Olivia Abbott, an incoming student at California State University at Monterey Bay, is the recipient of the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association’s scholarship sponsored by the Stockton Sailing Club. Olivia has had a passion for marine life, especially Orcas, since she was a small child and is enthusiastic about entering college to pursue her life’s passion in learning about life in the sea.
Bunnie Quint, Olivia’s Grandmother, and a member of Berkeley Yacht Club, told her granddaughter about the scholarship, and joins Rick, Karen and Olivia on the show.
Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association
The Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association was formed in San Francisco, California May 12, 1896, with Charles G. Yale (San Francisco Yacht Club) as its first President. For some time prior to this, the major San Francisco Bay yacht clubs were considering an organization for inter-communication, uniform racing rules and to encourage yachting and today has 106 member clubs in Northern California. P.I.C.Y.A. awards annual scholarships on behalf of various sponsors each year, and the scholarship committee reviews applicants essays and interviews them to select the recipients. The Stockton Sailing Club donated the money for the scholarship that Olivia Abbott received this year. The money is paid directly to the school on behalf of the student. https://picya.org/
Berkeley Yacht Club
Berkeley Yacht Club was established in 1939, as our charter states: “To promote the science and art of navigation and naval architecture; to encourage the sport of yachting in all its branches, to assist in making members proficient in the science of navigation and in the sailing and operation of pleasure crafts of all kinds; to develop aquatic sports; etc.”
In 1935, when the City of Berkeley provided land and the Federal Government provided labor to build the Berkeley Yacht Harbor, the genesis of the Berkeley Yacht Club took place. It was a group of boaters whose boats were berthed in the harbor that formed the nucleus that would become the BYC.
This founding group agreed to raise $1,000 and the City of Berkeley agreed to provide $2,500 for the Yacht Club. Professor B. H. Crocheron, head of the UC Agricultural Extension Dept., Dean Frank Probert of the UC School of Mining, Glenn Waterhouse, Olympic Champion Star Racer, Ralph Hoyt, District Attorney, Weldon Nichols, Tom Lake and Charles Pease were among this group. They were all able men of imagination, courage and unselfish devotion to boating.
On April 28, 1939 BYC officially came into being. Before the clubhouse was built, meetings were held at Drakes Restaurant, which was located on Bancroft Way near the UC campus. An article in the Berkeley Gazette dated April 25, 1939 reported that plans for a formal christening and flag raising ceremony were scheduled at the club on Saturday May 6, 1939. Dean Probert and Glenn Waterhouse were in charge of plans, which included the first BYC Regatta: a Snipe race and a 21-gun salute.
Currently with over 300 members, BYC continues to participate in racing, cruising, social and community activities including the Berkeley Marina Day Festival and a Youth Sailing Program. Under all volunteer leadership BYC promotes and manages racing that includes free weekly Friday Night Races during the summer and Sunday afternoon Chowder Races during the winter. There is also a Midwinter Series originally cohosted with the Metropolitan Yacht Club, the annual Wheeler Regatta and various other regatta events. BYC also manages the starts of the biannual West Marine Pacific Cup for the Pacific Cup Yacht Club, the largest long distance race in the Pacific. Members participate in all these races and are strong contenders in the Pacific Cup. Monthly cruises are planned for those who enjoy cruising. The founding members of BYC would approve of the carrying on their legacy of a rich and active boating and social life at the Berkeley Yacht Club. https://www.berkeleyyc.org/
Stockton Sailing Club
The club was started in about 1933 by a few youngsters who went to Stockton High School and hung around the Stephens Brothers Boat Works. They built their own boats and kept them tied to the bank just west of the boat yard. Meetings were held in a loft over the garage at the Stephen’s home on Baker Street. The earliest class boats were the Olympic Monotype, but soon the members switched to Snipes, and became active in the Small Boat Racing Association of Northern California.
The original name was Ionic Sailing Club, named for early Greek sailors in the yacht club traditions of names like Aeolian and Corinthian. The club officially incorporated in 1940. The name was changed to Stockton Sailing Club in 1952. By this time members were entering regattas in the Bay area. The Stockton Sailing Club won their share of races, but the question was always: Ionic Sailing Club, where is that? The solution was to change the I on the burgee to S to identify with Stockton. In 1965 the articles of incorporation were finely amended.
The first harbor was at Louis Park. The City gave the club permission to use the cove in 1937. The boats were kept on moorings. It was a do it yourself club, and the members put down old farm equipment wheels on cables for moorings. They cut the mast and boom from a sunken barge on the mud near the head of the channel in Stockton, floated the spars to the cove and erected them on the bank to make a crane. The first big purchase was the clubhouse. An old ark down in the islands at Holt was purchased for two hundred dollars and towed to the cove. It served as the clubhouse until the start of World War II. One by one, all the member went into the service and just left the club property. After the war everything was gone. The clubhouse was built in 1968. With the cooperation of building contractor Shepherd and architect Warren Wong, a member who designed the clubhouse, the cost was kept down to Sixty-two thousand dollars. It was considered very reasonable for the design that received a merit award from the American Institute of Architects. https://stocktonsc.org
California State University at Monterey Bay
Empowering tomorrow’s marine scientists with unparalleled training to preserve and promote healthy ocean habitats. Encompassing focal areas ranging from marine ecology and biology to oceanography and geology, the Marine Science program will prepare you to embark on a vibrant, active career promoting and preserving the ocean habitats that are vital to virtually every aspect of human life.
https://csumb.edu/academics/programs-degrees/marine-science
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