Yachting season officially underway
By George Miller
Last weekend was the official opening of yachting season, observed by yacht clubs all over. Even though sunny Southern California accommodates year-round boating fun, old yacht club traditions from”Back East” and “Up North” mark much shorter seasons, so the tradition carries over even here.
This year, the most elaborate festivities were probably at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club (PCYC), on Harbor Boulevard in Oxnard, right next to the bridge. A score of visiting boats were tied up nearby, with the PCYC Marina full of gleaming boats. Members were dressed in full yacht club regalia, a band played before a cannon roared out to mark the official opening day of the 2105 yachting season, ceremonies and speeches took place, visiting sea scouts looked on or provided a color guard.
Channel Islands Yacht Club had festivities just down the way.
Opening day of yachting season ceremonies at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
A festive-looking Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, on opening day 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
Read: April 2015 Vol. XXXIX Issue 4 – Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club
Opening day of yachting season ceremonies at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
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Preparing to fire the cannon to mark opening of yachting season at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Channel islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
Mayor Tim Flynn (right) and Mike Mercadante at Channel islands Opening day of yachting season ceremonies at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Channel islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
Color guard at Opening day of yachting season ceremonies at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
.. And the band played on… Opening day of yachting season ceremonies at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
Opening day of yachting season ceremonies at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
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The fleet at Vintage Marina. Opening day of yachting season in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
Opening day of yachting season ceremonies at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Channel islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 n(Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
Opening day of yachting season ceremonies at Channel Islands Yacht Club in Channel islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-12-15 n(Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
Opening day of yachting season ceremonies at Channel Islands Yacht Club in Channel islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-12-15 n(Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
Not too late for this season… Opening day of yachting season in Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, 4-11-15 (Photo: CitizensJournal.us)
There are many ways to take advantage of our local natural resources for boating, ranging from renting a kayak or small boat in the harbor all the way up to maintaining a large crewed multi-million dollar yacht. Although PCYC is the top end of local yacht clubs, it is still affordable for middle class and up. Not all members have boats. Some crew on others’ craft, some prefer to sit and watch from the beach or comfortable club facilities.
Some of the other clubs are less expansive and each has its own niche: hard core sailing, racing, powerboating, even drinking :-), but we won’t say which. The Fairwind Yacht Club has no buildings and is a hard-core sailing only club, owning 22 boast in Channel Island Harbor, owned and maintained cooperatively by club members., It is surprisingly affordable and provides excellent training as part of membership. While ceremonies were going on in the harbor, FYC members were simply offshore sailing.
“The Yacht Club” of Channel Island harbor is the newest club, up in Westport. It has its own clubhouse and a pretty good restaurant.
Area yacht/sailing clubs in Oxnard and Ventura:
Ventura Yacht Club
www.venturayachtclub.org
Anacapa Yacht Club
www.anacapayachtclub.com
Pierpont Bay Yacht Club
pbyc.org
Channel Islands Yacht Club
www.ciyc.com
