Club History
An application to form the Pelican Yacht Club of Baton Rouge as a nonprofit corporation in the State of Louisiana was filed with the Secretary of State on March 11, 1960, and subsequently approved. The signatories on that application were: Lemuel E. Hawsey, Jr., Jac H. Olmstead, Charles D. Germany, Wm. N. Sterling, Jr., Martin J. Felipe, Jr., Ralph T. Wall, Robert H. Fletcher, and Jay W. Oberling.
The purposes of the Club is “to encourage the art of sailing and seamanship, to provide a suitable clubhouse and anchorage for its members.”
— Pelican Yacht Club’s Articles of Incorporation
Physically, the Club leased a site on the New Roads-side of False River. The site included a small structure that would serve as its clubhouse, a launch ramp, and a reasonably ample area for the storage of sailboats on trailers. As the Club prospered and matured, so did the size of the sailboats of its members - Flying Scots, Mariner 19’s, and Catalina 22’s. The Club had a very active sailing and social agenda with articles and photographs often appearing in the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate describing its annual banquets and race results. The on-water experience and sailing competition of its members and their children both within the Club and against sailors from other clubs resulted in sailors who achieved regional, national, or international recognition.
In 2016, after more than 50 years at its original False River site, the owner of the property decided to end the lease that required the Club to identify an alternative site. While not ideal, the Club re-established its presence on the False River at a site leased near the eastern end of False River adjacent to the Sand Bar Restaurant in Oscar. The site provided sufficient storage space for the Club, Club members’ sailboats and convenient access to a launch ramp. For storage of rigging, sails, and other gear, the Club purchased a storage building. The site proved to be reasonably adequate. While occupying this site, the Club established the Teekell Sunfish Race Series in honor of Terry Teekell, its longest-serving member at that time.
In late 2020, the Club was given two months to vacate the site because the owner had decided to transform the site into an RV park. A search of options both at False River and other nearby possibilities, lead the Club to relocate to Marina Del Ray in Madisonville, LA. The marina offered wet and dry storage, a restaurant, bathrooms with showers, security, and a convenient launch ramp to the Tchefuncte River and ultimately to the Lake Pontchartrain sailing venue. Additionally, Madisonville and nearby Mandeville offered access to some excellent restaurants, yacht services, a marine supply store, and a hardware store. Fortunately, Jim Major, owner of Jim’s Bar & Grill, allowed us to store several of our club boats and trailers on his property in Ventress during this transitional period.
For the use of its members and to offer sailing lessons to new members, the Club’s Mariner 19 was moored at the Marina. Fortunately, Fred Brunt of the Lake Arthur Yacht Club had recently donated the Mariner 19 to the Club. For a time, the Club was allowed to store its four Sunfish at the Sand Bar Restaurant but later moved them to a storage pavilion located on the “island-side” of False River in the community of Jarreau.
Terry Teekell with his wife, Ermyn, presenting an award to Justin Neilson, the initial winner of the novice class of the race.
For the foreseeable future, the Club plans to maintain its presence and sailboats at both Marina Del Ray/Madisonville and the storage pavilion in False River/Jarreau. Likely, the Club will move its Mariner 19 to False River during 2023 and replace it with the Eclipse 6.7.