Our vision at the Vallarta Yacht Club is to create a non-profit private membership organization that enjoys a prestigious reputation as a globally recognized world-class yacht club known for its service to members and contributions to yachting and the Banderas Bay region. Our Club has three objectives to attain that enviable status:

• First is to provide an attractive, comfortable, and active private social environment for members.

• Second is to promote, sponsor, manage, and provide facilities for local and international yachting events.

• And third, is to sponsor charitable events and activities that benefit the Banderas Bay region and its residents.

Our facilities are specifically designed to provide a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere for members while providing many needed services for boaters. We operate a full-service restaurant and bar and provide Internet service, mail drop, community bulletin board, showers, Jacuzzi and many more amenities to members and guests.

The design of the yacht club complements the beauty and quality of the Paradise Village resort. The restaurant, bar and outdoor dining terrace on the main level blend in with the tropical atmosphere and overlook the marina and lagoon at Paradise Village, The lower level contains administrative offices, restrooms, and showers. And, a huge Jacuzzi and swimming pool on the lower level are also available to members and marina residents and guests.

Our Vallarta Yacht Club offers reciprocal privileges and is actively seeking new members. There are five classes of membership to fit nearly every situation and budget.

Junior Sailing Program at the Vallarta Yacht Club

Our Junior Sailing program is intended to expose youngsters of all nationalities in the area and their families to the enjoyment of sailing.  With multi-lingual, competent instructors administered by a Board sanctioned Junior Sailing Committee and assisted by the stewardship of the Yacht Club Staff and member volunteer adult leaders and Junior Sailing parents. The program's objectives are the following:

• To teach seamanship, sailing and racing skills, in a safe and fun environment
• To enable students to acquire, through the overall experience of program activities, life-long values such as sportsmanship, consideration of others, teamwork and self-reliance, as well as a love and respect for the sea
• To teach young people how to sail to the best of their ability and interest, and to encourage growth in skill and competence through both individual and team participation
• To encourage the acquisition of competitive sailing skills in regattas and in races at VYC and other Regional, National and International events.

VYC provides thirteen new Optimist sailing dinghies and three Laser Class boats purchased by the club and by individual club members who donated these dinghies to the Jr. Program. The Optimist was selected as our youth training dinghy because it is considered one of the safer and more stable dinghies afloat. There are over 150,000 Optis world wide with fleets in 110 countries. The Mexican Optimist Association has fleets in Valle de Bravo, Cancun, Lake Chapala and Acapulco. Our Junior Sailing Program has three levels of instruction for kids 8 – 14 years:

The Opti 1 – Beginners - This program is for kids with little or no experience. The goal here is to foster confidence and understanding. The students need only to know how to swim as a prerequisite. The class is eight weeks long with one training session each week after school.
      
The Opti 2 - Intermediate - This program is for those students who have completed Opti 1 or have equivalent experience.  The class is six weeks long and meets twice a week after school.

The VYC Opti – Team - Those students who have excelled in Opti 2 can, by invitation of the Director, become a member of the Opti Team.  This is an ongoing course designed to further train and develop skills for regatta competition in both Mexico and North America. VYC currently hosts Opti and Laser regattas here in Banderas Bay. Our first Junior Sailing International Regatta, the North American Optimist championship was held on July 4-12, 2007 and was attended by 190 kids from 20 countries.

Program costs vary but is important to note that it is the intent of the Vallarta Yacht Club that no child with a desire to learn to sail be denied the opportunity. The Club has various scholarship opportunities to help those with need to make the program cost affordable. Contact the director for more information.

Children have the opportunity to learn, in a safe and protected environment, skills and knowledge that can allow them to enter a sport that can bring a life time of great joy, friendships and peace.
 
How to get Started:

Simply obtain an application at the club or download an application from the club website. Upon acceptance of your application, the Director will advise you of a class assignment and start date for your child. You will be required to pay your program initiation fee and sign a release of liability agreement prior to your first class.  Classes are limited to 10 students. Once classes are filled, your name, if you wish, can be placed on a waiting list for future classes.

How You Can Help:

If you wish, you can help with our program in various ways:

• Outreach – if you know a young person whom you think would benefit from our Junior program, let he or she and their parents know about out Junior program and encourage them to contact us.

• Volunteer – If you have some spare time and wish to help on the water or with maintenance or administration, please contact our Director, Dan Green at (322) 297-5730.

• Donations – At least 50% of our Program reaches out to kids who would never have the opportunity to participate or experience the growth such a program affords. In order to make this happens we utilize donations.
 
We receive Donations for the Junior Program in a number of ways...

• Individual cash donations to fund scholarships, buy boats, equipment, and pay for student transportation and living cost for out of town Regattas.

• Make a friend and adopt a student by helping to cover the cost of a young persons program. Watch him or her grow through the program, share their victories and be a friend. It’s sort of a Sailing “Big Brother” Program.

• If you are a member of a service club, we can share the program with your membership at a meeting to solicit the club's support.

If you are interested in finding out more about participating in this solid and growing program as either a student or volunteer leader, you may contact us in person at the Vallarta Yacht Club or by email.

To make a donation to the Jr. Program, please visit our Payment Page.

Become a Member of the Vallarta Yacht Club

The Club is actively seeking new members and we hope you are interested in joining us.

Why Join Us?

There are many reasons folks choose to join our club

• Our fun social functions and opportunities to meet warm and friendly people with similar interests in the only affordable, world class Yacht Club on Mexico's West coast.

• Our comfortable, air conditioned club house with a warm friendly staff, in a clean, secure, beautiful setting.

• Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, just a few miles from Puerto Vallarta on Banderas Bay.

• Our Nautical activities in one of the premier sailing, fishing and cruising areas in the world. We offer world class regattas, frequent races, cruises, a fishing club, fishing tournaments and Seminars on a wide range of topics.

• Our Community Activities and Benefits, such as our annual Cruisers Chili Cook-off and VYC Art & Wine Festival.

• Frequent social activities including cards, dominoes, bingo, BBQ's, movie night, parties and other special events, see our Club Calendar for our current schedule.

• Our excellent, but inexpensive Restaurant and Bar.

• Our clean, comfortable Club facilities, offering Internet WiFi, satellite TV, pool, hot tub, showers & locker room, club panga and laser sailboats.

• Our World Class Junior Sailing Program.

• Our Radio Group with an active, in club, station hosting a daily cruisers net and offering seminars and monthly amateur radio exam sessions from November through April.

• Weekly card, domino and Bingo tournaments.

• Frequent classes and seminars on a diversity of subjects from Beading to Marine Radios and Computers.

• Our Vallarta Yacht Club logo sportswear shop.

• Our local businesses member discounts at restaurants; charter boats; stores and yes, even motorcycles.

• Reciprocal privileges with Reciprocal Yacht Clubs.

How Do I Join?

It’s easy to join Vallarta Yacht Club. Simply fill out the membership application here, complete and email it back to us. Additional information about Membership can be obtained by contacting us via email or telephone at (322) 297-2222.

Winter Hours - October 15 to April 30:

Monday - Saturday - 8:00 am to 11:00 pm (Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Sunday - Noon to 8:00 pm (Bar Service; Weekly Pot Luck BBQ at 6:00 pm)

Summer Hours - May 1 to October 2, 2011:

Monday - Saturday - 11:00 am to 10:00 pm (Serving Lunch and Dinner only)

Sunday - Noon to 10:00 pm (Bar Service Only)