On March 28, 1967, representatives of Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club and Los Angeles Yacht Club met to found an organization of yacht clubs for the Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor areas. The leading light of this meeting was Keating Coffey, a Staff Commodore of LAYC; he set the meeting, drafted an Articles of Association and By-Laws and chaired the first meeting. Harry W. Sturges of LAYC was the first Commodore of the new organization, called the Yacht Club Association of Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors, now the Association of San Pedro Bay Yacht Clubs.
The purposes of the association were spelled out: “to promote activities of mutual interest to all organized yacht clubs in Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors; to encourage interclub support of local, regional, national and international yacht racing competitions; to coordinate the action of member clubs in their contacts with governmental authorities in matters affecting yachting in and adjacent to Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors; to promote friendly relations between member clubs and cooperation in local racing calendars; to assist in settling any misunderstandings or disputes between member clubs; and to engage in activities through the Southern California Yachting Association and otherwise in encouraging and promoting yachting and concerted action between member clubs.” Throughout its history, the association has striven to meet those goals so as to improve the quality of life for boaters within the area.