Wind, water
and a start gun.
The most active club racing program in the Charlotte area. Four seasonal series, a Thursday Retiree Series, and one-design and Portsmouth fleets racing boat on boat since 1939.
The most active club racing program in the Charlotte area
We run four club seasonal series every year and a Retiree Series every Thursday. The Fall, Winter, and Spring series consist of bi-monthly racing on scheduled Sundays. The summer series includes weekly races on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. On any given race day, sailors will find active one design and Portsmouth class racing at CYC.
While CYC is a private club, we heartily welcome non-member racers. Any sailor interested in participating in racing at CYC should contact one of our fleet captains for additional information on how to get started.
- Skippers meetings
- 12:30 (Winter–Spring) · 09:30 (Fall)
- Racing starts
- 13:00 (Winter–Spring) · 10:00 (Fall) · 18:00 (Summer)
- Fees
- No charge to CYC members · $40 per series or $120 per year for nonmembers
- Active one-design fleets
- MC Scow · Flying Scot · Ensign, plus an active Portsmouth fleet
Three ways onto the race course
Whether you've never trimmed a sheet or you're chasing a national title, there's a fleet for you at Catawba.
One-Design Racing
Identical boats, first across the line wins. Home to MC Fleet 86 and three national champions.
- · Four club series a year
- · Class regattas across the Southeast
- · Jim Cook One Design Regatta in October
Portsmouth Fleet
Whatever you sail, there is a start for you. Finishes are corrected by US Sailing Portsmouth rating.
- · Second start every race day
- · Any monohull welcome
- · Non-members race for $40 a series
Learn to Sail
A weekend Sunfish clinic on Lake Wylie. Rig it, sail it, capsize it, right it — then join the summer series.
- · Small groups, multiple instructors
- · Boats and equipment included
- · Members $250 · Non-members $450
What's happening on the water
Regatta reports, the racing calendar, conditions and the latest series standings — all in one place.
Latest news
Racing season
Water & wind
Racing is cancelled above 20 mph or below 45°F on the Pavilion weather station. Check the forecast before you rig.
A family club with a beach full of boats
Catawba Yacht Club was organized in 1939 to promote boating on the river. Members race, cruise, row and enjoy the social calendar. While CYC is a private club, we heartily welcome non-member racers — the racing is competitive but the start line is friendly.
- Clubhouse & lakeside pavilionSkippers meetings on the deck, awards on the patio, and a weather station that decides whether we race.
- Beach, docks & dry storageLaunch dinghies from the club beach, keelboats from the docks; trailer storage for members.
- A protected race courseWindward/leeward courses set off the club and a pursuit course that runs the length of the lake.
Racing on Lake Wylie since 1939
- 1939
Catawba Yacht Club is founded as a sailing club on Lake Wylie to promote boating on the river.
- 2012
The current CYC Racing Instructions take effect with the first Spring Series race — two fleets, low-point scoring, 25% discards.
- 2021
Dave Forrest wins the Atlanta Rebel Rouser MC Regatta, starting a run of five straight CYC victories.
- 2022
The Myers Cup Club Dinghy Championship comes down to a tie-break between Fred Herr and Jan Havmoeller.
- 2025
Jan Havmoeller, National MC Champion (heavyweight), runs the table at the Jim Cook One Design Regatta with five bullets.
- 2026
A fourth consecutive Atlanta win, and the first Learn to Sail clinics graduate a new generation of Sunfish sailors.
The start line is open to you.
Message the fleet captains, tell us what you sail (or that you don't yet), and we'll get you on a boat. Skippers looking for crew and crew looking for a ride meet on the CYC Available Crew List.