100+ Years of Coronado Yachting History Exhibit Opens Friday

Coronado is surrounded by water.  And with that obvious and enchanting fact comes a fascinating history.  A history that Coronado’s Museum of History & Art will explore in detail, when their newest exhibit, 100+ Years of Coronado Yachting, opens Aug. 16. 

Coronado’s yachting history is deep, with many surprising twists. The first recreational activities the Hotel del Coronado organized for its guests involved sailing and boating. 

Glorietta Bay, today a world-class yachting center, was once so shallow that it wasn’t even called a “bay,” but rather a “bight.” Over the decades, Coronado yachtsmen have won a bevy of Olympic gold medals. And today, Coronado’s youth sailing programs begin for children as young as age 5.

Coronado’s yachting pastime has centered on the robust activities of three separate yacht clubs, each with its own intriguing history, personality and mission.  

The oldest of these–the Coronado Yacht Club on Glorietta Bay–is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Many historic photos and artifacts from the CYC will be on display, but notable details from the illustrious pasts of the Navy Yacht Club—San Diego and Coronado Cays Yacht Club, two other long-time nautical organizations on the island, will also be presented.

Highlights include an Olympic Gold Medal in sailing won by Coronado native son Robbie Haines in 1984, a beautiful handmade wooden sabot designed and built by a local craftsman and a touch-screen video kiosk featuring recorded interviews with long-time Coronadans about their yachting and racing experiences. One special aspect of local yachting lore presented is how Coronado’s iconic boathouse has metamorphosed over the years.

100+ Years of Coronado Yachting will touch on every facet of sailing and boating from races to etiquette, from motorboats to this year’s America’s Cup. The exhibit will remain on display through the end of the year. The Coronado Museum of History & Art is located at 1100 Orange Ave., adjacent to the Coronado Visitor Center. The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is by donation.  

For further information, visit www.coronadohistory.org or call 619-435-7242.

–Coronado Historical Association press release