The St. Augustine Yacht Club, formed in 1874 and incorporated in 1875, is Florida’s oldest yacht club. Founded during the post-Civil War era, the organization came together from group of well-to-do yachtsmen interested in promoting and enjoying their shared interest in sailing. The first commodore, Major General Gordon Granger of the United States Army, fought at the Battle of Chickamauga during the Civil War, and famously issued General Order #3 in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. This order enforced and informed residents that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves, and June 19, or Juneteenth, would go on to become a national holiday.
By the early 1890s, yacht racing had become a popular sport in the U.S., St. Augustine included. The St. Augustine Yacht Club was a sizable institution at this time, and many prominent individuals were members. The advent of steam yachts by the beginning of the twentieth century, however, diminished the popularity of yacht races. The 1929 Stock Market Crash and the ensuing Great Depression too brought about a decline in interest in the club, and by 1939, it was decommissioned.
The St. Augustine Yacht Club would reappear in 1978, however, following the construction of a new marina in St. Augustine. This new marina garnered renewed interest and led to the St. Augustine Yacht Club’s recommissioning that spring. Much like its earlier iteration, the club included any number of prominent local individuals. Of particular interest is the club’s first female commodore, Dagmar Chilman.
Dagmar Chilman, nee Leweson, was born on October 2, 1922 in Northwest London. As she spoke French fluently, she became an incredibly important asset to the British during WWII. She served as part of British Intelligence, and was taught how to parachute and infiltrate enemy-occupied areas to carry information back and forth for the French Underground. She was captured on her third drop into France and interrogated by the Germans, though she was ultimately rescued by Canadian troops. She would return to England to recover. She married for the first time in 1945, and finished her education at London University after the war.
Eventually, the former intelligence agent turned college graduate left for Bermuda, where she got a job working as an accountant. From there, she moved to Washington, D.C., where her interest in flying and aircraft led her to begin working with the Flight Safety Foundation. She worked there until her retirement in 1983. First appearing in the St. Augustine City Directory as a resident in 1987, Dagmar Chilman had married Frederick Chilman, and lived at Vilano Beach. That same year, she appeared in the membership rosters of the St. Augustine Yacht Club alongside her husband. Frederick Chilman himself was a notable figure, having been one of the men who helped to start British Aerospace, known today as BAE Systems. From 1991 to 1992, Dagmar Chilman would serve as the first female commodore of the St. Augustine Yacht Club.
She was an active member of the organization, receiving many honors. She was additionally a member of the International Order of the Blue Gavel, an association of past yacht club commodores from around the world. Outside of the St. Augustine Yacht Club, Dagmar Chilman frequently spoke to civic and military groups about her service during World War II. On June 6, 2011, however, at the age of 88, Dagmar Chilman would pass away after a lengthy battle with illness.
Written by Robert Covert
Sources Consulted
“History of SAYC,” St. Augustine Yacht Club- About SAYC, St. Augustine Yacht Club. Accessed February 13, 2025. https://www.staugustineyachtclub.com/about
1987 St. Augustine City Directory
“SAYC Membership Dues Billing Feb 25 87,” MC135, Box 9, Folder 47, St. Augustine Yacht Club, St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library, St. Augustine, FL.
“SAYC Membership Dues Billing Jan 31 87,” MC135, Box 9, Folder 46, St. Augustine Yacht Club, St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library, St. Augustine, FL.
“Obituary: Dagmar Chilman,” St. Augustine Record (St. Augustine, FL), June 10, 2011, 4A.
Dr. Leslee Keys, email message to author, February 24, 2025