At the helm

Deepa Bharath

Barry Levy first stepped into the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club when

his son David took a beginner’s sailing class there.

“Now, it’s a second home to me,” said the 53-year-old Newport

Beach resident, who has taken the helm as the club’s new commodore.

Levy became a member 12 years ago. Since then, he has chaired

numerous club committees and participated in a variety of events. He

took over as commodore during a ceremony on Sunday.

This is an opportunity for him to make the club’s vision a

reality, Levy said.

“Our board just finished a strategic plan for the club stating

what we want to achieve in the next 20 years,” he said.

On top of that list are capital improvement projects such as

upgrading outside dining areas and doing additional soundproofing

inside to enhance acoustics, he said.

“We also want to encourage our members to use their boats more

often and to be active on the water,” he said.

The club will also continue its efforts to give back to the

community, Levy said.

“For four years, we’ve had the Leukemia Cup regatta, and for all

those years, we’ve been among the four top money-raising clubs in the

country,” he said.

The club’s future, however, lays with the “junior sailors,” Levy

said.

“We’re going to invest more in equipment and coaching staff,” he

said.

Last year, for the first time, the club hired two instructors from

UC Irvine.

“We’re definitely going to do that again this year, because

mingling sailing and academics puts the whole thing in perspective

for the kids,” he said.

In his spare time, Levy enjoys cruising to Catalina in his 42-foot

sailing yacht, Sun Dance. His wife, Nancy, is also active in the club

as an advisor for the junior sailing program.

Above all, the commodore says he has enjoyed the camaraderie and

the friendships he has made in the club over the years.

“This is a club where you have people from all walks of life,” he

said. “There are people from different income levels. It’s a very,

very friendly atmosphere where people accept you and welcome you.”