Yacht club guide
Newport Harbor Yacht Club
Newport Beach, Orange County, CA
Overview
Newport Harbor Yacht Club was established in 1916 and is one of the oldest and best-known yacht clubs on the Southern California coast. It's on the Balboa Peninsula at 720 West Bay Avenue and is a private club for members and their families. Its focus is yachting and racing, and it states a mission of providing a physical and social environment for sailing and sportsmanship.
Facilities
The club has a main dining room and outdoor seating, a private beach with a pavilion, wet slips for boats up to 55 feet, dry slips up to 25 feet and mooring cans, with full-time dock staff. It runs a shore boat service and operates boatyards. The club's junior sailing program and racing fleets, including Naples Sabots, Flying Juniors, Stars and Harbor 20s, are a big part of club life.
Racing
NHYC hosts numerous regattas and has hosted events such as the Sabot Nationals, the Baldwin Cup team race and Star North Americans. It also leases Moonstone Cove on Santa Catalina Island.
Visiting by boat
Reciprocal visitors need a current membership card from their own yacht club, and a letter of introduction in advance is appreciated. Visitor slip availability is extremely limited, but the club has several guest moorings and a shore boat that runs from 7:30 a.m. until sunset. Contact the dockmaster before arrival at (949) 355-7974. A guest card is valid for 10 consecutive days. The club warns that Newport Harbor is very shallow in many places, so check tides and sounding charts.
Getting there & access
Before you arrive
Contact the dockmaster at (949) 355-7974 to reserve a guest mooring before arrival. Bring a current membership card from your own yacht club, and send a letter of introduction ahead if you can.
Arriving by water
Fly your yacht club burgee, and call the dock crew on VHF channel 71 (7:30 a.m. to sunset) after you pass Bay Island. If you arrive after hours, tie temporarily to the main dock in front of the club; someone must remain aboard.
On arrival
Register at the front desk right away with a guest moorage form, and pay by cash or credit card. The shore boat runs from 7:30 a.m. until sunset.
Depths
The club warns that the water in Newport Harbor is very shallow in many places. Check tide logs and sounding charts before you arrive. The harbor-wide limit is 5 mph, no wake.
Amenities
- Guest moorings — Several available to reciprocal visitors, by reservation with the dockmaster
- Shore boat — Runs from 7:30 a.m. until sunset
- Main dock — Temporary access directly in front of the club
- Dining — Main dining room and outdoor seating
- Private beach — Beach with pavilion, barbecue and snack bar
- Junior sailing — Dedicated junior sailing program and clubhouse
- Boatyard — The club operates boatyards
Rules & official resources
- Reciprocal guests must hold a current membership card from their own yacht club
- Contact the dockmaster before arrival to reserve guest mooring space
- After-hours arrivals may tie temporarily to the main dock, with someone remaining aboard
- 5 mph, no-wake limit throughout Newport Harbor
- No-discharge harbor: only clean tap water may be released
- California Boater Card required for all operators of motorized vessels, regardless of age, since January 1, 2025
Common boat service needs here
Mooring-based hull care
Boats on guest or club moorings sit in warm, nutrient-rich water, so regular diver cleaning keeps growth off the hull.
Find Bottom Cleaning, Hull Cleaning & Dive Services providers →Racing boat prep
Regatta fleets need clean bottoms, polished hulls and tuned engines, and many racing owners hire detailing and diver services before events.
Find Boat Detailing & Washing providers →Engine service
Boats traveling for Catalina or Cabo races need pre-trip engine and generator service.
Find Marine Mechanics & Engine Service providers →Electronics
Racing and offshore boats rely on reliable navigation, instruments and radios, so electronics installs and upgrades are common.
Find Marine Electrical & Electronics providers →Guides & FAQs
Nearby providers
No providers listed near this location yet — check back soon.
Sources
Last verified October 1, 2026