About GCYC
Gold Country Yacht Club
…is a family-friendly group of boating enthusiasts located on Scotts Flat Lake in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada in the heart of California's historic Gold Country. The area boasts several fine lakes and easy access to Lake Tahoe and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Though members sail the year-round in various locations, the principal anchorage during the summer months is Scotts Flat Lake, situated on Deer Creek approximately five miles north of Nevada City. With a backdrop of verdant green mountains, a waterfall or two, ideal lake temperatures and gentle breezes, member families and friends are able to enjoy unpolluted air, clear water, spectacular scenery and a robust camaraderie with other sailing enthusiasts. Our club burgee reflects our local gold mining history (famous since 1849) together with the tall pine trees adorning the surrounding hills - hence a burgee of tall pine trees over a golden pickax on a field of crystal blue sky.
The Gold Country Yacht Club was founded in 1983 by a group of residents with a common interest -- sailing. The group formalized their bond with the development of their Bylaws and Constitution based on those of other Yacht Clubs.
Their purpose as stated, is “... to encourage yachting as a sport and recreation; to promote the betterment of boating and facilities; to promote interest in seamanship, safety, training, and navigation; and to encourage fellowship.”
Through the years, GCYC has nurtured the sport of sailing here in the foothills of the beautiful Sierra Nevada. Members meet monthly, rain or shine. Races, cruises and raft-ups highlight the summer season with a regularly scheduled "evening on the lake" each Wednesday during the summer at Scotts Flat Lake (6-9pm). Travels include cruises in the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest, Catalina Island to the south, Lake Tahoe and the San Francisco Bay. Some members have made special charter trips to the Caribbean and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands.
The true “sport” of sailing shines through in the GCYC Race Program. The competition is governed by the standards of US Sailing and PHRF ratings are used for scoring. The club races are held on Scotts Flat Lake from March through November. Many of the members sharpen their skills by participating in races and regattas hosted by clubs outside of our area. Historically, they've done very well.
Starting on the first Saturday in June of each year,
the GCYC hosts the “Go for the Gold Regatta.” Sailors from all over California and Nevada come to participate. The competition is tough as several fleets hold their regional qualification trials during this event. The regattas have included the Region 10 Catalina 22 Championship, Open Keel, Open Multihull, El Toro, Sunfish Western Regional Championships, Laser, Lido 14 Northern California Championship, Banshee and Open Centerboard categories. A highlight of this event is the barbecue dinner on Saturday night with a “tall tales" storytelling competition followed by raffles and games. The “Go for the Gold” regatta has become a major Northern California sailing event, and is a favorite among its competitors. In keeping with the locale, the first prizes for the regatta are hand-crafted oak chests with vials of real gold, with second and third receiving gold pans with "gold" nuggets.
Go For the Gold Regatta
Club Racing
The club has an active contingent of racers, either in the weekend Club Series, or in the informal Wednesday evening Beer Can Races (renamed Soda Can Races when youth sailors are racing). The Beer Can Races are followed by a pot luck barbeque in our clubhouse, and both series are culminated in the annual awards ceremony in December. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned salt, there is always a crew spot available.
Youth Sailing Program
A Youth Sailing Program was added as one of the many club activities during the spring of 1997. This program is designed to instruct young sailing enthusiasts about seamanship, safety and the joys of sailing. A certified US Sailing instructor will put the young mariners through their paces. We are always on the lookout for additional dinghies if you wish to donate yours to our non-profit program to help our young sailors.
Cruising
Many GCYC members have cruising boats, either ocean-going keel boats or trailable sailors. The cruise director arranges annual cruises to such places as the Channel Islands, Puget Sound, Half Moon Bay, and Monterey. It's a good place to meet experienced cruising skippers looking for crew and cruising buddy-boats, or to get interesting and varying opinions on the best way to be seaworthy. Some club members have thousands of miles of blue water sailing under their keels and have hours of sea stories to prove it.
Community Outreach
The club conducts a number of events to share sailing with the community. These include our annual Open House offering free introductory sails on Scotts Flat Lake in cooperation with NID's "No Motor Weekend", Friendship Club Day for at-risk Nevada County girls, youth sailing lesson scholarships, and Boy Scout sailing merit badge programs.
