Ahoy, BCYC members! Catch the spirit of adventure and teamwork! Get ready to cast your lines and reel in not just fish, but fun, camaraderie and perhaps even a trophy or two. The Angling Committee is thrilled to invite you to the 2024 year-long angling tournament, a cornerstone of our club's quest to clinch the prestigious "Club of the Year" title from the Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA). Here's your chance to contribute to our club's glory while embracing the joyful essence of angling.

No fishing experience, no problem. Never held a fishing rod? Fear not! This tournament is designed for everyone, from seasoned anglers to those who can't tell bait from a boat. It's all about joining in, learning from each other and enjoying the great outdoors with fellow members, family and friends. Why join? It's more than just fishing.

Contribute to a cause: Your participation gets us closer to being named the SCYA Club of the Year, a title that celebrates not just angling achievements, but our collective spirit and engagement.
Free to enter: Dive into this adventure without a worry. Entry is complimentary, with the focus purely on fun and the thrill of the catch.
Everyone is welcome: Bring along your family, friends, and of course, your boat. The more, the merrier!
Learn and grow: Our dedicated webpage is your go-to resource, offering guides, a fish ID library, the best fishing spots and live weather updates.
Climb the leaderboards: From top angler to junior achievements, and even a special category for the elusive Marlin, there's a spot for everyone to shine.

Joining is a breeze. Ready to make a splash? Signing up is as easy as casting a line on a sunny day. Just visit our tournament page, https://bcyc.profishingtournaments.com/, follow the simple steps and you're in. We've even got a quick form for the tech-shy; fill it out and we'll get you registered.

Let's make waves together! This isn't just about fishing, it's about making memories, sharing laughs and building our community. So why wait? Join the tournament today and let's show everyone what BCYC is all about.

(P.S. Don't forget to share your catch, smiles and stories with us via email. We are eager to feature your adventures in upcoming issues of The Masthead.)

Angling, Lorie & Jim Buchanan

Hello BCYC Harbor 20 owners, crew and those who may be interested in the Harbor 20!

I am a Harbor 20 owner, racer and member of our local Harbor 20 Fleet 1, one of the original and largest Harbor 20 fleets in the United States. Did you know that the inspiration and design for the Harbor 20 began here in Newport Harbor in mid-1990? I’ve been asked by our local Fleet 1 leadership to be the BCYC Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Ambassador.

If you’re already a member of the fleet or want to become a member of the fleet, please consider renewing or becoming a member. The fleet welcomes not only seasoned racers, but recreational or beginner racers as well. There are three fleet racing categories – A, B or C. Fleet membership supports maintaining the quality of our one-design fleet, while giving us access to Fleet 1 races. We also benefit from information at clinics around the bay and mentor programs, not to mention the fun parties and camaraderie.

Some of our BCYC members who are fleet members like myself are Len and Jennifer Bose, George and Mara Hampton, Peter and Debra Haynes, Chris Hill, Patrick Kincaid, Steve and Ruth Schock, and Phil Thompson. Any one of these people can tell you how fun it is to sail on the Harbor 20. Chat it up in the Columbia Room! Most recently, Phil Thompson and Peter/Debra Haynes placed first in their respective classes in both the SCYA Midwinters and Lorin Weiss Series, both of which were run by our BCYC Race Committee. I competed in the Midwinters, but that’s all I can say!

Learn more about the history of Harbor 20s, as well as Fleet 1 membership at harbor20.org. Looking forward to seeing you around the club (maybe the Columbia Room?) and on the water! Thanks for your time.

Staff Commodore Mary Bacon, Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Ambassador to BCYC

 

April at BCYC brings a calendar full of activities, not only on the water, but throughout the club. The Opening Day season for all the yacht clubs in Southern California begins this month. BCYC’s special day is May 11, so soon you should be seeing details of the day. One of the events on Opening Day is the boat maintenance competition and inspection. Now would be a good time.to review your own vessel safety checklist. Should you wish not to compete, plan to sign up for the Coast Guard inspection and earn your boat a safety decal. It is a courtesy inspection and their findings are given only to the skipper of the boat. You can visit vesselsafetycheck.org for details. The website has a description of the safety check and this same information is available in the club office.

The start of the 76th annual Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race is April 26. This event is historic amongst the sailing community. Once again, BCYC will host a great send-off party for the skippers, crew and dignitaries from both sides of the border on the evening of April 25.

Our Junior Sailing Program sailors continue to be successful up and down the coast representing BCYC. Under the direction of Junior Sailing Director Carolyn Smith and her team of coaches, the program is solid, something that brings pride to BCYC members. These young women and men are the future of BCYC. Support them…. BCYC provides a full race calendar for the adult sailors to satisfy even our most adrenalin-addicted members. For you less-adventurous types, your Cruise Committee team created another great and relaxing “land” cruise in March to Palm Springs. There are several land cruises throughout the year that are open to all members. These are terrific opportunities to meet other members and have a fun weekend together, and NO BOAT is needed to get there! For our boat owners, you will not have long to wait as the offshore cruises will soon be underway.

There are plenty of opportunities both on and off the water – I urge you to explore what BCYC has to offer you, and be a part of the success.

Vice Commodore, Mike Means

 

It’s April and the countdown to the start of the 2024 Newport to Ensenada Race is rapidly approaching. The N2E is a racing, as well as a spectator event…with boats of all sizes from up and down the coast jockeying for position at the start…truly something to see.

If you’re not racing, join us on our Race Committee boat and view the boats as we help check them in. You can help on one of the NOSA Start Line boats.

Want to enjoy Mexico but not sail or drive south of the border? This is your official heads-up that Taco Tuesday starts on May 14. There is fun racing for 15 Tuesday evenings in a row, plus the nightly party and raffle when everyone is back at the club. What does Staff Commodore Rhonda Tolar and her team have in store for us this year? By the way, in 2008 (our first Taco Tuesday), we had 45 boats registered. In 2023, we had 56 boats registered. The series keeps growing!

Another reminder to get your California Boaters Card, your “license” to operate a power boat. In addition to being a law, it’s also about safety. The material you study and the test you take focus on boat handling and the rules of the road. Did you know that vessels approaching each other head-on are always supposed to pass each other port to port — or left to left, just like on the road.

We use Excel to score the boats as they finish racing. This process enables us to have the race completely scored before we arrive back at the dock. The “scorer” is an official member of the Race Committee and is on board Corinthian Spirit for every race. If you are an experienced Excel user and would like to become part of the Race Committee on-the-water team, let me know.

Sail Fleet, Paul deCapua