Ninety Years of Yachting Excellence

This year, Port Credit Yacht Club is marking its 90th anniversary, and on the morning of June 6 that milestone felt real for the first time. Folding chairs lined the clubhouse lawn in neat rows, the flagpole carried a navy burgee stitched with a gold ‘90’ above the Canadian flag, and a fleet of sailboats waited past the breakwater for their turn to parade the harbour. This was Sailpast, the tradition that opens our season every single year, and this year it carried the weight of nine decades behind it.

Where the Sailpast Tradition Comes From

Sailpast traces back to an old naval custom. When you met a superior at sea, you were expected to dip your ensign and wait for the salute back. Around a busy yacht club, with boats coming and going all season, saluting at every single encounter would turn the harbour into a nonstop parade. Generations ago, sailors condensed the whole custom into one ceremonial day at the start of the season, and Sailpast was born. At PCYC, that day grew into a full morning of its own: a church style naval service and blessing of the fleet, the christening of new yachts, a lakeside luncheon, and then the parade itself, boat after boat gliding past the anchored Commodore to take the salute. The Commodore's yacht is the only one flying the full set of International Code flags that day, spelling out W-A-Y, a time honoured way of wishing every boat heading out fair winds, good sailing, and a safe return.

MEMBERSHIP
Traditions like this one are part of what makes membership here feel different. See what is included at every level on our Membership and Fees page, or email us to set up a tour. pcyc.net/membership-fees

Ninety Years of Sailpast on the Port Credit Waterfront

One rule of Sailpast has held for as long as anyone can remember. Miss the parade, and tradition says you owe the Commodore a bottle of his or her favourite. Members take that rule seriously enough that even when the weather turns dangerous, as it has a handful of times over the decades, the Commodore simply climbs into a dinghy and tours the harbour so members can salute from their own docked boats instead. Everyone shows up rather than risk owing the Commodore that bottle.

Ninety years earlier, in 1936, a small group of sailors decided this stretch of Lake Ontario deserved a real home for people who loved the water. They would have been amazed to see a single ceremonial parade, dreamed up to solve a practical problem on a crowded lake, still pulling members out to their docks nine decades later, cameras in hand, kids in life jackets, blazers pressed for the occasion.

Why Members Call Port Credit Yacht Club Home

Ask a longtime member what keeps them coming back, and the answer almost always starts with the people who share the water with them, long before it starts with the ceremony or the facilities. One PCYC family put it best: “PCYC has been part of my family for four generations. From Learn to Sail to racing and cruising, the club has shaped our lives. From meeting life partners to introducing grandchildren to sailing, we can’t imagine a better place to be.” A tradition only lasts ninety years because people keep choosing to show up for it, together, one season at a time.

JOIN US
If a story like theirs sounds like the kind of place you want your family to belong to, start your membership application, or email us and we will walk you through it. pcyc.net/apply-online

Join Port Credit Yacht Club for the Next Ninety Years

Ninety years in, we are just as committed to building as we were on day one. We are looking for the members who will help write the next ninety, whether that means standing on the lawn for next year's Sailpast, learning to sail for the first time at 35 or 65, or simply enjoying a sunset dinner on the veranda with a view of the Toronto skyline.

EXPLORE MEMBERSHIP
Come see it in person, and feel nine decades on this waterfront for yourself. Explore membership options, or email us to book a tour. pcyc.net/why-pcyc