Founded in 1932 Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club was established amid the enthusiasm for small boat racing sparked by the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was nurtured by such individuals as D.C. Shumway of the Los Angeles Recreation Department and Max Miller, our first Commodore. They wanted to create a club that maintained a low cost through the cooperative efforts of the membership. This spirit of enthusiasm and cooperation has been a hallmark of CBYC throughout the ensuing years.

The first recorded meeting was held in October, 1932 when the club’s original name, the “Sailing Club,” was changed to “Hollywood Yacht Club.” Three months later the name was changed to “Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club.” The early officers were a group of young men in a hurry. Though the club had been in existence for only a few months and had joined the Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA) as an Associate Member only the month before, CBYC was asked to be the host club for all small boats in the 1933 Midwinter Regatta. We’ve hosted this prestigious event every year since.

The early Midwinters were held just off Cabrillo Beach, with the Race Committee stationed on the rock barges anchored off Cabrillo Pier. Since there were no restroom facilities available, serving on the Race Committee back then required real dedication. CBYC was a small boat club for many years and was host to many one-design fleets. The strongest of these were the Snipes, Geary 18’s, Mercurys, P28’s, Feathers and PICs.