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With summer approaching and the harbor growing busier by the week, it is hard not to look back and smile at all the activity and energy around the club over the past several weeks.

Closing Night brought back one of BCYC’s great traditions and, as always, sometime after the festivities concluded, a signed napkin quietly slid beneath the Commodore’s office door. To no one’s surprise, it appears the usual crew was involved once again. Some traditions simply have a way of finding the same "volunteers" year after year. It is one of those uniquely BCYC moments that reminds us how much history, friendship, and fun are woven into this club.

From there we officially launched another season with an outstanding Opening Day celebration. One of my favorite sights was seeing boats throughout the harbor decorated for the occasion. The docks looked fantastic, music filled the air, and excitement seemed to be everywhere you turned. Our youngest members certainly made the most of the day as well, with kids having a great time by the pool and families enjoying everything the club has to offer. It felt like the perfect beginning to another season of being Active on the Water.

Speaking of our junior sailors, one of the great reminders of how quickly time passes came during Junior Sabot Rigging Day, when junior sailors and their parents gathered to get boats ready for another season on the water. Watching families prepare Sabots for the upcoming junior program was a reminder of how much this club becomes part of our lives and our family stories. It is hard for Mara and me to believe that twenty years ago, our family had just joined BCYC and we were the ones getting ready for junior sailing adventures. And somehow it is equally hard to believe that ten years ago Kate was standing at Opening Day as junior commodore, giving remarks and representing the next generation of club leadership. Moments like that have a way of marking time and reminding us that BCYC is much more than a yacht club. It becomes part of your family's history.

The momentum continued with the CIYC Cruise, which was another tremendous success and a reminder that some of the best club memories happen when members untie the lines and spend time together on the water. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make it such a fun event.

The Memorial Day celebration was another big hit and a perfect example of how our members continue finding ways to be active on the water and engaged at the club. Expanded menu offerings and a heated pool kept members and their families enjoying themselves all weekend long. It was great seeing members gathered together, enjoying time with friends, and making the most of a holiday weekend at BCYC.

June is shaping up to be another busy month. Our first Commodore’s Dinner takes place June 5, and I hope many of you will join us for what promises to be a fantastic evening. We also have the Cruiser Navigation Rally on June 6, formerly known as Predicted Log. If you have never participated before, this is a great opportunity to try something new and spend time on the water. See Debbie Dunne or Dave Foster for more details.

Please also note that the Club Championship has been rescheduled to August 1.

And one final reminder – If you have not been out on the water yet this year, what are you waiting for? Rent one of our Duffys, gather family or friends, and enjoy everything our harbor has to offer. The docks are busy, summer is here, and there are countless opportunities ahead to stay Active on the Water.

See you on the water.

George Hampton, Commodore
As Memorial Day weekend comes to a close, we officially welcome the start of summer here at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club — a season that reminds us just how fortunate we are to call this beautiful bay our home. Longer days on the water, sunsets from the patio, time spent with family and friends, and the traditions that bring us together are what make life at BCYC so special.

Memorial Day also gives us an opportunity to pause in gratitude — to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, allowing us the privilege to gather, celebrate and enjoy moments like these together as a club family.

Looking back, we have so much to be proud of as we celebrated another successful Opening Day and a wonderful Mother’s Day Brunch filled with great attendance, laughter and memorable experiences for our members and guests. These events truly showcased the spirit of BCYC and the incredible teamwork of our staff, volunteers and leadership who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make our club shine.

As we head into June, we have many exciting events to look forward to, including the Commodore’s Dinner on June 5, our Camp Corinthian Family Night later this month, and of course our Father’s Day Brunch and Car Show — always a favorite tradition among our membership. We are excited to continue building meaningful experiences that bring families together and strengthen the sense of community that makes BCYC “the friendliest yacht club on the bay.”

As we transition into summer operations, I also wanted to remind members that BCYC observes seasonal dining and bar hours. These hours are published in our Weekly Update, on the club website and within the annual BCYC calendar.

Main Dining Room Hours
Wednesday and Thursday:
opens at 5 pm. 
Friday and Saturday: opens at 5 p.m. 
Sunday Omelet Express: 10 a.m.  
Sunday Night Supper: 5 p.m. 

Columbia Room Summer Hours 
(June 17 through mid-September):
Wednesdays and Thursdays
Food service:
11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Bar service: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
 
Fridays
Food service:
11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Bar service: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. 

Saturdays
Breakfast menu:
8 a.m.-11 a.m.
Regular menu: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. 
Bar service: 8 a.m.-11 p.m.
 
Sundays 
Food service:
11:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Bar service: 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. 

Thank you to our members for your continued support, participation and pride in our club. With the dedication of our outstanding staff and enthusiasm of our membership, we look forward to a fantastic summer season ahead and continuing to present the club at its very best.

Saul Aguilar, General Manager
Greetings from the docks at BCYC, where the boats are bobbing and the joint is hopping! By the time you read this, the BCYC Closing and Opening ceremonies and dock parties will be a fond memory. Thank you to all marina tenants who dressed-ship and celebrated with us!

Marina electric upgrades, and boatyard cleanup continues.
The electrician has completed installing the new GFCI breakers on A, B and C docks, and is proceeding with D, E and F docks. Be sure to inspect your boat’s shore power system for any issues after he’s finished with your connection. We will advise you of his progress via emails from Marina Manager Debbie Dunn. Don’t let your batteries go flat! Read her emails.

As for the cleanup on aisle six, improvements have been noted of the elimination of gear-adrift items, but there’s more to do. As we move closer to the time when we’ll need to move boats outside for the new slurry project, remaining items must be removed and boats readied with inflated tires and motors tilted up. Please move on this immediately as we don’t want to discard anything of value or that is important to you.

Ensenada send-off party and the Newport to Ensenada regatta.
Another great time was shared by racers in the 78th Newport to Ensenada race, and the fabulous send-off party the night prior. Port Captains John Lee and Mark Jensen entered Le Refuge, a Beneteau 49 Oceanis, in the Cruz Spinnaker A class and finished eighth in fleet. Our crew consisted of Skipper Mark Jensen; Second Officer, and overall great guy, John Lee; Chief Bosun’s Mate and Genoa Trimmer, Dave Scardigli (of Irish/Italian nobility); Chief Provisions Officer and Chef, Eric Jensen (whose nonstop galley efforts and cuisine were superb); Mainsail Trimmer Grant Jensen (a rock star who flew in from New York for the race); Grandson, 14-year-old Eliott Jensen, notorious for his superb spinnaker trimming, cookies-eating and cockpit naps. The Jensens were a three-generation BCYC force de quatre sailing in this regatta!

Speaking of spinnakers, during a pre-race practice weekend in early April, we managed to totally bugger-up the furler and shred our only asymmetrical chute, and a quick repair was unlikely. But thanks to super-human effort, and several sleepless nights, Ian Elliott of Elliott Sailmakers in Newport managed to produce for us a brand-new Code Zero spinnaker, and delivered it the morning of the Ensenada race! That kind of service and support is extremely rare and our gratitude to Ian and his loft employees is enormous! We all cheered when that chute unfurled the first time as the boat lurched forward in the early morning hours. Our boat speed increased dramatically and my only regret is we didn’t fly that new sail sooner in the race!

Upon our finish in Ensenada, we found the Coral Marina, as usual, very welcoming and our crew spent the night enjoying local food and drink. Our trip back up the coast became eventful when we were suddenly hit broadside to port by a 26-knot squall with rain, which thankfully didn’t last very long. Afterwards, we arrived in San Diego for the evening, anchoring in our favorite cove. And of course, we did finally succeed with our mandatory Customs and Boarder Protection check-in using the revised CBP app. It was a bit of a challenge getting them to answer the phone, but we finally pushed the correct phone key and voila, a live person talked us through the process.

By morning, we weighed anchor and proceeded to motor out past Point Loma where we were hailed by a U.S. Navy security boat to move out of the channel as there was a warship inbound. These sailors were quite serious with their automatic weapons at the ready while two Navy tugboats towed in a fast-attack submarine that had surfaced somewhere close offshore. Also, as luck would have it, we encountered whales surfacing nearby our boat on three occasions while enroute back up the coast to Newport! We also passed close by to fellow BCYC racers, Gabriel and Mihaela Nistor, and crew aboard their boat, XLR8. Imagine, all that ocean and we meet up with our comrades de voile offshore.

Please enjoy the pictures we took of this fun adventure. We’ll certainly try to better our finish position in next year’s 79th Newport to Ensenada Regatta! Until next time, fair winds and following seas!

Mark Jensen and John Lee, Port Captains
The ILCA dinghy (formerly known as the Laser) is the world's most popular single-handed, Olympic-class racing sailboat, featuring a simple, strict one-design, lightweight hull. Designed for both youth and adults, it utilizes three interchangeable rigs – ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 – to accommodate different skill levels and wind conditions.

The ILCA venue for the 2026 Olympic Class Regatta is July 20-25 in San Pedro – five days of competition with the final day being the “medal” round.

BCYC Race Committee will have a front-row seat as the finish line boat for all six days, the longest continuous commitment we’ve made since our initial participation in 2024.

TACO TUESDAY
By now, you most likely have heard the buzz coming from the racers and members participating in the Taco Tuesday race and post-race party. Taco Tuesday 2026 began on May 12 and is already full steam ahead!

If you own a sailboat, you MUST participate in the evening series. If you don’t own a sailboat, you can always charter the club’s Harbor 20. If you simply want to crew on a boat, let me know and I’ll do my best to find a spot for you. As always, you can join us on one of the Race Committee boats, but be prepared to “work” (hoist a flag or record a boat that is finishing, etc.).

A NEW SERIES
Beginning in July, BCYC will offer a new series for PHRF racers, to fill the void of weekend racing during the summer months. We surveyed the racing community and received many requests for such a series. Races will be run between Balboa Pier and Newport Pier. “Novice” racers will get to experience ocean racing close to shore. Visit https://bcycracing.org/p2p/ for details and to register.

Paul deCapau, Sail Fleet Captain
The Sea Otter Regatta, hosted by Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club, is my favorite sailing event. It takes place Friday through Sunday in early October every year during the high school sailing season. I have great memories of leaving school for the seven-hour drive up the coast with my dad and a car full of my sailing friends.

This year, the regatta was Oct. 8-9. When we arrived Friday night, everyone gathered for dinner and video games before getting some sleep. The way high school sailing works is that there are two fleets that go out at different times, so one is sailing while the other is on land. It’s fun to hang out with friends while waiting for your turn to sail.

I have to thank the BCYC sailing program for helping me build my sailing skills. I am proud to be on my Newport Harbor High School team, and to be chosen to participate in these fun sailing events.

Jake Johansson, Jr. Commodore

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