1973
On 24 February, a group of enthusiasts gathered at the Ugāle forestry club for the founding meeting. At the time, the founders had only two self-built small yachts and a well-used Olympic Star-class yacht rented from Ventspils Yacht Club. They decided to begin modestly, registering the new group as the sailing section of the forestry sports collective. The management promised to support the sailors as far as possible.
The enthusiasts began building a sailing base near the former Usma forestry office, beneath the junipers on the lake shore. It was a small building with a corner for the watchkeeper, a tiny kitchen, a toilet and a room proudly called the company cabin in yacht-club tradition. Whole families came to work on Saturdays and Sundays.
The newly formed sailing group’s fleet was anchored well offshore because the yachts’ draught kept them from using the jetties. By autumn, the sailors moved into the half-finished club building.
1974
During the winter, children’s dinghies retired by other clubs were repaired. In spring, newcomers from the eighth grade of Ugāle Secondary School could begin lessons and training in them.
The young sailors received their first racing experience on 20 July in a regatta organised by Usmas Jahtklubs. It became the first sailing regatta in the history of Lake Usma. Young sailors from Roja, Ventspils and Jūrmala joined the Ugāle crews, and everyone completed the course.
1975
The Ugāle forestry organisation was reorganised. Usmas Jahtklubs found new supporters and moved to the northern end of the lake, where it remains today.
1976
In spring, everything had to begin again. The club had grown substantially and its fleet now included yachts donated by other clubs. At the new site, the members decided to build a larger clubhouse with service buildings, a boathouse, harbour and jetties.
Alongside the construction work, three new yachts were built: NOVA, VIA and MORICS. Each followed a different design and could sail both on the lake and at sea. One summer NOVA sailed across the Baltic Sea and up the River Neva to the Valaam archipelago in Lake Ladoga. MORICS spent three summers sailing in the Gulf of Riga.
1980
On 3 June, the new clubhouse was formally opened with the raising of the flag, congratulatory speeches and a brass band.
In the early 1980s, the club began a new yacht-building programme based on modern technology. Saint Petersburg designer Igor Sidenko created designs for two types of yacht. Working on weekends, evenings and often at night, the members made the tooling needed to build fibreglass yachts.
1983
The first yacht in the Mini Ton series, MAKSS, was completed in spring, followed by AMIGO as the first Quarter Ton yacht. The new boats allowed the club to sail much farther afield.
1985
In August, MAKSS and KRISTA were the first club yachts to enter the Curonian Lagoon regatta. Usma sailors competed there for five consecutive summers, and by 1989 the club was represented in five scoring groups. During this period Aldis Kapenieks won bronze, silver and gold medals, while MICRO and ĒRIKA tested themselves in regattas in Russia.
1991
During the upheaval of the early 1990s, sailing was limited to Lake Usma. Construction continued every winter: a new jetty and service building were built, and the clubhouse underwent its first renovation. The yacht club retained everything it had built as common property and purchased additional land and woodland.
1996
In the mid-1990s, a new programme began to build MICRO-class yachts. In summer 1999, PINOKIO competed in the class World Championship in Poland. The sporty MICRO yachts became popular throughout Europe, and a whole series was built in Ugāle. Mārtiņš Čerbikovs, Ēvalds Strods, Voldemārs Liepiņš and Ilmārs Lakšs all tried their hand at new yacht designs.
2001
In January, long-serving club leader Ilmārs Lakšs retired and Staņislavs Backāns was elected commodore. In May, the 31-foot offshore yacht ARABELLA, built in Ugāle, was launched. In June, the Latvian Micro Class Association joined the international federation, with Usma sailor Mārcis Kalniņš elected as its secretary general.
In July, Lake Usma hosts a Micro Class European Championship round for the first time. The international federation makes the Usma round an annual event.
2003
MICROS, helmed by Staņislavs Backāns, becomes European champion in the Cruiser division.
2005
In midsummer, Lake Usma hosts the Micro Class World Championship. MARLIN, helmed by Madara Alviķe, becomes world champion in the Racer division.
2006
A major yacht-club renovation project is completed during the winter. Competing against 64 yachts in France, MARLIN successfully defends its Racer division world title.
2007
Young sailors begin training at the club’s Sailing School under coach Ilze Ledauniece, both ashore and on the water. During the season they enter regattas in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Italy, with Veronika Čače’s silver medal as the leading result.
2009
At the World Championship in Moscow, FLAME, helmed by Ģ. Bērziņš, wins the Racer division. Club sailors also win numerous silver and bronze medals in European Championship rounds and World Championships.
2011
A new boathouse is built with storage for yachts and sailing equipment. With support from European funds, the sanitary facilities are renovated and new floating jetties provide berths for 48 yachts.
2012
Lake Usma hosts the Micro Class World Championship. Club sailors actively compete in European Championship rounds and World Championships.
The cruiser yachts ARABELLA, a four-time champion in the ORC and LAT LYS 2 groups, and GABRIEL, a silver and bronze medallist in LAT LYS 1, compete consistently in Latvian offshore sailing championships.
2013
The club’s young sailors achieve strong results at the Latvian Youth Olympiad and the Latvian Laser 4.7 Championship, led among the boys by Ričards Čače.
2014
Young sailors regularly join adult crews. They have 12 Optimist dinghies, two Laser-class boats and one Micro-class yacht. Ričards Čače wins silver in the Laser Radial class at the Latvian Championship.
2015
The Sailing School opens enrolment for a CSDD-certified theory course leading to an international sailing and motor-yacht skipper certificate.
On 1 January 2015, Usmas Jahtklubs has 67 keelboats, 16 dinghies and 148 members from across Latvia.
2022
The yacht club successfully completes an EAFRD public-infrastructure project to rebuild the boat and yacht marina and make it accessible to people with disabilities. Sheet piling reinforces the shore opposite the club and crane, and the surface in front of the clubhouse is completely renewed.