Fire Destroys California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey

The California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey was destroyed by fire on Monday night, leaving members stunned and in shock. Firefighters arrived on the scene moments after they received a call at around 11:30 p.m. Despite the station’s being only a block away, the two-story building was engulfed by the time they arrived, the L.A. Times reported. Multiple units were called in to help contain the blaze in which two firefighters were injured. Members and sailors have commented and shared their disbelief at the loss of their club, which underwent new ownership just six months ago.

The California Yacht Club was founded in 1922, and the building was constructed in 1967. We reached out to general manager Corey Hathaway for comment, but we were unable to connect. We imagine he has a lot going on right now. However we did hear from California Yacht Club’s vice commodore Sue Service, who wrote to us, saying, “We are devastated by the loss of our iconic and historic clubhouse — but at the same time we know that the heart and soul of California YC is the membership. That core remains intact and we are working to heal, rebuild, and restore. We are thankful that no one was seriously injured, and we are grateful for the support of the tight-knit community of Yacht Clubs in SoCal, we’ve received more offers of help than I can count!”

We were able to speak with 52-year member and former commodore Steve Curran (1986), who is a close friend of the Hathaway family that has been a part of the club’s history for generations.

“We’re all undergoing a degree of shock,” Curran said. “It’s so personal for all of us. I was married there!”

Local sailor/sailmaker Brendan Huffman, who lives only three blocks from the clubhouse, wrote, “Having started sailing in California YC’s junior program back in the 1970s and sailing with so many California YC members in my life, I am saddened about the loss of both the clubhouse and all the sailing memorabilia inside — historic trophies, half models, paintings, and photographs. My heart goes out to the Hathaway family who built that clubhouse in the 1960s and made California YC into a top tier facility. I’m confident they will rebuild another beautiful clubhouse.”

Nearby Del Rey Yacht Club (DRYC) issued the following official statement:

“As some of you may already be aware, a devastating fire broke out at California Yacht Club (CYC) last night. DRYC has not been affected. Our Clubhouse and members’ boats are fine, albeit covered with ashes. The commodores are reaching out to CYC with our heartfelt comfort and support. We will assist our Corinthian neighbors in any way we can. More details will come as we learn more about how we can help. In the meantime, we can all say a prayer that no one was hurt.”

Officials have yet to determine the cause of the fire. Steve Curran says he has no reason to think there was any foul play involved, and looks forward to the “rebuilding of a wonderful club; one of the greatest clubs in America.”

We look forward to that, too!