The UBC Sailing Club builds on a 70-year history of sailing activities to offer its members unparalleled access to water crafts. A few steps along that journey:

1951 - The UBC Sailing Club is active in fundraising to enable competing in the Seattle Intercollegiate regatta. Club members are able to attend the February 1951 regatta, and achieve very good results in the following several years.

1956 - Bruce Taylor, Keith Plant, Dave Burton, and Peter McBean sail in the Seattle regatta.

1959 - Commodore Bruce Taylor encourages the construction of six Penguin class dinghies over the summer months. In September 1959 the Club proudly exhibits their new boats at the AMS Clubs Days event.

1961 - Club members compete as a University Athletic team, racing against Seattle University, University of Washington, and other colleges. During winter, the Club uses the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club float near Jericho Beach for mooring and launching practice sailing.

1968 - Club lessons are taught out of the Kitsilano Yacht Club (top picture).

1973 - The Club sails the popular Flying Junior class. A modern version of this same design is a significant part of the Club’s current dinghy fleet, used for beginner lessons and for racing at intercollegiate events.

1980s - The Club returns the favour to the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club by loaning them our dinghies, enabling the prestigious club to run regattas.

1980s - The Club purchases Hobies for its new multihull fleet.

1988 - The Club takes possession of the Tsubasa, a hand-built 24 foot keelboat. The Tsubasa, built by and sailed singlehanded across the Pacific by Takafumi Arai, was donated to the club by Takafumi’s father Mamoru Arai.

1999 - The windsurfing club at UBC parties like it’s 1999. That club suffers from two digit year error (and financial insolvency), and is deconstituted. The UBC Sailing Club acquires the windsurfing fleet.

2003 - The club adds a kayak fleet.

2007 - A fleet renewal program begins with purchase of Vanguard 15's and Lasers.

2008 - The long serving and well loved Pirate class is retired and replaced with a modern version of the classic Flying Junior class.  Hot new Nacra F18s are added to the catamaran fleet.

2009 - The fleet renewal is complete with purchase of RS500 high performance fleet, followed two years later with the addition of the RS800's.

2021 - Covid-19 year 2. After a first year of pandemic where club activity was restricted, the second year sees a record increase in membership as provincial health orders open up and outdoor activities are encouraged. Flying Juniors are phased out and replaced by the RS Quest as the beginner boat.

Musings of a former UBC Sailing Club Member and Fleet Captain: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Learn about the history of the Jericho Sailing Centre, our host facility, here.