1982: The Pentagon Sailing Club originally existed as an Authorized USAF MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) program.  The club’s 15-20 members met occasionally at lunchtime for discussions and to conduct MWR club business.  Limited access to Flying Scott 19’ boats for instruction was available at the Belhaven Marina.  

1983-1984:  The first on-water club event was a Columbus Day Raft-Up, complete with custom “crew shirts”.  Three or four boats rode at anchor in St. Michaels that weekend. Over “grog” and shared food, members came up with the idea of creating a more formalized club structure, with a training plan to encourage and qualify those with interest in sailing. The original officers were Commodore, Vice Commodore and Training Commodore.

1985-1986: The club had a membership of approximately 80 active-duty military and DOD civilians as well as a formal training plan structured according to the Navy’s standards. A certification of “watch-captain encouraged those aspiring to attain Chesapeake ‘Bare Boat’ skipper status to train on cruising boats.  However, a change in MWR Policy provided the impetus for the club to align itself more closely with the Navy Sailing Association with sponsorship by Naval District Washington.  An agreement was reached that provided the club with access to the existing Anacostia waterfront boat house and marina for sailing ops and the upper level of an adjacent building with several rooms for conducting classroom training. Six O’Day 17’ boats were moved from the Solomons Island Rec facility to establish the PSC/Anacostia training fleet.   The arrangement enabled the club to hold basic sail training on four consecutive Saturday mornings each month from May through August.  

The members who successfully completed the basic training could use the boats for recreational sailing during the weekly afternoon “social sails”, when non-qualified members were matched with those the club had trained. The training scheme provided a way for members to acquire successive levels of qualifications by volunteering their time as on-water, in-boat instructors for the basic program in exchange for access to the more advanced training opportunities.  Club members could be certified according to U.S. Sailing Association standards thanks to partnering with the Annapolis based Navy Sailing Association for instructor training classes.  Some members also joined the U.S. Naval Academy Sailing Squadron (NASS) to attend classes there and ultimately serve as “safety officers’ and coaches of the midshipmen seamanship training program.     

In addition to on-water instruction, the club conducted safety/seamanship, coastal piloting, marine systems training and celestial navigation classes.    To conduct intermediate level on-water training, the Club added an O’Day 23’ to provide members with the qualification to operate a sailboat with auxiliary power and equipment for night sailing.   Meanwhile the bay sails and raft-ups continued to be a significant draw to club membership which grew to 180 members. Monthly meetings at the Anacostia Officers’ Club were well attended. 

1987 - 1990:   The club operated out of the Anacostia marina and established relationships with other yacht clubs and sailing organizations in the Washington D.C. area.  It was during this period the club added a number of events and activities that became club traditions: a small boat racing fleet that trained skippers in the “racing rules of sailing”.  The “Hydrilla Cup” originated as a challenge event that pitted men and women crews racing against each other for bragging rights the following year. 

Along with the River programs, the Bay program remained a huge success and bare boat charters with PSC trained skippers and crew became a normal week-end activity.  The club arranged a seasonal charter of an Elite 32’ cruiser, “Inherit the Wind” that along with other chartered boats made voyages around the DELMARVA Peninsula for offshore/near coastal navigation training.  Night transits through the C & D canal and an offshore leg to Chesapeake Light were qualifying runs for many PSC members.

During this same period the club established its own unique club burgee and established a “ship store” for the purchase of sailing attire & club logo apparel by club members.  Volunteerism in the club was rewarded with drinking glasses and coffee mugs sporting the new club burgee.  The tradition of hosting an annual Christmas Party also began during which volunteers and leaders of the various programs were recognized. 

Addressing the need to keep fully qualified, well experienced members involved in support of the training program, a unique category of membership called the “Old Salts” was established.  Its intent was to recognize long-term commitment to the club, keep senior members engaged with club activities and to add a group of seasoned sailors and advisors to the club’s current bridge officers.  Inspiration for the “Old Salts” resulted from a photograph in the Navy Yard Museum of four “Old Salts” sitting on the fo’c’sle of a 18^th century sailing ship.  “Old Salts” are nominated and elected by the club officers typically one each year with the announcement of new “old Salts” made at the annual Christmas Party. 

In the mid-90’s when Navy eliminated support of the Anacostia Marina, the club transitioned to the Joint Anacostia Bolling Air Force Base (JBAB) MWR marina .  The club continued to use Navy Sailing Association materials and to offer U.S. Sailing Association instructor training classes.  Over the next decade, training materials and certification criteria based on those of American Sailing Association (ASA) became the training model.  It was during this same period that the club petitioned for and gained recognition as a 501C-7 organization and broadened its membership eligibility to include everyone.