Club sails to the top

Gold is out as the 50th anniversary gift. If you’re the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, what’s in is being named the best in Southern California.

Members didn’t only get to celebrate 2008 as the club’s 50th anniversary, this week they also got to revel in the fact that they’re part of the best in the region thanks to the Southern California Yachting Assn., which named them club of the year at a recent awards banquet.

“There was a lot of high-fiving when we got back,” said Ted O’Connor, the club’s rear commodore. “I think everyone was quite surprised. It is a nice surprise. Membership looks at it and sees a lot of involvement.”

The association names the Club of the Year on strict criteria, including community outreach, youth programs and how many show up for regattas.

Depending on whom you talk to, you’ll get very different answers on why the club was honored this year.

Is it the club’s community contributions — such as raising money to fund a Marine’s airfare to get home for Christmas — or is it the club’s ability to bring up a new generation of yachtsmen, with the junior sailing program?

The club annually has more than 100 kids, between 5 and 16 years old, involved in its youth sailing program.

“We really feel that we have one of the best junior programs in the harbor,” said Kenny Rozak, the club’s 2008 commodore.

“We’re developing young sailors at an early age, instilling the Corinthian spirit, the sport of sailing and a love of the water.”

The club scored high marks in all 11 categories.

“In each group in the competition, you have a certain amount of points you receive for what you achieve,” O’Connor said. “We may not be the absolute best in something, but we’re doing good in everything consistently.”

Club members also take great pride in their partnership with Marines in Camp Pendleton. Every year the club pays for Marines’ airfares to go home for Christmas.

If you’re not into cruising, there’s the social events; if not that, there’s the civic duty aspect, Rozak added.

“We feel that we’re a well-balanced yacht club, and we contribute to all these areas,” he said. “This really is a collaborative effort of so many of our club members to make this work. All these different categories, it’s a different group of people who make this happen.”

Apparently, Southern California sailors agree.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.