In response, Rowe called organizational meetings at which a constitution, bylaws and burgee were adopted, and he served as the Club’s first Commodore. The Club leased the Steamboat Dock and was officially commissioned on June 17, 1933, with 60 members and annual dues of $10. In November, the second Frostbite Regatta was held, this time under the EYC burgee. Forty-six boats attended, a record for the time, with Sam Wetherill (namesake of the Club’s annual Wetherill Race) the winner of the Roosevelt Trophy. It is believed that EYC was the first yacht club inspired by frostbite dinghy sailing

Membership continued to grow throughout the 1930s, along with interest in dinghy sailing and the number of cruising yachts. By 1935, the club had outgrown its space at the Steamboat Dock and the club moved to a two-story building immediately adjacent to the south side of the Chandlery.

As the sport of yachting grew in the years after WWII and began to change from mostly a men’s sport to a family affair, cruising boats came into the limelight and member interest grew to include cruise-racing. Membership continued to increase and the club, under the leadership of Commodore Cornwall Miller in 1979, aggressively sought a permanent clubhouse and docksite, culminating in the purchase of the two acre property on which the club now sits.

Sailing and racing have remained an active part of the Club. In 1997, the Club was chosen to host the Rum Challenge, an Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association racing event that promoted EYC to a prestigious level among yacht clubs. The Rum Challenge, open to Club and non-Club racers, continues to be held each summer. In 2004, the Club purchased a fleet of Ideal 18s, which quickly generated enthusiasm for one-design races on the river. In 2007, the Club’s successful Women’s Sailing program was launched utilizing the Ideal 18s.