When the Lake Gregory Yacht Club held its 18th annual opening day ceremony on June 4 – a nationwide tradition for yacht clubs signifying the beginning of boating season – the members were joined by representatives from various yacht clubs from all over southern California, including Newport Beach, Santa Margarita, King Harbor and others.

Representatives from the Southern California Yachting Association (which recently celebrated its centennial and oversees 88-member yacht clubs) were present as well.

The Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA) gained prominence early in its existence by holding the annual Midwinter Regatta, which was a way to thumb their nose at the well-established East Coast yacht clubs that were traditionally shuttered every winter due to the weather. As a member of SCYA, the Lake Gregory Yacht Club also holds a Midwinter Regatta but, being subject to mountain winters, the “Midwinter” Regatta is held in May on Lake Gregory.

The Lake Gregory Yacht Club was formed in 2004 by Rick and Marlyn Dinon, David and Joan Phelps, Dave and Sheri Mindel and Shelly Arons – a group of friends who were former members of yacht clubs in Marina Del Rey and elsewhere. Originally, the “Lake Gregory Yacht Club” was a tongue-in-cheek way they referred to themselves, but the group grew and formally became a true yacht club a year later.

The opening day celebration was held at the LGYC headquarters on Forest Shade Drive near Lake Gregory. The Mountain Fifes & Drums Corps opened the ceremony with rousing music and a flag ceremony. Following the flag ceremony, special guests were introduced, a moment of silence was held for two members who passed away in the previous year, various officers gave brief status reports to the club and the club’s commodore, Marsha Philippe, addressed the members.

Central to the celebration was the “raising of the burgee.” Like the symbolic first pitch of a baseball game, the raising of the club’s burgee (the triangular flag insignia unique to each yacht club flown on member vessels) is the symbolic opening of the season for a yacht club. The burgee was raised on a nautical yardarm flagpole on the property of the club’s headquarters.

After the burgee was raised, members enjoyed an excellent potluck lunch and socialized. There was also a silent auction for an ornate, nautically themed quilt made by one of the members.

Like all public organizations and businesses during these times, things are just starting to get back to normal after a rough two years. Matthew Philippe, commodore from 2020 and 2021, oversaw that period in the club’s history and was happy to report that, after some tough times, “We’re back to our membership numbers from three years ago.”

The Lake Gregory Yacht Club holds several public events throughout the year, including lake cleanup and roadside cleanup events. You can find their calendar of events on their website, lakegregoryyachtclub.com.