Taking over the captain’s seat

June Casagrande

The new guy at the helm of the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club isn’t

new at all.

On the contrary, newly appointed Commodore Ray Kovacs has been a

familiar face at the club for 19 years and on the water since he was

just 8 years old.

“It certainly is an honor to represent our very discriminating

members,” said Kovacs, who has served on the club’s board of

directors for five years.

Now as commodore, Kovacs is charged with helping to steer the club

into its next century of service. He will help beef up its junior

sailing program, which teaches young people the disciplines of

sailing while introducing potential future members to the club.

Kovacs is also overseeing a new membership program, whose goal he

describes as “attracting the quality of member we want to bring to

the club.” Yet another way Kovacs will help increase Bahia

Corinthian’s cachet is by expanding the club’s participation in

national and international yachting communities.

But one of the most visible improvements will be a new crane

facility for the club’s dry storage.

“The goal is to attract the larger dry-storage racing boats,”

Kovacs said. “It will be the largest capacity crane in the harbor.”

But Kovacs’ role in the community doesn’t end with the club. He is

well known as the former director of the Newport Harbor Chamber of

Commerce and as a member of the chamber’s Commodores Club. He has

been active with Hoag Hospital’s 552 Club.

His 30 years in the hospitality industry include a stint as

manager of the Marriott Resort and Tennis Club at Newport Center.

“I totally enjoy the boating scene,” said Kovacs, owner of a

Catalina 34 sailboat named Magic Jeannie after his wife, Jean. “And

this is a great way to take part in it.”