Mission

The mission of the Squadron is to promote and facilitate sailing and related activities. Our squadron is dedicated to carrying out this mission through reliance on our individual members’ talents and efforts whenever possible.

Because of our members’ willingness to give generously of their time, TSS has prospered and grown in spite of a modest fee structure. The Squadron intends to continue the direction that is the basis of today’s success: a wide variety of sailing activities, outstanding facilities, planned growth, and “hands-on” membership participation.

History

The Tampa Sailing Squadron has existed as a chartered not for profit organization for over 25 years, but the roots of the club go back into the 1920's.

The Squadron at that time was centered around the Tampa Yacht and Country Club. Its membership of young boys was loose and interchangeable with other kids from the Newport Navy, a Barcelona Avenue group and a Rome Avenue Club. Harold recalls the club was at one time known as the "Sand Pit Yacht Club". It was named after a pile of sand and shell located on the bay side of the Gandy Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard intersection. The kids tied up their boats in a small canal and played on the sand pile.

There were races long before there were ratings or Portsmouth figures to argue about. The Balcom brothers and Ed Martin recall the big race of the year was to Pass-A-Grille where the Tampa sailors would be joined by similar groups from St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota and other communities for races and a fish fry. They managed to sleep on the beach , in the boats or in the bus station.

For a time the club was located on city property behind the Tampa General Hospital. Tampa General is located on Davis Island, on Tampa Bay, adjacent to City of Tampa. There were negotiations with the city to take over some property on the southern end of Davis Island, but before any agreement was reached, Pearl Harbor brought recreational sailing to an end.

When the club was squeezed out of Dawson's Fish Camp by an impending land sale, it moved to Rocky Point where it leased property from Frank Bartke for $1.00 a year. A wood shack with a palm thatch roof was built. The dock was a WW II crash boat Lloyd Bird helped the club build a cement block toilet.
A number of boats were kept in dry storage but other larger boats such Doc Austin's "Fiver" trimaran were kept on moorings. A total of about a dozen boats were kept in the water but on low tides many were aground.

In the 1970's and the early 1980's much of the club's energies were invested in a series of races, both one design regattas and the Florida all class regattas.

Today, our main events have become the annual Gasparilla Regatta and originating in 1983, ( as the First Annual Race for the Roses ), the annual Fall Regatta. Both of which are well attended by boats from through out the bay area. In addition the club has, each Spring,

Since 1989, hosted the annual Spring Sea Scout Regatta which draws Scouts from all over the state of Florida and the south east states.

The club's facilities have also continued to improve with the times. In 1982 the main dock, named in honor of longtime member Claude Desmond, was constructed and several years later additions were added. The railway has been rebuilt and improved on two occasions.

The club house was expanded in 1986, providing us with indoor showers, ( the old outdoor shower was located behind the railway ) and a significantly larger kitchen. In the last couple of years we have seen a new hoist installed, the sea wall along the beach area was built, and the dry storage area relocated; just to mention a few. The club has also been enhancing the grounds.

Mailing Address
PO Box 3277,
Apollo Beach, FL 33572