Nahant to celebrate historic Dory Club

NAHANT – One of the oldest yachting clubs in the country is right here on the North Shore.The Nahant Historical Society is celebrating the 115th anniversary of the Nahant Dory Club (NDC) with a special presentation this Sunday at 2 p.m.The multimedia presentation, “The History of the Dory Club and Yachting in Nahant” will be given by Nahant resident Peter V. Foukal, who is a master mariner, astrophysicist and author.Nahant Historical Society Assistant Curator Bonnie D’Orlando said Foukal would relate fascinating tales of yachting, including the story of the record-setting trans-Atlantic voyage of the “Alice.”The world of New York sailors was turned upside down in the late 1800s, when the 27-ton Boston sloop “Alice,” owned by the businessman and sailor Thomas Gold Appleton, set a new record when it sailed 2,998 miles from Nahant to the Needles, at the western end of the Isle of Wight, England, in 19 days, 8 hours and 50 minutes. “Alice” was skippered by Arthur H. Clark, a noted helmsman and racing sailor of the time.Foukal said he became interested in sailing when he was a child in Montreal and he read “Swallows and Amazons.”Foukal said he learned to sail on a 21-foot F-class sloop that his family owned. When he attended McGill College, he raced an International 14 dinghy and spearheaded the revival of the university’s sailing team.Foukal’s ability to steer by the sun and stars stems from his career as an astrophysicist. He is the principal of Heliophysics, Inc., a founder and past president of Cambridge Research and Instrumentation and author of Solar Astrophysics.After moving to Boston, Foukal discovered Nahant when he was searching for the best spot to race his Laser. In 1990, Foukal acquired a Bridges Point 24 sloop he named “Mischief” and at that time he was instrumental in having the Dory Club adopt the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet system, which allows differing types of boats to race together on an equal basis.As member of the Dory Club, Foukal has tirelessly been promoting sailing education and water safety. He worked with Karen Falat to re-invigorate the junior sailing program, which continues to flourish.For the Nahant Dory Club centennial celebration in 1994, Foukal wrote a book on the history of the Nahant Dory Club. For that book, he culled through the collections of the Nahant Historical Society and interviewed several members of the club including Don Hodges and Herb Motley.The free lecture will be held on July 12 at 2 p.m. in the Serenity Room of the Nahant Community Center, 41 Valley Road. Parking is limited at the Nahant Community Center, so attendees are encouraged to park at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 248 Nahant Road. A free shuttle van service will be available between 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. from St. Thomas Aquinas to the Nahant Community Center.