The Club's history

With the help of English experience, one group of Hungarian nobles on 16th March 1867 established our country's first sailing club under the name of Balaton-Füredi Yacht Egylet(Balatonfüred Yacht Club).

The president of the club was count Ödön Batthyány who sailed in England and also won some races there. There were articles in England about the establishment of the club in he "Bell's Life" and in the "Hunts Yachting Magazine".

The fact that an English boat-builder, Richard Young, in 1881 started to build his first sailing boats in his workshop - next to our today's clubhouse -, helped the beginning of the sailing sport in Hungary. In 1882 the first regatta was organized.

On 14th September , 1884 the Stefánia Yacht Egylet (Stefánia Yacht Club)  was established with the assistance of prince Mihály Esterhazy as Commodore. 25 big yachts, 30 rudder boats and 3 motorboats belonged to the Club. Its clubhouse - which was built by right of Alajos Hauszmann's plans - is now the restaurant Vitorlás. The life in he club and organizing races became more and more regular.

On 24th June, 1912 the Club changed its name to Magyar Yacht Club (Hungarian Yacht Club) but in the next year there was a name change again, now with the permission of the Minister of the Interior and the king; it got the name: Királyi Magyar Yacht Club (Royal Hungarian Yacht Club). The sailors of the RHYC were the first who took part in he Olympic Games in 1928 in Amsterdam. One of the eminent sailors of Hungarian races and in he meantime regularly held championships, was Tibor Heinrich. As a member of the RHYC he took part in he Olympic Games in 1936 in Berlin and became 7th. In 1937 in the European Championship of 22 Binnen Jolle Class (22 feet Racing Dinghy) organized by the Zürich Yacht Club he became 3rd. (crew: R. Éder and P. Schimert)

After World War II. in 1948 the Ministry of Internal Affairs stopped the work of every public associations, also the RHYC's. They gave the handling right of the clubhouse and the property to Balatoni Hajózási Munkás Sport Egyesület (Balaton Sailing Workers' Sport Association). The founder and organizer of this club was István Németh, who was also the president of the Országos Társadalmi Vitorlás Szövetség (Hungarian Public Sailing Association), which was established in 1948. In 1951 the name of the Club became Balatonfüredi Vasas SC(Balatonfüredi Steel Workers Sport Club). The club and its sailors did a lot in these times for the Hungarian sailing sport. In this work the Balatonfüred Shipyards was a great help, which has built several sailboat types and with this helped the development of sailing. The Pirate, Star, plastic Finn, Moly(Moth), Dragon, Cadet and Soling boats were built and developed here. We have to mention now a historical event; in 1955 the Nemere II. 75 cruiser with Istvan Németh as helmsman and his crew reached the time record on the traditional Balaton Blue Ribbon Regatta, which hasn't been broken since that time.

In 1964 the Club moved to the today's clubhouse and changed its name to MHD Vasas(Hungarian Shipyards and Crane Factory Steel Workers Sport Club). In the 60s, 70s several sailors from Füred achieved good results in the frontline of this sport, in the sailing's blue. From the 80s they started the education of the rising generation in organized, sport school framework. In 1985 the name of the parent company changed again, and so the the Club got it's new name :Ganz Hajó Balatonfüredi SE (Ganz Ships Sport Club. Balatonfüred).

The rising generation started to produce good results and the young sailors reached the quality of the adults. The Club reached better and better positions in the ranking of the sailing clubs.

On April 22. 1990 the club's general assembly decided on a new club law and a new name The Balatonfüred Sport Club(BSC) was established, housing 6 different kinds of sports. The president of the Club became a yachtsman, Károly Simon. The club gets back the handling rights of the property from the parent company at this time. It is important, because it could be forecasted that the club would separate from the company as a result of the changing in politics. The getting back of the handling right caused a long court procedure. In the end of it the Supreme Court adjudged the right to the Club.

In 1996 the Law of Sports gave some parts of the sport-properties to the property managements. Due to this law the BSC became the owner of the sailing yard, one football-ground and one more property. The sailors were thinking of getting independent. With this idea they wanted to orient quickly to the changing situation of the society. After long pre-negotiations they separated from the BSC , together with the hikers branch and established the Balatonfüred Yacht Club(BYC) public benefit organization. The commodore became Adorján Lettner and the BYC got the property of the sailing yard with the buildings on it and the sailboats of the former Club. For this purpose we had to suggest the amendment of the Law of Sports, which was accepted by the Houses of Parliament.

After this the BYC has undergone a fast development: the fleet changed, a program for the rising generation's education was started, the Club's administration received new office equipments to help professional work . After small  territorial developments the club has built a new 70 boat harbour, raised the number of the Olympic Class and the Yach fleet. With these improvements in 2004 the Club reached the best place for the 10th time in the sailing clubs ranking. Several projects have been worked out and some territorial developments were suggested, all of them  in connection with the neighbouring local authority's property. The club employs young coaches and helps their professional carrier. The education of the rising generation is among the bests of the country and the kids reach good results also on international level.

The club has developed a well-educated race organizer team, which works in the races of BYC and helps the work of the Hungarian Yachting Association and other clubs, too. In 1999 the BYC organized the Cadet European Championship with great success, in 2004 - in cooperation with the Hungarian DN Association - the DN European and World Championships, in 2006 it was co-organizer of the succesfull Cadet World Championship in Balatonfüred.

The Club has a serious sport diplomatic work, among the members there are yachtsmen occupying important positions in the management of international sailing organizations and some of them work in the presidency, committees and class associations of the Hungarian Yachting Association.