Point Loma Yacht Club The History
by David “Woody” Wood

The roots of the Point Loma Yacht Club go back to the summers of 1990, ’91,and ’92. In 1990 some of the liveaboards on K dock in Marina Cortez on Harbor Island formed the “K Dock Yacht Club”.

The club had a burgee and tee shirts with the motto “If you have nothing else to do”. Woody Wood was elected “Commodore for Life”.

During the same period some liveaboards on E dock were casually discussing the need for a real organized yacht club. At that time Susan McGuire was Commodore of Hollywood Yacht Club, she and Jim Rogers spoke many times about forming a yacht club made up of friends around Harbor Island.

In the spring and summer of 1993 Susan’s brother John McGuire, Jay Pogas, and Jim Rogers continued to promote the organizational phase of a club. In the late spring of 1993 Mike and Martha Slusser joined the group. Jim Rogers left for Nebraska on a business trip the same week. He fell ill while there and passed away, never getting to see the club as a reality.

In early January of 1994 David “Woody” Wood and his wife Linda Wood were asked for their input. On January 25, 1994 the club had its first “Founders Organizational Meeting”. The eight founding members of Point Loma Yacht Club in attendance were Susan McGuire, Woody and Linda Wood, Mike and Martha Slusser, Lisa Paulis, John McGuire, and Jay Pogas. We began to keep minutes of our weekly meetings as we hammered out the details. The group chose a name for the club, Woody designed the burgee, and Martha incorporated the club in California as a “non-profit” organization. The Point Loma Yacht Club had officially been founded.

On March 8, 1994 the Point Loma Yacht Club elected its first bridge. They were Commodore Susan McGuire, Vice Commodore David “Woody” Wood, and Rear Commodore Mike Slusser. The club’s first Secretary was Linda Wood, and Treasurer was Martha Slusser. Due to the middle of the year founding, it was agreed that everyone would serve for 1994 and 1995 as a first term.

In late April of 1994 we had our “Charter Membership Meeting” gaining our 65 Charter members. The club grew steadily and in 1995 we became members of the San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs. In February of 1996 we decided to apply for membership in the Southern California Yachting Association. We were accepted by S.C.Y.A., and Point Loma Yacht Club became an accredited club in every way. We now exchange reciprocal cards with clubs as far north as Victoria, British Columbia, west to Hawaii, and south to Mexico.

During the summer of 2002 Rob Hickethier became aware of an opportunity to lease a room in the Marina Cortez building. The club approved the new clubhouse and renovations began. It took Rob several months to clean up the room and redo the floor, walls, wiring, windows and doors and ceiling. The General Membership meeting was held in the new clubhouse December 14, 2002, marking the beginning of a new era. Point Loma Yacht Club has come a long way and continues to evolve. We are working to build a fun oriented club, with a focus on promoting yachting and yacht racing in San Diego.

The annual Jim Rogers Memorial Race honors the man who cared enough to push the rest of us into creating the Point Loma Yacht Club.

“The objective of this Club shall be to encourage the sport of yachting in cooperation with the Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA) and the San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs (SDAYC). In so doing, the Club will promote an active social schedule for the benefit of its members and their guests. In all of its endeavors the Club will foster a Corinthian spirit and promote the traditions of the sport.”