The Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club celebrated a momentous occasion June 24 nearly a decade in the making: the ribbon-cutting of the new BHYC Sailing and Education Center.

The club bought the property, formerly known as the McKown House, in 2010 and began housing the Junior Sailing program there in 2011. In 2015, members approved rebuilding on the property. Many designs were considered before the club broke ground last October. The finished product, the Sailing and Education Center, includes administrative offices, a conference room, and facilities for junior sailing programs, junior tennis, and social events.

Before cutting the ribbon, the Reverend Sarah Foulger shared a blessing over the new center and several leaders and important players in the construction of the Center spoke on the history and importance of junior sailing within the Club.

BHYC Commodore Robert Wheeler thanked those who had the foresight to buy the property when it went on the market. Wheeler also thanked Past Commodores Eric Hakanson and Neil Newton for raising the funds and the members of Boothbay Harbor One Design (BHODA) for their large role in the project.

General Manager Charles Barclay said the Center is a major improvement in infrastructure for junior and youth sailing in Boothbay Harbor, in Maine, and throughout the Northeast.

"When you see those junior sailors out there in the last week of March when the water temperature is 37 degrees … or when they're there in early November when Daylights Saving time is about to end, know that they thank you for all your contributions."

Past Commodore Dan Hare extended thanks to Maine Modular who constructed the building often in inclement weather as well as the designers and the excavation team. President of BHODA Alex Herger,

said that beside the celebration of the One Design fleet, their mission in the project is to promote youth sailing along with the hope of passing the passion for Boothbay Harbor’s One Design onto the next generations.

Said Jim Hunt, BHYC member of over 60 years, "Over time I became a parent of three in the junior program. Two sailors and a tennis player. Both my sons became instructors … so we were really close to the junior program and what it does for a family, what it does for the children: A lifetime of experience, a lifetime of learning how to have fun, a lifetime of how to play by the rules.”