Exploring the Balboa Yacht Club

Located in Corona del Mar near the entrance of the Newport Harbor, Balboa Yacht Club has a history that dates back to 1992. Since its founding, the Balboa Yacht Club has continued to serve the area in a number of ways.

Balboa Yacht Club Facilities

Originally known as the Southland Sailing Club, Balboa Yacht Club was renamed to its current name soon after it was founded. The facility features a main dining room with indoor and outdoor seating as well as a pavilion that is equipped with a barbecue and a snack bar. In addition to providing mooring cans, the facility offers bot wet and dry slips for members and for guests for a monthly fee. While the wet slips can accommodate boats up to 55 feet in length, the dry slips utilize a three-ton crane capable of accommodating smaller boats of up to 25 feet in length. The facilities, which are open five days per week, also offer a dinghy launch and storage as well as a full-time dock staff and shore boat.

Additional Facilities

In addition to the main facilities in Corona del Mar, the Balboa Yacht Club has an outstation on Catalina Island in Whites Cove to the west of Avalon. There is also a satellite facility at Whites Landing on Santa Catalina Island. This satellite location offers members a small anchorage as well as a beach where they can stay while boating about the island. A few tents are also available for those vessels that are not suited for sleeping, while a large communal grill is available in an area that is lit for evening cooking. Kayaks and a volleyball court are also available for use.

Balboa Yacht Club Fleets and Skippers

The Balboa Yacht Club is home to several fleets, many of which race on a regular basis. While it is home to the Thursday night “Beer Can Races,” most of the larger boat race outside of Newport Harbor in the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, the Beer Can Races offer a more relaxed environment than major offshore races. Fleets found at Balboa Yacht Club include FJs, Harbor 20s, Naples Sabot, Santana 20’s and an adult Sabot fleet.

Balboa’s skippers also offer a rich history, with skippers Bob White and Bob Davis winning the Snipe world championships in 1945 and 1946 respectively. Jack Franco and Renee Vesterby won the North Americans in 1990, while David Ullman won the 470 World Championships in 1977, 1978 and 1980 as well as the Clifford Day Mallory Cup I 1980 and the Melges 24 World Championships in 2007.

Junior Sailing Program

The Balboa Yacht Club is also home to a number of junior sailing programs, with the club employing a full-time junior program director along with coaches, maintenance and administrative staff for the program. Facilities for the program include a junior clubhouse, Sabot and Laser storage spaces, a tool room, a launching ramp and sail and boat wash areas. Members also have access to the junior charter fleet, which includes Lasers, Sabots, C420’s and CFJ’s. The fleet also includes Whaler chase boats, the BYC Jr. race committee boat, multi-boat trailers and inflatables.