Platinum Point Yacht Club's History
By Joan Flinspach, Club Historian
PPYC was founded to provide an organized means to enjoy boating at Burnt Store Marina. Various developers of the marina along with resident boating enthusiasts observed that events like the Golden Conch Regatta enhanced the quality of life. In September 1984 Anthony Diez, BSM Harbormaster, sent a letter to area boaters announcing a meeting on Saturday, October 27, 1984, to form a new yacht club.
At the meeting that evening Charles Plumb, President of BSM, presented John Landry with a check for $5,000 to form PPYC. As the owner of the International Sailing School at BSM, John Landry became the first commodore. Charter members planned a fall racing series with one of the first races going to Useppa Island on December 1st, 1984.
In the first newsletter, January 1985, the editor announced a winter racing schedule, a Ladies Skippers race, a district one J-24 racing championship, and a cruise to Longboat Key. By March, the Board of Directors received the Articles of Incorporation from the state of Florida. In October, the club acquired its first club house, half a mobile trailer. The editor of the December 1985 newsletter urged members to bring ornaments to the holiday party, which was named Trim-A-Tree. Early in 1986, PPYC club members danced at the first Commodore’s Ball.
In 1988, the PPYC hosted more sailing championships than any other yacht club except for St. Petersburg, Florida. In 1989, male members of the club hosted the first Valentine’s Day Pancake Breakfast.
The US Olympic Yachting Committee approached PPYC as a potential location for the Olympic Trials in 1992. Helen Ingerson, an international sailing race judge and future Commodore, brought the club to their attention. In 1991 and again in 1992, PPYC hosted the US Olympic Pre-trials and Trials for the Soling class sailboat races.
Members provided registration, support boats, private housing for judges and officials, morning continental breakfasts and buffet dinners. Volunteers served as the Race Officer and crew, signal boat timers, recorders, scorers, and photographers.
The winner of the Olympic Trials held at BSM won the Silver Medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The club continued to offer both US Olympic and National Soling competitions for 11 years. The US Olympic Committee awarded PPYC the honor of flying the Olympic Flag - one in only seven yacht clubs permitted to do this.
At the annual meeting in November 1992, members voted to purchase land to build a club house. Groundbreaking occurred on April 12, 1994, with the Grand Opening on February 18th, 1995. Bridge, Mah Jongg, grill nights, and other recurring activities became part of the on-land activities. Educational programs on topics such as boat safety were also added to the calendar.
In May 1998, members burned the mortgage. Club members started a new tradition with the Blessing of the Fleet in 2002. This event has since expanded this event to Fleet Week. Other traditions, such as Trim-A-Tree and the Pancake Breakfast have continued until the present.
PPYC’s 25th anniversary was celebrated in January 2009. We look forward to continuing our nautical heritage as we celebrate our ruby anniversary on October 27, 2024.