Membership Information

Welcome to King Harbor Yacht Club!
Membership in a yacht club is one of the best ways we know to get the most from your boat and/or your interest in yachting. The purpose of this information is to help you determine if King Harbor Yacht Club is the right club for you. Then, if being a member of one of the West Coast’s most respected, most active, and friendliest clubs appeals to you, let us know.  We'll take care of the rest and help to make you a welcome addition to the Club! 

Brief History of King Harbor Yacht Club
First named Win’ard Yacht Club, the Club merged in 1960 with Redondo Harbor Yacht Club to become King Harbor Yacht Club. The original facility consisted of a little trailer on the beach with a few member-built boats. Due to the construction of King Harbor Marina, the members met at the Elks Lodge on the Esplanade. After many negotiations with city planners and some shrewd and cautious planning by early members, a new facility was formally dedicated in 1964. It was the dawn of a new era for members: No more using the city’s public hoists - we had our own! No more schlepping dinghies across the sand - just roll them on the dock carts down the ramps and slide them into the water!

Today, King Harbor Yacht Club is highly respected up and down the coast, not only for our yachting activities, but also for our enthusiastic participation and leadership in the yachting community activities. This enviable reputation is primarily due to a membership that is warm, friendly, active and willing to go that extra (nautical) mile on behalf of others. If you’re that kind of person, we know you’ll be happy as a member of King Harbor Yacht Club.

For a more detailed history of the Club you can go to Club History.

King Harbor Yacht Club Facilities
A Clubhouse with a Million dollar view! The King Harbor Yacht Club building is a two-deck structure with scenic views from each side upstairs. The lower deck has a snack bar and galley, a large multi-purpose room and a smaller cozier room with a fireplace, as well as dressing rooms and showers. The office adjoins the front entry hall, which is lined with trophies attesting to the boating prowess of the members. The upper deck has a cocktail lounge overlooking Santa Monica Bay and Palos Verdes and a general activity area where monthly meetings, social functions and entertainment are held. Two decks command a "million dollar" view of the ocean and marina. An outdoor patio is also used for yachting activities by the Juniors and adults as well. Both the upper and lower decks house a collection of burgees gathered by members and from visitors from all over the world.

Other club facilities include guest and rigging docks, Sabot and Laser racks and dry boat storage for trailerable boats. Two brand new jib boom cranes, with 3,000 and 6,000 pound lifting capacity, provide easy access to the water for your boats. Two sheltered activity areas next to the clubhouse offer ample space for cookouts with gas barbecue, tables and chairs.

King Harbor Yacht Club (KHYC) also has an off-site facility at Little Fisherman’s Cove in the Isthmus area on Catalina Island. Through the administration of the Cruising Fleet, this facility is kept in tip-top condition for use by the club members during their visits to the Island. Major holidays offer social activities at the cove such as the annual pig and sirloin roasts Luau that is prepared on site, with equipment built and maintained by the members. The club controls three moorings for membership use at the cove. 

Activities for Everyone

Yacht Racing

KHYC has a very active racing schedule. Sabots race every Wednesday night inside the Harbor and provide entertainment for onlookers. The Handicap Racing Fleet holds Thursday night Twilight races from April to October and is opened to all sailors in the area. Participants are invited to have a drink and enjoy dinner at the club afterwards. This has been a great way to introduce prospective new members to KHYC. Weekend handicap, one design class, and multi-hull racing is held year-round. One of the major events is the annual Santa Barbara to King Harbor race. Sponsored by Santa Barbara and King Harbor Yacht Clubs, this event typically draws over 120 boats. Another annual event is the Tom Collier Memorial Regatta, a benefit regatta to provide funds to the George Burns and Gracie Allen Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. 

Class championships, both area and national, have been sponsored by the club over the years. The US Sailing/Rolex Junior Sailing Championships, US Match Racing Championship, US Men’s Sailing Championship, Women’s Adams Cup Championship, Alter Cup for multi-hulls (area and national events) and several Southern California Yachting Association regattas have all been held here. KHYC has its own racing buoys and race committee boat and well trained race committees to hold these championship regattas.

During the summer, KHYC holds youth sailing classes for anyone interested from the Community. Boats are provided. This is a very popular course and fills up quickly with juniors who have an interest in sailing. In addition, KHYC’s junior racing team has made an impact around the junior racing circuit and provides several classes of competitors at these events. An adult sailing class is just getting underway and will be taught by professionally trained instructors.

If racing is your interest, King Harbor Yacht Club is the club for you.

Cruising

KHYC offers both a PowerBoat Fleet and a Cruising Fleet for your cruising enjoyment. Both organizations offer club cruises to Catalina Island, San Diego, Channel Islands and many other long range trips. Shorter cruises to Marina Del Ray for brunch or Long Beach are scheduled throughout the year. Members have taken their boats from the east coast to the west coast and vice versa. Many have gone to La Paz and points south. Usually they have crew made up of club members. In 1997, 33 members chartered six sailboats out of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. If you are into cruising, KHYC is the place to be.

Fishing

For the fisherman, KHYC offers a Fishing Fleet for your enjoyment. The Fishing Fleet sponsors fishing activities locally and throughout Baja California. In addition, they plan and coordinate fishing expeditions throughout the world. The fishing fleet is known for its fish tacos at various club functions. This fleet is for both the experienced and beginning fisherman. 

Education

KHYC sponsors many educational seminars through the year covering topics such as race management, racing rules, diving and safety and we host USCG Auxiliary classes. Various speakers are invited to our general meetings to provide our members and the general public opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge of boating.

Social

Most social events are sponsored by KHYC Fleets. Throughout the year the club holds annual events that include the Commodore’s Ball, Opening Day, Christmas Party, New Years Eve party and Commodores New Years Day Brunch. Other events include TGIF with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, casual lunches on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Fleet sponsored parties such as St. Patrick’s Day Party, Easter Egg Hunt for kids, Halloween Costume Party, Christmas Boat Parade and summer events round out a great social calendar for KHYC. 

King Harbor Yacht Club Officers & Staff
 

Board of Directors 

Junior Staff Commodore  
Commodore
Vice Commodore
Rear Commodore
Secretary
Treasure
Fleet Captain
Judge Advocate
Port Captains
7 Directors

Club Staff

Club Manager
Bar Manager
Galley Supervisor
Janitors

Membership Responsibilities
King Harbor Yacht Club is a member owned mutual benefit corporation, which operates under a set of bylaws and is governed by a set of administrative and operating policies within the Corinthian spirit of yachting. As such, members assume many of the obligations of administration and operation. Included:  

• Prompt payment of dues and assessments;

• Service as KHYC Officer of the Day approximately once every two and a half years;

• Participation in as many KHYC activities as possible, including attendance at general membership meetings; and

• Service on one or more committees whenever possible.

Most KHYC members find these responsibilities very rewarding.

How to Join King Harbor Yacht Club
Visit the club any Friday between the hours of 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm and host members will show you our facility and submit your name to our membership committee. You may also contact the club manager during normal working hours to set up a tour of the facilities and meet members.

If you find that the club is what you have been looking for in Yachting, you can fill out an application and we will start the process. Upon review and approval by the membership committee and the board of directors, you’ll be asked to attend a general membership meeting, where you’ll be introduced and welcomed and receive a club burgee. This process takes about a month for final membership approval.