The Fleet Charter

On New Year's Eve, 1939, a group of young men and women gathered to sign a Fleet Charter, granted to the Laurelhurst Flattie Fleet by the International Flattie Yacht Racing Association. At that time, Flattie enthusiasts from several neighborhoods bordering Lake Washington and Portage Bay signed the Charter. Many of them were in their teens.

In the early 1940s, sailboats on Lake Washington were a bright spot during a grim time. Virginia Boren wrote of wartime danger on the seas in the Seattle Times (August 2, 1942), noting, "...when one looks out on the sapphire blue of Lake Washington and sees the sailboats bobbing around like toy ships in a bath tub, one has a satisfying sense of security. Here, at least, boats are being used for pleasure."

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• Lake Washington was wide open for Pat Goodfellow and his friends.
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• Pat Goodfellow reminds us that some things haven't changed all that much.

Creativity and skill

Fleet members readily entertained themselves and others over the years. Some feats were good training for competition.

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• Ken Kraft mastered the art of gunwale sailing and took it to Canada.
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• Pat Osborne Wright recognized the beauty of a late night project in the 1960s.

Projects and excursions

The Fleet was a catalyst for improvements at the LBC and for fun elsewhere on the Lake.

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• In 1977, Fleet members built two floats for the boats.
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• Families went to dinner and for picnics in their sailboats.
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Anyone can get involved with the Fleet!

No sailing experience is necessary.

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• Jack Carver's positive approach is admirable, and his enthusiasm is contagious.
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• Pat Osborne Wright learned to sail on her own.
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• CLICK HERE to find out how other sailors got started.