From Lake to Sea: The Best Sailing Clubs and Experiences Around Westlake Village

If you live in or around Westlake Village, CA, your best local sailing opportunities are intimately tied to Westlake Lake and coastal yacht clubs in Ventura/Los Angeles harbors. Below is a guide to the major sailing/boating groups, clubs, events, and approximate costs (where available).

1. Westlake Yacht Club (WYC) — On Westlake Lake

By far the closest and most accessible sailing club for Westlake Village residents is the Westlake Yacht Club (WYC), located right on Westlake Lake. 

What WYC offers & fleets

• WYC promotes small-boat sailing, racing, and social events, and also supports instruction for juniors and adults. 

• The club maintains a Laser fleet (9 Lasers), stored in a rack on its dock for members. westlakeyc.org

• They host regattas and monthly sailing events, as well as open sailing during the summer. 

• They host events such as the Westlake Cup Regatta and the Frank Butler Regatta. theclubspot.com

Membership, fees & structure

• WYC membership comes with social, sailing, and facility privileges. 

• They offer a Trial Membership (90 days) that gives you full benefits; if you convert to regular, a reduced initiation fee is applied. 

• Junior Family Membership is offered at 50 % of regular dues for a period (2 years) and requires assisting the junior sailing program. 

• Regarding the Laser fleet: fleet membership (i.e. to sail the club’s Lasers) is about $100/year. 

• Exact initiation fees, regular dues, and equity contributions are not public on their website (as of now), but it estimates a $2000.00 initiation fee and approximately $1000.00 per year annual dues.

Because WYC is more of a “lake yacht club” rather than an ocean-front club, its scale and cost structure are generally more modest than larger coastal yacht clubs.

2. Coastal & Harbor-Based Sailing / Yacht Clubs Nearby

If you're willing to drive to the coast, several yacht clubs and sailing organizations in Marina del Rey, Channel Islands Harbor, and surrounding areas offer access to ocean sailing, racing, cruising, and learning opportunities.

Fairwind Yacht Club (Marina del Rey & Channel Islands Harbor)

• Fairwind is a not-for-profit club that owns a sailboat fleet available to members via reservation. Fairwind Yacht Club

• Their mission is to provide low-cost access to sailing, and they run educational programs. 

• Membership cost: Their “Regular Membership” requires submitting $550 (which includes a $300 entry fee + $250 refundable bond). F

• Dues: It’s typical that there are recurring dues (e.g. quarterly) beyond the entry + bond. 

SailTime Los Angeles / Ventura (Fractional Sailing Club / Boat-share)

• SailTime operates a fractional sailing club model: members pay for guaranteed access to a fleet rather than owning a boat. SailTime

• For their Los Angeles / Ventura region, their membership allows you to reserve and sail without the burdens of maintenance, insurance, etc. 

• They do not always publish a flat public initiation + dues structure (costs vary depending on the fleet base, boat sizes, and membership tier). 

Marina Sailing

• Marina Sailing is more charter / fleet / club hybrid; they allow membership to access sailing and instruction services. marinasailing.com

• Membership cost: Initiation fee is between $495 and $695, depending on experience (the $695 is for experienced sailors, or $495 for new ones) 

• Quarterly dues: ~$240 per quarter. 

Channel Islands Yacht Club (CIYC)

• Based in Channel Islands Harbor, CIYC is a full-service yacht club with racing, cruising, social events, dining, etc. ciyc.com

• Membership classes: Regular, Yachting, Racing Associate, Junior. 

• Their website doesn’t publicly state current initiation or dues amounts; you must contact the club for details. 

Others (less direct but relevant)

• Del Rey Yacht Club (DRYC) in Marina del Rey offers full yacht club facilities (slips, social, racing). Del Rey Yacht Club

• DRYC has multiple membership classes: “Flag,” “Mariner,” “Corinthian,” etc. 

• They also partner with Marina Sailing for discounted charter programs. 

• Anacapa Yacht Club: relatively small; Regular membership ~$450/year. 

3. Typical Activities, Events & Regattas

Whether on the lake or on the ocean, here are the types of sailing and boating events you can expect:

4. Cost Comparisons & What to Expect

Here’s a rough sense of how much it costs (or might cost) to be involved with sailing in these clubs and how WYC compares.

• WYC (lake)

  • Laser fleet membership: ~$100/year. westlakeyc.org

  • Regular membership: not publicly posted (would likely be modest compared to ocean clubs)

  • Junior membership: discounted (50 %) for a limited period.

• Marina Sailing

  • Initiation: $495–$695

  • Quarterly dues: ~$240 per quarter marinasailing.com

• Fairwind Yacht Club

  • Entry + bond: $550 (includes $300 entry + $250 refundable bond) Fairwind Yacht Club

  • Additional dues likely quarterly (but may depend on member tier) 

• Del Rey Yacht Club / Marina Sailing Preferred Program

  • DRYC’s partnership: offers a reduced fee package (e.g. $195 initiation, $45/month) for charter access via Marina Sailing. Del Rey Yacht Club

  • DRYC’s full memberships have multiple classes with varying privileges (slip holding, voting rights, etc.). 

• Anacapa Yacht Club

  • Regular membership ~$450/year (for full privileges) 

• Yacht clubs in general (for context)

  • Many oceanfront yacht clubs require substantial initiation fees, monthly dues, and sometimes equity contributions. 

  • Some coastal clubs place waitlists or require boat ownership or sponsorship. 

  • Inland or lake clubs tend to have lower financial barriers (smaller fleets, no slip maintenance at sea, etc.).

So altogether, a lake-based club like WYC is likely to be very cost-efficient to join (especially if you want to sail Lasers or small dinghies). Coastal clubs will cost more but offer ocean sailing, a greater variety, cruising, and more social infrastructure.

5. How to Decide What’s Right for You

Here are some suggestions for how to choose among these options:

1. Proximity/convenience
   If your priority is sailing often (especially spontaneously), WYC is unbeatable as it’s your “home lake.” You can get on the water faster without a long drive.

2. Type of sailing desired

   • If you want coastal sailing, racing in larger fleets, cruising, etc., you’ll want to join a coastal yacht club or use a sailing-club / charter fleet (Marina Sailing, SailTime, Fairwind).

   • If you’re satisfied with dinghy sailing or small-boat racing, WYC might fill most of your needs.

3. Cost vs. benefit
   Compare the initiation + dues + boat/gear costs vs. how much sailing you plan to do. A fractional or charter model (like SailTime) might be more efficient than owning.

4. Community & social aspects
   Some clubs are very socially oriented (events, dinners), others are race-centric. Visit a club, attend open houses, and see which community fits best.

5. Trial periods / introductory memberships
   Many clubs (WYC included) offer trial memberships so you can try before fully committing. 

Happy Sailing!