Vision
of the Club
State of the Club - Dec. 31, 2006
Hi, I’m Michael Fortenbaugh and I have the privilege of serving as Commodore of the Manhattan Sailing Club.
In 1985, I graduated college, moved to New York City and looked out over the harbor.
It was a large and beautiful body of water. But there were no sailboats and there was no recreational use.
I grew up sailing at the Jersey Shore. Sailing always gave me a great amount of pleasure. It gave me confidence. It brought me closer to nature. It helped me meet new and interesting people.
It was what I liked to do most in life. It was my passion.
Our city used to be the sailing capital of the country. In the 1800s, there were many sailing clubs and regattas in the harbor. We used to be famous for our fleet of sandbaggers. The America’s Cup races were held in New York Harbor until 1929.
But when I moved to New York City, there was no sailing in the harbor. I set about to change this.
I had two dreams. First, I wanted to reintroduce sailing to the harbor.
Second, I wanted to make this great sport more accessible to more people. All New Yorkers should have the opportunity to experience the joy and beauty of sailing in the harbor.
If you and I are successful together, New York Harbor will once again become a sailing capital. This will improve everyone’s quality of life and make our city more livable.
To achieve these dreams, I created the Manhattan Sailing Club in 1987 using the innovative concept of a shared-use fleet of boats. Because dock space was so scarce, we needed to make sure each slip and every boat served many people.
Shared-use is also more time efficient because boats can be professionally maintained. You get to spend your limited free time sailing rather than fixing and repairing.
And shared-use lowers the cost of sailing substantially, making the sport more accessible to more people.
Since our club was founded, we've made great strides and received substantial support. Today, there is a growing public will for a vibrant recreational waterfront.
Please join me in our leadership role of changing this city for the better. We have a bright future and an important mission.
Let's go sailing and enjoy one of the greatest harbors in the world!