Kelowna Yacht Club

About

The Kelowna Yacht Club is a not-for-profit yacht club and marina operating a large downtown marina and clubhouse. Its primary activities include providing moorage, on-the-water programs such as sailing lessons, camps, and rentals, as well as racing and regattas. The club also features clubhouse dining and year-round member social programming. More information can be found on their website.

History

The club was founded in 1945 and incorporated in 1946, with its first clubhouse acquired in 1951. Over the decades, the club has seen multiple moorage expansions, and by 2013, the moorage basin reached 1,006 slips. The current award-winning clubhouse opened in 2014. The club has received various industry awards, including Club of the Year from the Canadian Society of Club Managers.

For further details, visit the history page.

Accommodation

There is no on-site guest lodging or hotel listed at the club. However, the club provides transient moorage for visiting yachts and member boat rentals, with some rental boats having berths. The clubhouse does not advertise overnight accommodation facilities for guests. More information is available on the boat rentals page.

Boatyard Facilities

The marina services include on-site Marina Services with dockhands, a listed Marine Mechanic resource, and a pump-out station maintained by the club. There are also dockside electrical and water hookups, as well as proximity to a downtown fuel station. However, no public haul-out or full boatyard facility is described on the club site. For more details, visit the moorage page.

Moorings and Anchorage

The club features a secure moorage basin with over 1,000 slips, including categorized slip sizes, PWC slips, electrical hookups, and water access. Facilities include keycard access, a pump-out station, and a mooring buoys map on the lake. Transient and reciprocal moorage is available for visiting yachts by request. More information can be found on the moorage page.

Clubhouse Features

The clubhouse is a multi-level facility with a large lakefront deck and patios, an award-winning wooden spiral staircase, a member lounge, and dining options at The Galley Lakeside Café. It also offers private banquet, meeting, and event spaces, along with event catering services. The clubhouse is used for member events and public rentals for private functions. More details are available on the clubhouse page.

Training

The club provides comprehensive on-water education and safety support through its Sailing School, which offers youth camps and adult courses. Programs include Learn to Sail classroom sessions, CANSail-certified instructors for private and group lessons, wake-sport lessons, private sailing tours, and clinics on boat handling and basic powerboating. Moorage and rentals require proof of insurance and applicable boating safety certification. More information can be found on the training page.

Racing

The club hosts the Okanagan's largest racing program from March to October, featuring club open racing, women's fleets, and multiple annual regattas and events, including the Blossom Time Regatta and the Commodore's Cup. The club also provides race management resources and hosts an annual sailing awards night. For more information, visit the racing page.

Cruising

The club offers member boat and pontoon rentals, including cruisers and Catalina sailboats, with hire-a-captain options and private sailing tours. The club organizes community cruises and boating events, such as the Blind Fishing Derby. More details are available on the boat rentals page.

Social Activities

The club maintains an active year-round social calendar that includes member dinners, themed wine dinners, a book club, and events like the Commodore's Ball and anniversary galas. Clubhouse dining and member lounge gatherings are regular features, along with private events and community outreach activities. More information can be found on the events page.

Dress Code

The club bylaws require appropriate clothing in the clubhouse, including shoes and bathing suit cover-ups. Specific events may have event-specific attire requirements, such as business or nautical attire for Wassail and semi-formal for the Commodore's Ball. More details can be found on the bylaws and regulations page.

Seasonal Operation

Moorage is provided year-round, with secure winter moorage available. On-water programs and racing are seasonal, typically running from March to October, while the boat rental season is described as running from May 15 to October 6 in 2025. The clubhouse and events operate year-round with seasonal program highlights. More information can be found on the moorage page.