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Club Overview
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There
is something fun happening every weekend varying from races and after race
parties, to cruise events, dances, dinners and special events. Every month
we have a dinner and party along with our general meeting.
We also have special holiday dinners like St. Patrick’s Day,
Halloween, and Octoberfest, and major events such as The
Commodore's Ball, The Vice Commodore’s Party, and Amateur Performance
Nights. Our emphasis is on having a casual good time. There
are also many opportunities to get involved through volunteering to help
with events, committees, and community service. Belonging
to a club takes some commitment, but your efforts will be fun and rewarding.
Berkeley
Yacht Club (BYC) is in the Berkeley
Marina, on the south side of the harbor entrance channel, just north
of the Berkeley Pier and Skates Restaurant. Our club was founded in
1939 in the current location featuring our spectacular
"three-bridge view." Our
new club-house was completed in 1977 with an emphasis on huge windows and
spacious rooms. Click here
for directions
to BYC.
BYC
schedules club-cruises once a month.
Cruising means that a group of boats from our club visit another
club, generally on the Bay, although there are annual trips to Half Moon
Bay, Napa and Benicia. Club members can also drive to the host clubs for the dinner
event. Some clubs put on a
dinner for us, and at others we bring our own pot-luck.
We also host visiting clubs at our guest dock and club.
BYC hosts a very active racing
program featuring ongoing Friday Night “Beer Can Racing” in the
Summer, and Sunday Afternoon “Chowder Races” in the Winter. We
sponsor other events throughout the year, including the Pacific Cup, Wheeler
Regatta, Vallejo Race, Mid-Winters, and Women Skippers’
Race. Drop-in
crew are almost always in demand for Beer Can and Chowder racing, where
sailors with little experience are encouraged to participate.
Joining
these races and the festivities that follow, is
an excellent introduction to our club.
We
have a guest dock operated by the club. Short-term and
permanent berthing is available in the adjacent Berkeley Marina, which is
separately operated by the City of
Berkeley. In
contrast to many other yacht clubs, all BYC Members have keys to the club,
so the club including the lounge, bar, and kitchen are always available
for member use. This makes the club attractive to live-aboards, who are often
present, keeping the club socially active all week long.
We use minimal professional staff; bartenders are usually members,
and when unattended the bar is self-service (for members).
There
is a $500 initiation fee per person or couple, with quarterly dues of $125
thereafter. Significantly lower rates are available
for Youth (under 26), Junior (under 21) and absentee members.
There are approximately 250 active members as of May 2004.
The club’s operational leadership consists of a Commodore and six other officers, who report to The Board of Directors. There are various other leadership and committee positions. Click here for a list of officers and committee chairs and their responsibilities. Participation in committees and leadership positions is a challenging and rewarding way to contribute your life experience to our club.
Berkeley Yacht Club has a long tradition of service to the East Bay sailing and boating community. The Club has always been active in supporting many aspects of recreational boating, and hosts a number of major competitive events each year.
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