History of the NYCLB

Increased participation and activity in racing and cruising program. Ruel Cameron, TAHUNA, raced in TRANSPAC. Tenth Anniversary party in October.

NYCLB joined Southern California Youth Yacht Racing Association. Long Beach will become home port for ships. A five-year plan for the Club was approved.

Cruises once a month, including Don and Dee Bastin named Yachtsman and Lady Mariner of the year. SCUTTLEBUTT with pictures and personal articles. Hosted first international race series with the Japanese. Hosted first SBORA Nationals. First USMC Commodore.

Bareboat charter cruise to the British Virgin Islands. By-Laws revised and updated. Hosted new PHRF open event for ladies, the Footin‘ Foxes Race. First annual 4th of July Parade and hors d‘oeuvres contest.

Hosted SCYA dinner meeting at Allen Center in April. Held first Opening Day Ceremony. Dinner meeting held on Buccaneer Queen. Held expanded 4th of July Boat Parade and Picnic. Membership increased to 248. First Coast Guard Commodore.

Regular Member of SCYA. Student membership program of NROTC members at USC and UCLA to provide sail training as future Naval Officers. Organized chapter of International Order of the Blue Gavel for S/C. Placed seventh out of nineteen in Lipton Cup. Clubhouse now has four showers.

Participated in management of SCYA sponsored Olympic Classes Regatta. Raced C1 5‘s against HMAS Sydney and lost, but against Japanese destroyer ―Sawakaze we won. Ladies Invitational was a clean sweep of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Reciprocal cruising schedule included Dana Point Yacht Club and Dana West Yacht Club. USNSA Bob McWethy was speaker at November dinner meeting.

NYCLB participated in Olympics sailing program with SCYA volunteers helping to make the sailing events a success. The C-15 program included races against the Australian from ―Sydney which was in NYCLB‘s favor.

Major facility expansion and improvement with 350 slips, concrete pilings and renewed docks. The Club hosted thirteen different yacht clubs from the Southern California area. They visited with 155 boats and 515 guests. NYCLB members enjoyed an active racing and cruising year.

NYCLB‘s membership peaked at 273. The first Member‘s Day Brunch, as well as an outstanding Opening Day, 4th of July, and pot-luck dinners rounded out a busy social calendar. First Christmas Parade of Lights Club sponsored for crews of Navy ships in port. Clubhouse renovation going slowly.

The Club‘s twentieth anniversary year. The Membership Roster contains a broader representation of the various uniformed services than in the past: retired members continue to be the main force in leadership and continuity in the Club‘s operation. Mike Elliott and Ray Vida led the cruise program with 216 boats coming in from 16 different yacht clubs. The cruise- out sent 116 NYCLB boats with 232 members, on reciprocal cruises from Marina del Rey to San Diego. NYCLB for the 1st time assisted Metropolitan Yacht Club of Oakland, CA in staging the San Francisco to Catalina Race. John Larson, Membership number 1, received the LA-LB Harbor Association‘s Yachtsman of the Year Award.

The Club participated in a full calendar of racing, cruising, and social events. Along with five other yacht clubs, NYCLB co-sponsored the Charity Regatta for the benefit of the Children‘s Clinic of Long Beach. We assisted the Metropolitan Yacht Club of Oakland to Catalina Race. Lt. Mike Turner and crew on the USC-NROTC‘s 41‘ ketch ―Sea Traveler, won their class in the race. Groundbreaking for the new 2 story Clubhouse, and the construction began. (First woman Commodore).

New Marina Facility was completed. NYCLB‘s trophies, plaques, and burgees highlight new Clubhouse décor. A pictorial gallery of S/C‘s honors our past. Bobby Novodvorsky was LA/LB Yachtswoman of the Year. First annual Lady Skippers Invitational race offers opportunities for future regional exposure. 4th of July and Christmas Parades show innovative talents of our members.

The good news: released, furnished, and occupied our fist dedicated office; by-laws were modified permitting some dependent membership, and allowing spouses to hold membership and office; new renovated shower and laundry facilities. New trophies were added to the perpetual list for Race Committee Boat participation and most miles logged in our cruising program. The bad news: A dock blew away, leaving a few Club members in temporary slips and requiring a monumental effort on the part of our MWR colleagues to stabilize the situation.

25th year as a Club. Bill Lewis, S/C was LA/LB Harbor Association‘s Yachtsman of the Year. Second time in 5 year history of the award a NYCLB member has won. Hosted the SCYA‘s Old Timers dinner, with 150+ guests. Racing Fleet participated in NYCLB‘s Salty Saturday Series, Club‘s Invitational, numerous local invitational and the Catalina Series. Jr. S/C Bob Fort, in SCEPTRE won a trophy in Oakland-Catalina Race. Numerous NYCLB members assisted Betty Larson, Committee Chair, with the Catalina end of the race and the Homeward Bound Race. Bobby Novodvorsky became first Associate Member on the Club‘s Board of Directors. Numerous pilings were added to the Marina and construction on the new sail loft began.

The Oakland to Catalina race was rescheduled to be conducted on odd numbered years to avoid conflict with other events. The first annual hosting of NOSA‘s Argosy Race layover. One hundred plus sailors involved, hopefully this event has found a home at the Navy Marina. NYCLB was involved for the first time in the USC/UCLA NROTC Regatta, by contributing a Race Committee for the midshipmen from schools nationwide. Club By-laws were changed in response to the problem of having a 15% quorum for general membership balloting. The change provides strictly controlled absentee ballots. NYCLB re-instituted the MWR assist work weekend now required as compensation for the Club‘s free use of the Clubhouse for some 30 events per year.

We hosted the USC/UCLA NROTC regatta and the Read Cup Challenge for the first time. NYCLB challenged for the Gator Cup at NYCSD. The Independence Day Regatta following an eight year absence, was to fill in for the Homeward Bound Race with 14 yacht clubs making a cruise-in to our facility. Bad weather kept our Club dockside. We hosted the 2nd Annual NOSA Argosy Race finish and put on a dinner for 150+ racers and NYCLB members. Naval Station Long Beach was disestablished and down graded to a Naval Support Activity for the third time in its history. The loss of active duty members resulted with a by-laws change allowing marina patrons to be Affiliate Members. The first Virgil Crabtree Memorial Fishing Tournament was held. The Navy Day Regatta teamed up with the Oktoberfest making it a highlight event. NYCLB participated in the Annual Long Beach Charity Regatta. A new Ship‘s Store was opened to supply the marina‘s needs. NYCLB was a contender for the SCYA‘s first ―Club of the Year Award for regular members.

Six of our members passed this year. We received the announcement of the Naval Shipyard closure in 1997, thus the Navy Marina will also close. NYCLB brought home the Gator Regatta Cup, an annual race in San Diego between Commodores of the 4 Southern California Navy Yacht Clubs. The MYCO race from San Francisco to Catalina was sponsored by our Club. We hosted the NOSA Argosy Race for the third year. The finish was in Long Beach with a steak dinner for the racers.

The By-laws were changed to allow broader eligibility for membership to include Coast Guard Auxiliary, DOD civilians, and veterans as the result of the need to relocate due to the Marina closure. The Navy Marina renters were given slips at the Downtown Marina at our present slip rent for 3 years. Navy Marina renters began relocating in October to the Downtown Marina, some moved to Cabrillo Marina in San Pedro. We found a building on the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station we shared with the WWII Submariners. The facility is a former brig with a kitchen, storage, bathrooms, and somewhat renovated. Moving our Club to offshore facilities will affect our ability to provide reciprocal privileges to other yacht clubs. The hosting of regattas and other events will continue. We hosted the NOSA Argosy Race finish at Long Beach as well as a steak dinner prepared and served by our members. The men‘s team won the Gator Regatta at NYCSD, but due to our not having a women‘s team, under the new rules, we could not win the overall team trophy. Beginning our 30th year our membership with a strong group of volunteers.

Moving from the old facility to storage and finally to our present location at Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station was the result of teamwork as well as the many hardworking and dedicated members. Our Clubhouse looks very nautical and inviting, with the help of the WWII Submarine Vets. In the latter part of the year we contacted the Long Beach Maritime Foundation regarding the possibility of our Clubhouse aboard the USS NEW ORLEANS. The Foundation has asked for a decommissioned ship from the US Navy for permanent berthing in the Long Beach Harbor, we are awaiting approval from the Navy Department. This is a fantastic opportunity for the Club and many have given support the Foundation with contributions. This would make NYCLB the only yacht club in the world on a Navy ship. Our first MEMBER‘S APPRECIATION DAY was held in September at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station on the water at the Beach House. This resulted in our first mini cruise-in to SBNWS. Along with the numerous changes, the Club also experienced and survived the first non-military female commodore.

We started with the traditional, Commodore‘s Invitational Race. This is a Long Beach/Los Angeles area performance handicapped racing series. Our members participated in the annual Ensenada Race. Ron Toman in PASSAGES won a trophy for first place in his class. He also won the NYCLB‘s READY FOR SEA PERPETUAL trophy. Our Opening Day Ceremony was well attended with the highlight of 3 marine F-18 fighters fly- over during the ceremony. The Club continued with the MEMBER‘S APPRECIATION picnic on the beach at Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station. The arrival of the USS New Orleans was delayed, but the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station is a good home until our ship comes in.

NYCLB continues at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station. Our membership is around 130+. The hope of moving aboard the New Orleans is not looking good. Our biggest event during the year was Opening Day ceremony. The Newport to Ensenada race was a slow race, with most wanting to just finish. At the Cabrillo Marina Mary Hunt MAME held a dock party with a great turnout. The 4th of July party was on H dock at Shoreline Marina. The annual picnic honoring Member‘s Appreciation was held with a good turnout. I thank all the members of the GREAT club.