
Commodore: Anton Vonnegut
First Commodore: S. E. Howe, Jr.
Second Vice Commodore: Glen Wheeler
Secretary & treasurer: Henry Bliss
Directors: Joseph Wilson
Kenneth
Ogle
John
B. Perrin
There were to be seven races in the 1904 season; three for pennants and four for
cups and all counting toward the challenge cup.
Competitive sailing continued and flourished together with The Aubbeenaubee Yacht Club for ten more years until t
he beginning of World War I. Following the war, and for several years thereafter there was only occasional sailing,
and enthusiasm for The Aubbeenaubee Yacht Club diminished.
Near the end of the 1920’s a new generation was growing
restless and it became apparent they wanted a revitalized yacht club.
1931 - early summer a group of young sailors met on Charles
Barnaby’s porch and the yacht club was re-organized as:
Maxinkuckee Yatch Club.
PO Box 53
Culver, IN 46511-0053
Walker W. Winslow was
elected Commodore and the club joined the Inland Lake Yachting Association (ILYA). Only three boats raced that
summer: Tommy Hendricks (Class B), Walker Winslow (Class E), and William C. Griffith, Sr. (Class C). Thirty-two
club members were present at the First Annual Banquet held at the Maxinkuckee Inn. The following summer, 1932,
the club boasted thirty-one boats in two classes only, E’s and C’s. David Cooper won for the season in a C-Scow
that cost $175.00.
By the end of the 1930's WWII was not far away. The Academy lost their sailing fleet to a fire and with the early 40's WWII
reigned along with the Gas rationing. Our sailors went off to war, Transportation to and from the lake became difficult.
Sailboat racing simply stopped
Competetive sailing started again after the war. 1948 - John Brandon organized
the club's first junior fleet and Charles Barnaby II became the first junior
fleet winner. The junior fleet only a year.
1953 - The Junior fleet was premenantly organized by Oscar Perine. During these formative years the Junior Fleet was managed
and led most notably by Robert E. Hollowell, Jr., from 1955-1960, and by Rupert Esser, from 1965-1973. Later Steve Speer was
involved with the Junior Fleet for six years-assistant to Bruce Holaday from 1975-1977 and director from 1978 to 1980. Brother
Scott Speer, together with Joe Schaub IV, carried on the tradition. (1980-1988) Merritt and John Becker followed in their
footsteps from 1989-1994. Dan and Andy Schuller carried the torch for 2 more years. (1995-1996).
In the late 1940’s and through much of the 1950’s, Oscar Perine’s large, beautiful Chris-Craft Cabin Cruiser was an institution on
the lake and most visible every Sunday afternoon as the Race Committee Boat. It was not until 1957 that the Club purchased racing
markers that were located on the lake and numbered on a map bound into the yearbook. During much of this period - from 1956 to
1962 - Don Speer served as Chief Judge and, as such, not only devoted every Sunday to managing sailboat races, but he introduced and
developed many of the racing procedures followed today. E. Allen Becker has manned the Judges Boat quite skillfully for many years
now.(1963-1997) He can usually be seen every Saturday and Sunday with Rodney Todd, Kitty Schaub, Judy Becker, Mike Rocap, Jan and
Rick Strait, and countless others. Allen and his wife, Judy, have also been judging many Regattas in Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan,
& New York.
Above is a year book from the 1953 Maxinkuckee Yacht Club. Printed by An Association of Summer Cottagers, being
38 pages. 4" x 6".
7 Sept 1958 issue of Culver Citizen states that the Maxinkuckee Yatch Club re-elected Jerome Zechiel as commodore for 1959 and Richard Gunder as secretary and assistant treasurer at the club's annual dinner meeting at the Culver In on Aug. 31.
By 1959 the club’s E Fleet numbered only five boats - all owned by the Academy - and after the summer of 1960, they did not race
again.
In 1961 the Annual Picnic left the Bradley lawn, where it had been held for as long as anyone could remember, and relocated on the
Maxinkuckee Country Club golf course. The C Fleet had grown to 25 boats by 1963 and to 29 two years later when, in 1965 a boat
registration fee was instituted. In 1967 The Maxinkuckee Yacht Club elected Joyce Hollowell Speer as the first woman commodore. That
same year Margaret Washburn became the club’s Assistant Secretary-Treasurer, a spot she held for over 20 years, giving invaluable continuity to the club as well as aid, advice, and guidance to commodores and members alike. Her address, 446 School Street, became familiar not only to MYC members, but to sailors all over the Midwest. Following in Margaret’s steps, was MYC member Jim Moss. Jim has sat in this demanding chair for over 10 years.
Peter D. Trone was commodore in 1970
Beginning in 1970 more and more local sailors began competing in regattas off the lake. This not only improved the level of sailing
competition on Lake Maxinkuckee, but also introduced many changes in race management. Allen Becker, ably assisted by Charlie Roth,
ushered in most of these changes. Not until the summer of 1983 were the permanent racing markers abandoned for newly purchased bright,
shocking pink balloons which allowed for more accurate course settings and permitted course changes during a race. This same year
the club purchased a Boston Whaler to be used as a chase and rescue boat. A violent storm during a race early that summer capsized
nearly the entire C Fleet. The Boston Whaler was put to good use, perhaps saving the lives of Jim Costin and Don Muehlhausen who had
been swept away from their boats.
By the time the 1973 sailing season ended, Cutter Washburn had become the first skipper to sweep the season by winning both the
Saturday and Sunday Series. Bruce Holaday would do it next in 1977, and Steve Speer in 1978. In 1981, two years after the Saturday
races had been split into two separate series to encourage more competition, Joe Schaub IV would win them both - as well as the
Sunday series - and do it all again in 1982.
For well over 50 years, C and E Scows had dominated sailboat racing on Lake Maxinkuckee. But early in June in the summer of 1977, a
group of young sailors met on Fred Wurster’s porch in culmination of almost two years of planning and there formed Hobie Fleet 216,
introducing a new racing class to the lake. Fred Wurster was elected the first Fleet Captain and under his leadership and that of
other enthusiastic Hobie sailors like Donal Ben Miller, Denny Barrett, Duke Niswander, Rick Strait, and Jack Keldenich, the fleet
flourished. The Hobie Fleet was active in the Maxinkuckee Yacht Club for 19 years but in 1996 this fleet was put into mothballs.
However, a new fleet was born. MYC welcomed the MC Scows as a fleet in 1996 with much help, again, from Fred Wurster. MYC currently
has 10 MC’s registered and it looks as though there will be more. Steve Schaub was the first MC Skipper to sweep the Saturday and
Sunday Series.
The Annual Memorial Day Invitational Regatta, instituted in 1973, was changed to a post-Labor Day event in 1978, becoming the Annual Fall Invitational Regatta. Through the years this invitational brought out the very best of the membership; cooks, judges, registrars, trash collectors, radio technicians, scorekeepers, beer bearers, bartenders, T-shirt vendors, ticket takers, fork-lift drivers, and traffic directors. Accordingly, the Yacht Club accepted an invitation from the newly formed National C Scow Sailing Association (NCSSA) to host its championship Regatta in September of 1982. This was a five-day marathon event testing every conceivable organizational skill of the club - and found none wanting. More shells were used in those five days for countless recalls than were used by the fleet for the entire summer, but the MYC Judges and Race Committee members never missed a flag or gun, a truly incredible performance! Joe Schaub IV finished seventh in this national event. Two years later the club hosted the 1983 ILYA Eastern Regional, in which Joe Schaub IV and Steve Speer finished third and seventh respectively
The Maxinkuckee Yacht Club hosted the Championship Regatta of NCSSA more times than any other yacht club - 1982, 1988, 1992, and 1996.
In 1996, it was co-chaired by Dixie Becker and Mary Anna Swennumson. The scores of dedicated MYC volunteers was by all accounts "the
biggest and best ever". The natural beauty of Lake Maxinkuckee and the willingness of MYC members to open their cottages to sailors
from all over the country was truly a monumental effort. MYC will be host, again, to this glorious event in the year 2000. In
addition to this Regatta, Maxinkuckee Yacht Club has hosted the ILYA Regatta in 1983 and 1989 and has hosted our own Fall Regatta
(the weekend after Labor Day) since 1973.
By the mid-1980’s, the Maxinkuckee Yacht Club counted nationally ranked sailors among its membership, computerized scoring supplied
by past Commodore, Jim Russell, 450 individual members, and combined fleets numbering 62 registered sailing crafts. The enthusiasm
for organized, competitive sailing is still abound.
The year of 1997 brought about a few financial changes. The first being an increase in dues. Adult memberships were raised from
$35.00 to $45.00. Family memberships went from $85.00 to $115.00. And Senior Fleet boat registration was raised to $50.00 from $35.00.
Also, Dick Swennumson – Commodore ’97 – spearheaded the campaign to obtain the status of "tax-exempt".
During 1997, another change was made. The Commodore’s Party that was held at the beginning of the new season was moved to the end of
the season. The club held their annual meeting along with Sailor Award Ceremonies during the August MYC Party. It was a beautiful
evening of music and laughter. Many social members were able to see the number of trophies, cups, and placques that are presented to
all ages. The Junior Fleet members truly enjoyed being recognized in front of all of MYC. All 350+ members! Another successful year
at Maxinkuckee has come and gone.
The summer of 1998 did not see any new changes. The sailing season moved along smoothly and fun was had by all. The MC Fleet
experienced another year of success on the water. They remain 10 members strong. Jim Russell and his family had an incredibly
successful year of sailing in the C and MC fleet. Roger Hartzell, Susie Hartzell, and Chris Chandler are all Russell family members.
The Annual Meeting and Trophy Ceremony were held again this year during the August Cocktail Party. It was held at the
home of our Commodore, Jim Bartlett. Jim has willingly turned the gavel over to our 1999 Commodore, Bob Kreuzberger of Kokomo,
Indiana.
MYC lost a loyal volunteer with the death of James Rodney Todd in the Spring of 1999. In his honor a new award for volunteerism was
established – the James Rodney Todd Memorial Trophy. The first winner of the award was Gene Benedict who has given many hours
teaching the junior sailors. In the Fall, Commodore Albert Wurster gathered a steering committee who began planning for MYC to host
the National C-Scow Regatta. This event was hosted by MYC in 1996 and was a huge success and a ton of fun. Father’s Day weekend
should see four days of exciting sailing on Lake Maxinkuckee.
In February of 2000, Culver and the Maxinkuckee Yacht Club lost a long standing member when Margaret Washburn passed away. Those of
you who have had your lives touched by Margaret know what a loss this is for many, many people. Margaret served as this clubs
secretary and treasurer for 17 wonderful years. According to some members, she was the yacht club. With her passing, too has another
decade of sailing on Lake Maxinkuckee ended.
The new millennium was kicked off with a big splash by hosting the 2000 National “C” Scow Regatta (June 15-18). Lake Maxinkuckee and
MYC played host to 67 boats from around the country. The regatta was a huge success and a good time was had by all. Commodore Albert
Wurster did a wonderful job of organizing this event. Junior Fleet had another tremendous year. A number of eager, competitive and
willing to learn junior sailors gathered every Saturday morning at the Campbell property. Lynn Del Duco and John Ducker along with
many other volunteers and parents did an outstanding job. Overall, Y2K was smooth sailing for MYC.
The year 2001 will go down in MYC’s history as the “summer with no wind!” There was not a single race sailed on any of the five
Sundays in July; conditions just were not right. Many trophies were not awarded. Despite the disappointing wind situation, the
junior fleet grew to large numbers as 31 youngsters learned to sail so that the tradition of MYC can continue. A very touching
scene occurred at the annual Senior Awards Party when Commodore John Becker presented the Rodney Todd Memorial Trophy to his father, Past Commodore, E. Allen Becker. That same evening John passed the Commodore’s title on to Steve Schaub and so we move on and hope for good winds and fair weather.
2001 - "C" and "MC" Scow Fall Regatta September 8-9
2002 marked the inaugural year for the Ladies’ Sailing School, which was
Gene Benedict’s brainstorm. Along with his fellow
instructors, Gene met every Sunday morning with ladies who were interested in learning to sail and some of whom may want to
eventually form their own fleet. The group grew from an initial 5 participants to an average of 12 ladies by summer’s end. The
classes were very relaxed and informal: the focus was on enjoyment, meeting new people with similar interests, and learning to
handle sailboats. Then, like Junior Fleet, the group eventually had its own class races. The program is definitely off the ground!
Sailboats (Sunfishes) are provided, so anyone who would like to give sailing a try is encouraged to attend, whether or not they are
experienced and whether or not they can attend on a regular basis.
2002 - 2nd annual Culver MC scow regatta Results of the Fall Regatta.
2003 - Fall Regatta
2003 Maxinkukee Fall Regatta Report
Submitted by Chris Craig LF-1
...
Unfortunately a stubborn high pressure system settled into the Culver area and refused to let go of it's grip. The judging team
lead by Allen Becker, Kitty Schaub, Sandy Sundberg, Chookie Kilander, and a whole lot of helpers tried real hard to get one Saturday.
We did try one W 3 1/2, but could only get about a 1 1/2 in. It was really bad because we had sailors from as far away as Augusta,
Georgia and Lake Kueka, New York in attendance. Many scouting the lake out for next years MC Nationals...
The chili-cheeseburger party was great. Stew Roberts chaired the regatta and put on a great show. Maxinkuckee had a great slide show
of the limited action, that it showed on a outdoor screen that was an old sail. Thanks to everyone at Max, you really put on a great
show and they even house the sailors. Quite an effort! This is a very special place to sail.
Sunday the high pressure remained and no sailing occurred. Boats slowly packed up and bid a sad farewell to a great place to sail.
At least we all tied for first. ...
The summer of 2003 didn’t provide many windy weekends. About 50 MC and C-Scow sailors from all parts of the country came to Culver
for the annual Fall Regatta and not a single race took place. The first Sunfish Regatta , chaired by John Zeglis and open to
everyone on the lake, was held the last Saturday of July and was enjoyed by about 30 entrants. The races were followed by a picnic
on the Zeglis lawn. It is hoped this will become an annual event. The ladies fleet and the junior fleet continued their weekend
classes and the MC fleet grew to 12 boats with Bruce Holaday picking up many of the class trophies. Lake Maxinkuckee was chosen as
the site fo the 2004 MC Nationals in August of that year and co-chairwomen Dixie Becker and Mary Anna Swennumson went into action
rounding up volunteers and making plans. Let’s hope for good winds and fair skies.
2004 - MC Scow National Championships was hosted by the Yacht club August 20-22.
2004 - Fall Regatta September 11-12
2005 - Results of the Fall Regatta. September 10-11 , 2005
| Skipper |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Total |
| Joe Schaub
T-17 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
| Chris Craig
LF-1 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
11 |
| Brian Brickler
B-18 |
6 |
2 |
6 |
14 |
| Merritt Becker
T-34 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
14 |
| Frank Davenport
B-303 |
10 |
4 |
1 |
15 |
| John Becker
T-14 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
17 |
| John
Cochran |
2 |
7 |
13 |
22 |
| Steve Schaub
T-91 |
3 |
8 |
11 |
22 |
| Bill DeCoste
LF-11 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
26 |
| Ben Carston
CL-1 |
8 |
10 |
10 |
28 |
| John Ducker
T-70 |
15 |
13 |
9 |
37 |
| Craig Parker
CL-3 |
DNF |
15 |
3 |
39 |
| Cutter Washburn
T-30 |
17 |
11 |
12 |
40 |
| Nelson Becker
T-7 |
11 |
12 |
18 |
41 |
| Dan McArdle
IC-686 |
12 |
16 |
15 |
43 |
| Don Wagner
LD-31 |
13 |
17 |
14 |
44 |
| Steve Meeker
T-9 |
DNF |
14 |
16 |
51 |
| Dave Zeglis
T-77 |
14 |
18 |
19 |
51 |
| Ed Furry
T-8 |
16 |
OCS |
17 |
54 |
| Tom Story
T-10 |
18 |
DNS |
DNS |
60 |
2006 - Results of the Fall Regatta, PDF file only -
Adobe reader required.
2007 - Commodore Merritt Becker; Fall Regatta September 7-9; results
|
