Model yacht racing became an organized sport in Brooklyn, New York after the Civil War. Soon there were clubs emerging in the port cities along the East and West Coast and in Detroit. The early clubs sailed on semi-open waters until specially built model yacht basins were built. Many of the yacht basins were built between 1935 and 1943 with government money using Work Progress Administration labor. During the Depression (1929-1939) many people substituted model yachting as a more affordable hobby. During the 1940s and 1950s the sport became elitist, partially due to the fact that advances in design and technology were available to only a select group of people. Women were rarely included in the sport, except in auxiliary roles. This and the availability of other leisure time pursuits contributed to a decline in the popularity of the sport. With the advent of radio controlled models around 1965, model sailboats again became popular and widely available.

In 1921, America was invited to participate in an international race and the Model Yacht Racing Association of America was formed. It was affiliated with other regional model yacht clubs throughout the United States and was made up of three divisions, Eastern, Midwestern and Pacific. In 1970s the popularity of radio-controlled sailboats was growing and a group decided to form the American Model Yachting Association. As of 2008 it is the national governing body for model yachting.

Theodore W. Houk was a physician in the Seattle, Washington and was very active in the Model Yacht Racing Association of America, holding various offices from the 1930s to the 1950s. He encouraged young people to build and race their own boats. He also invented a "self tacking" vane gear in 1939. Many of his ships plans are in the Daniel S. Gregory Ships Plans Library at Mystic Seaport Museum.

"Roderick A. Carr has been a member of American Model Yachting Association since 1969 and holds membership number 2. He has served the organization by being elected or appointed to several national offices, including Secretary/Treasurer, Chairman of the American Model Yachting Association Racing Rules Committee, member of the International Yacht Racing Union-Model Yacht Racing Division Technical Committee, and Region 6 Director. He has served as Class Secretary of the EC/12, Star 45, and J-Class, and has conducted numerous national and regional championships. Roderick has been active in the formation of numerous clubs, written numerous newsletters, designed hulls, and built sails for several classes." (Adapted from http://www.modelyacht.org; accessed January 2, 2009)