OCEANSIDE — Dressed in customary boating regalia to celebrate the opening day of boating season on April 8, Oceanside Yacht Club leaders, or commodores, are looking toward the future, recruiting younger generations to help grow the club and keep its traditions alive.
A group of guys who loved being on the water founded the Oceanside Yacht Club in 1963, but it isn’t as posh as its name suggests.
“We’re a very blue-collar club,” said Commodore Jordan Nelson, president of the Oceanside Yacht Club. “Every yacht club has its own personality; here, we’re very friendly and laid-back.”
The club is considered one of the friendliest yacht clubs in the country and is the only club of its kind from the San Diego to Dana Point coastlines.
Members benefit from access to the clubhouse on the north side of the harbor, which has its own restaurant and bar. The club also has a small fleet of sailboats and smaller vessels for its members.
Members don’t have to have their own boat – a common misconception about the club, Nelson said.
Nelson discovered the club about five years ago when he moved his boat to the north side of the harbor. The traditional customs and shared love of the water immediately drew him in as a family man who grew up in Encinitas and spent a lot of time on boats in Oceanside Harbor.
“As soon as I walked into the clubhouse, I could sense all the years of good memories made there,” he said.
Nelson has been enthusiastic about the club ever since he joined, and his mission as commodore is to increase its membership with more younger families with children to help keep its traditions going for years to come.
“A lot of clubs are struggling with age demographics right now as older members begin to pass away and leave the clubs with dwindling memberships,” Nelson said.
Nelson was one of the first of his generation to join the club, bringing along his family as well as some other younger families along with him. His goal is to continue getting more families with children interested in the club.
“This is the first time the club’s had kids running around in a while,” he said.
The club also runs learn-to-sail and junior sailing programs for the general public — not just members — to encourage more interest in recreation on the water.
Nelson’s young son, Jared, has been through the junior sailing program for the past few years and hopes to one day take over his dad’s position as commodore.
The yacht club runs several boat races and charity events throughout the year to benefit local causes, like the upcoming Women’s for Women Regatta on May 4, in which women sail and race to raise funds for the Women’s Resource Center, which offers support programs to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
The club also sponsors the annual Holiday Parade of Lights in conjunction with the harbor district every December, during which boaters dress their vessels in Christmas lights and sail them around the harbor.
Its flagship Elizabeth Hospice charity event, which benefits local hospice care, is held annually in the first week of August.
Another special event for the club is its yacht season opening day ceremony. For the past 61 years, the club has kicked off returning to the water each spring as the warmer weather rolls in.
A tradition started on the East Coast: yacht club members celebrate with a boat parade, decorating their vessels and wearing the classic blue and white outfits indicative of sailors.
As part of the ceremony, members attach a bottle of champagne to the front of the boat by a rope and dip it in the water as they cruise along the harbor waters during the parade. Another tradition from the East Coast, which typically experiences harsher winters, states that when the champagne bottle is unbroken by ice, it is time to formally declare the yachting season open.
The yacht club commences its opening day ceremony by recognizing members and staff for their work over the last year. The last few years have hosted Mayor Esther Sanchez, who issues a proclamation to honor the yacht club’s opening day each year.
“It’s my honor to proclaim such a vital role in the harbor and our city’s economy and community,” Sanchez said at the opening day ceremony on April 7, wishing the club success in their ongoing efforts to get younger generations interested in sailing.
For Nelson, the mix of classic traditions with new member families will keep the yacht club making memories and giving back to the community for years.
Beginning in May, the club will host a membership drive, knocking $100 off its usual sign-up fees.
Those interested in checking out the club will be issued a 30-day guest pass to try out its membership perks. Those interested in membership or signing up for its education programs can call the office at 760-722-5751 or email [email protected].
