Palm Beach Sailing Club glides into 60th year

From a small group of local sailors to a thriving waterfront community, the club welcomes generations of members.

Through changing tides, generations of members and decades of growth, the Palm Beach Sailing Club has remained committed to bringing people together on the water. 

What began as a group of local sailors seeking camaraderie through a shared love 60 years ago has evolved into a not-for-profit private club dedicated to sailing education, competition and fellowship. 

“It’s a place where you can just come and enjoy the camaraderie and learn about sailing,” Aaron Wormus, the club’s commodore, said. 

Founded in 1966, the Palm Beach Sailing Club formed with members gathering monthly at a restaurant or hotel and setting sail once or twice a month. Without a permanent home, John Hough, a former commodore and a member for 34 years, said the club existed mostly on paper. 

That changed in 1997 when members raised enough money to buy the club’s 4-acre headquarters on North Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach. Members paid $450,000 for the property, Hough said. 

The property allowed the club to expand beyond monthly meetings and occasional races. It is now a hub for learning opportunities, youth engagement, social events and competition. 

The clubhouse is on the Lake Worth Lagoon along a stretch under pressure from high-rise developers, allowing sailors to guide their boats straight to the waterfront. 

“The club is the only place that sailors in Palm Beach County can have access to the water to sail a boat like that,” Hough said. 

The property also has a beach and a historical boathouse with storage and a classroom.

Memberships with meaning 

The club’s location may draw sailors in, but members say its sense of belonging is what makes them stay. 

“We want the memberships to be meaningful,” Wormus said. “It’s not just being a member of a club on paper.”

That commitment is what drew Tim Birney to the club last year.

Birney, who has been sailing for 20 years, said he joined the club because of the community spirit, easy waterfront access and good boats. 

“It’s an opportunity to forget about everything day-to-day,” he said.

Similarly, Tammy Glad is considering becoming a member because of her love of the water and the club’s sense of community. Although new to sailing, she got a hands-on lesson last month. 

“I felt like I was in good hands, and they knew what they were doing,” she said.

Before visiting the club, Glad spent time learning about sailing. She said she appreciated the opportunity to help rig the sailboat and take an active role on the water, making the experience both welcoming and educational. 

“Everybody was really fluid about letting everybody interchange or taking a turn,” she said. 

Costs to join

Sailing can be an expensive hobby, so the club emphasizes affordable memberships, Hough said.

The full family membership is $2,400 per year for two adults and any unmarried children under 21 living in the same household. This option includes unrestricted access to all club amenities such as club boat usage, boat parking, dining at Mariner’s Bar & Grill and participation in social events. 

Associate memberships are half the price of the full family membership for two adults living together between the ages of 18 and 29. They get the same privileges as full family members. Junior members 18 and younger pay $300. 

To become a member, people must complete an online application, go through interviews with the club’s membership committee and submit introductory information for the club’s bulletin board. 

The club participates in events for nonmembers. Representatives from the club will be at Lagoon Fest on Oct. 31 in downtown West Palm Beach. The club will plan another event after Lagoon Fest, Wormus said. 

Application fees are $100, and a one-time initiation fee is $1,600.

‘Another one of those headwinds’

Sustaining an affordable program with a welcoming environment is challenging. 

As a volunteer-run organization, finances are among the club’s biggest obstacles, said Susan Slater, a member for 30 years and former commodore. 

The club relies on membership dues, donations and contributions to maintain its property, boats and other amenities. Rising property taxes have added to those costs. 

Through the decades, the Palm Beach Sailing Club has also dealt with fluctuating membership. 

Last May, the club lost roughly 40 members after House Bill 481 allowed local governments, including Palm Beach, to enforce stricter mooring regulations. The new law gave the town the authority to limit anchoring to no more than 30 days within a six-month period in the Lake Worth Lagoon. 

The changes required many boat owners to move their vessels from the lagoon within 30 days before local police cut their mooring lines. 

For the organization of about 250 members, the loss proved significant, Wormus said. 

“It’s just another one of those headwinds,” he said.

From father to son

Despite those setbacks, members say one of the club’s greatest investments is its next generation of sailors. 

Hough established the junior sailing program nearly 30 years ago. Designed to introduce children to sailing in an accessible and collaborative environment, the program has since become one of the club’s defining initiatives. 

Among those who learned to sail through the club is Hough’s oldest son, Clinton. Today, Clinton serves as the club’s youth sailing director, carrying on the program his father launched. 

For Hough, watching his son lead the program he helped create is a testament to the club’s enduring legacy. 

As the Palm Beach Sailing Club celebrates its 60th anniversary, members are working to preserve its traditions of racing and fellowship while inspiring the next generation of sailors. 

“I really want it to stay exactly as it is,” Wormus said. “Here’s a little carve-out of paradise that we’ve managed to maintain.”