Who We Are
Boating the San Francisco Bay for over 50 Years
We're a Private Membership Non-Profit Yacht Club dedicated to Sailing and Powerboating on Northern California's Waters.
Whether your boating interests are racing, daysailing, Bay cruise-outs, coastal cruising or fishing, our Clubhouse at Alameda's beautifully situated Safe Harbor Ballena Isle Marina is a great launching pad for your marine adventures. We welcome new members, whether boat owners or not, to join us as we renew our bar and dining facilities and get back to hosting our acclaimed Speaker Series.
What We Do
Cruise-Outs
Join friends in visiting reciprocating yacht clubs around - and beyond - San Francisco Bay. Or, build your skills on an anchor-out, raft-up or mooring overnighter.
Racing, or Rallying?
Nothing says "Summer" quite like beer can racing. Casual Saturday afternoon races just outside the Marina knock the rust off, and occasional themed races and skills rallies keep us on our toes.
Day Cruises
Don't own a boat? Hit up a member who does, and join them for a spin on their powerboat or sailboat. It gets us owners off our docks and out on the water!
Fishing
Whether you catch fish to eat, brag about, or lament the loss of, we're planning a salmon tournament this summer.
Learning
Join our all-day Safety and Environment Fair, or attend our popular Speaker Dinners.
Racing - the Griller Series Moves to Saturdays
Why Saturdays
Many of our participants come from out of the immediate area, so we decided that Grillers should end in the late afternoon instead of after dark. Grillers will still be held twice a month - the afternoon before the monthly General Meeting, and two Saturdays later.
Beer Can Racing!
This informal moniker is shorthand for informal racing. Courses are short, with the Start/Finish line just outside of Ballena Isle Marina. (For spectators, the flagpole near Gatehouse "E" is pretty close.) We'll round one of the old NAS marks usually. We may do rabbit starts again!
Who Does It?
Casual sailors will hone their general skills, and return to the Marina for an early evening cookout or General Meeting. Monohulls and multihulls welcome - we even used to have a few windsurfers hit the line!
Who Else Does It?
Powerboaters! Since non-racing sailboats show up to just sail the course, power boaters are welcome to do the same. Fire up the motor(s) and spend the afternoon watching the sailors make silly mistakes.
It's called a Griller because ...
Post-race, repair to BBYC's courtyard for burgers and dogs, race results and tall tales from the race course. Grilling can be done on the Marina's grill in the courtyard, and we're pretty sure you know how to bring your own drinks!
Want to Crew, or Looking for Crew?
Start showing up at the Clubhouse before the race, or at any BBYC events. Or send an inquiry through the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this website.
Mark your Calendars
2022 Griller Dates: 4/8, 4/22, 5/6, 5/20, 6/3, 6/17, 7/9, 7/23, 8/6, 8/20, 9/3, 9/17
Watch this space for Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions.
Racing - A Cool New Twist
RaceQS
Skippers are encouraged to download RaceQS at raceqs.com . During the Griller Races, your smartphone will record your boat's position, heading, speed and so forth and relay it to the Clubhouse monitors on a five minute delay. Duffers in the Clubhouse will see all boats' info on one screen and can critique performance as the race unfolds. Friday evenings will be as much fun in the Club as they will be on the water!
We are also working on incorporating mobile cam feeds either live or post-race from boats that have those, so polish the salt off of your GoPro and you'll be on "BBYC TV". If your performance humbles you, think of the service you provide by amusing the audience!
What's Right with this Picture?
People ...
Having a good time, and planning for more good times to come.
What Makes it all Go?
Volunteers! It's a lot more than just the dozen folks serving on the Board.
You have what all of your fellow Members need!
Skills and Time - everyone has a little, or a lot, of each!
Some Examples
Social Activities Co-ordinator and House Committee have heavy lifts, but your help will lighten those. Membership Committee is a big driver of our Club as well. Someone with experience running a website would (obviously) be welcome. And, we need a Cruise-out Chair. And maybe you have an idea that we haven't thought about, and you'd like to implement it ... bring it to the Board!
Any unusual Positions open?
Yes indeed - funny as it sounds, having a Co-ordinator of Volunteers would be very helpful!
What's Next?
You will receive a survey through TruHu asking how you'd like to help - or, get ahead of the game by contacting the Bridge through Info below, or showing up at our next event.
Moving Forward
Additional Information
We encourage members to contribute articles, photos and short videos. BBYC has completed implementation of TruHu, a brand-new interactive, real-time communications tool better connecting our Members with our Officers.
