Berkeley Yacht Club

What Berkeley Yacht Club does

Berkeley Yacht Club is a private, member-owned yacht club established on April 28, 1939 in Berkeley, California, operating from a waterfront clubhouse at 1 Seawall Dr on the San Francisco Bay. Founded by figures including Olympic sailing champion Glenn Waterhouse, the organization was created to develop and promote aquatic sports and now serves over 300 members across four categories: Regular (boat owners), Associate (non-boat owners), Youth (ages 18-25), and Junior (under 18). The club operates as a volunteer-governed 501(c)-style social/recreational entity led by an annually elected Board of Directors with a Commodore at the helm (currently Roger Mason for 2026), and runs without paid staff except for limited administrative roles (a [email protected] contact exists).

Name

Berkeley Yacht Club

Legal name

Berkeley Yacht Club

Website

https://berkeleyyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berkeley Yacht Club is a private, volunteer-run membership yacht club founded in 1939 in Berkeley, California, serving 300+ members with weekly racing, youth sailing programs, social events, and waterfront venue rentals on San Francisco Bay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yacht Club Membership and Recreational Sailing Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• Yacht club membership
• Sailboat racing programs
• Youth sailing camp
• Waterfront venue rental
• Guest dock services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The club generates primary revenue through membership dues from over 300 members across several categories (Regular/Boat Owner, Associate/Non-Boat Owner, Youth ages 18-25, Junior under 18). New members pay an application fee equal to 2x regular monthly dues.
2. Event Venue Rental: The club rents out its facilities for events including corporate gatherings, weddings, and family celebrations. The venue accommodates up to 120 guests with panoramic views of San Francisco Bay.
3. Guest Dock Fees: Revenue from guest dock usage. BYC members and reciprocal clubs: no charge for first three nights, $10/per night starting day four (maximum 14 days). Visitors without reciprocal club affiliation: $1/foot based on vessel length (maximum 14 days).
4. Race Entry and Event Fees: The club hosts various racing events and regattas including Friday Night Racing, Sunday Chowder Racing, and the annual Rollo Wheeler Regatta. No entry fees for regular Friday and Sunday races, but the club generates revenue through special event registrations and associated activities.
5. Youth Programs: Kid's Camp programs charging $100 per week, including morning snack, lunch, and all materials. Two-week camp programs for children ages 5-14 covering sailing lessons, kayaking, nature hikes, and games.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Berkeley Yacht Club is a private, volunteer-run membership-based social and recreational organization that provides access to waterfront clubhouse facilities on the San Francisco Bay, weekly organized sailboat racing (Friday Night Racing and Sunday Chowder Racing), youth sailing education through Kid's Camp, event venue rental for private celebrations, guest dock access, cruising activities, and social events such as monthly membership dinners. Members join through an application process and pay recurring dues across Regular, Associate, Youth, and Junior membership categories.

Product overview

Berkeley Yacht Club is a membership-based social and recreational organization offering yachting and aquatic sports activities. The club provides membership programs (Regular for boat owners, Associate for non-boat owners, Youth for ages 18-25, and Junior for under 18), racing programs including Friday Night Beercan Racing and Sunday Chowder Racing, youth sailing camps, event venue rental for up to 120 guests, guest dock facilities, cruising activities, and social events such as monthly membership dinners and holiday celebrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yacht Club Membership
• Friday Night Racing Series
• Sunday Chowder Racing Series
• Kid's Camp Youth Sailing Program
• Event Venue Rental
• Guest Dock Access

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ballena Bay Yacht Club: Alameda-based yacht club with active racing and small-craft sailing programs. Comparable to Berkeley Yacht Club in East Bay location, family-friendly sailing culture, and modest scale.
• Richmond Yacht Club: North Bay yacht club with a long history of sailing and racing on San Francisco Bay. Comparable to Berkeley Yacht Club in scale, membership model, and racing-program focus, with overlapping reciprocal-club relationships.
• San Francisco Yacht Club: A premier private yacht club located in Belvedere on San Francisco Bay, offering sailing, racing, social events, and youth programs. It is one of the most direct comparables to Berkeley Yacht Club in terms of membership-based sailing culture, Bay Area geography, and racing focus.
• Encinal Yacht Club: Alameda-based yacht club offering racing, cruising, and youth sailing programs in the East Bay. Direct geographic and operational peer to Berkeley Yacht Club, sharing East Bay waterfront access and overlapping membership catchment.
• St. Francis Yacht Club: One of the largest and oldest yacht clubs on San Francisco Bay, offering extensive racing, cruising, and social programs with reciprocal club privileges. Highly comparable to Berkeley Yacht Club in programming and member demographics, though larger in scale.
• Sausalito Yacht Club: Marin-based yacht club serving Sausalito and northern San Francisco Bay. Comparable to Berkeley Yacht Club in membership structure and recreational sailing programming on the same Bay sailing circuit.
• Oakland Yacht Club: Alameda-based yacht club with a long history on San Francisco Bay. Comparable to Berkeley Yacht Club in East Bay location, racing focus, and traditional membership-club structure.
• Corinthian Yacht Club: Tiburon-based yacht club with active racing, cruising, and social programs on San Francisco Bay. Comparable to Berkeley Yacht Club as a member-owned sailing club with a strong racing tradition in the same regional market.
• Coyote Point Yacht Club: San Mateo-based yacht club on the Bay serving the Peninsula sailing community. Comparable to Berkeley Yacht Club as a member-owned sailing organization with racing and youth programs on San Francisco Bay.

Regional players

• Santa Cruz Yacht Club: Northern California coastal yacht club with active racing and youth sailing programs. Comparable to Berkeley Yacht Club in programming and structure, though located further down the California coast and serving a different local market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/berkeleyyachtclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/berkeley.yc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkeley-yacht-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Berkeley Yacht Club