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Southold Yacht Club

United States ,   New York ,   Southold  

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Southold Yacht Club is located in Southold, United States, and boasts a picturesque beach that stretches along the Long Island Sound. The beach has a length of about half a mile and is covered with soft, golden sand.

Amenities at the beach include bathroom access, a playground, picnic tables, and grills. Note that there are no lifeguards on duty, and dogs are not allowed on the beach.

activities available at the beach include swimming, sunbathing, kayaking, sailing, and fishing.

There is a parking lot available at Southold Yacht Club, and it is free for beachgoers. However, it is important to note that parking is limited, so it's best to arrive early during peak season to secure a spot.

Fun fact: The Southold Yacht Club was founded in 1875, making it one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States.

Attractions

While enjoying the beach, visitors can also check out the Southold Yacht Club's sailing program, which offers lessons for both children and adults. There are also several hiking trails nearby, including the Arshamomaque Preserve, a 150-acre nature preserve with over three miles of trails.

Restaurants

For a bite to eat, nearby restaurants include the Founders Tavern, which serves American cuisine and seafood, and Caci North Fork, which offers Italian cuisine with a Mediterranean twist.

There are several nearby hotels, including the Heron Suites, which is located less than a mile away from the beach and offers spacious suites with kitchenettes, a pool, and free Wi-Fi. The Blue Inn at North Fork is another nearby option, featuring modern rooms with private balconies and a complimentary breakfast.

Basic Details

Know before you go.

Marine Life

Picnic Table

Clubs Party Scene

Paddle boarding

Scuba Diving

Fishing Boats

Kayaking Canoeing

Mat Rentals

Speed Boats

Umbrella Rental

Waterskiing

Windsurfing

Food Snacks

Local Beach Vendor

Parking - Free

Parking - RV Parking

Parking - Street

Public Bus Stop

Stairs to Beach

Southold Yacht Club - Beach Map

Top Traveler Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Surf through our FAQs to help you find your perfect beach!

Does Southold Yacht Club have parking? If so, is it free or paid?

No, this Beach does not have dedicated parking but has street parking near the entrance.

Does Southold Yacht Club have lifeguards?

Yes, this Beach ensures safety with professional lifeguards on duty throughout the day, offering peace of mind for beachgoers.

Is Southold Yacht Club a family-friendly beach?

Yes, this Beach is the perfect family destination, offering clean restrooms, vigilant lifeguards, and a variety of nearby food options, ensuring an enjoyable day for all.

Is Southold Yacht Club good for swimming?

Yes, this Beach boasts excellent swimming conditions, attracting swimmers of all skill levels with its gentle waves and clear waters.

Does Southold Yacht Club have restrooms?

Yes, Restrooms are conveniently available on or adjacent to the beach at this Beach.

Is Southold Yacht Club a nude beach?

No, this Beach maintains a family-friendly atmosphere and does not allow nude bathing.

Is there food near Southold Yacht Club?

Yes, this Beach has multiple restaurant options near or on the beach.

What are the activities at Southold Yacht Club?

Yes, this Beach is renowned for its vibrant beach scene, offering various activities for everyone to enjoy Bike Paths, Fishing, Hiking.

Does Southold Yacht Club have accommodations for people with disabilities?

Yes, this Beach offers accommodations for people with disabilities, allowing everyone to relish the coastal experience.

Is Southold Yacht Club a dog-friendly beach?

No, this Beach is not dog-friendly.

Is Southold Yacht Club good for surfing?

No, this Beach is not generally considered to be good for surfing.

Beaches Near Southold Yacht Club

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Town Beach (2.53 miles)

Kenney's Beach (2.61 miles)

Mccabes Beach (2.66 miles)

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Southold Yacht Club Will Host the 50th Annual World’s Longest Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island, NY

By Beth Fleisher and Celeste Flick, Regatta Co-Chairs

Five-time winner John Eckart is looking for his sixth victory this year.   Photo courtesy of Southold YC

Southold Yacht Club in Southold, NY is hosting the 50th Annual World’s Longest Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island, NY on Saturday, July 10, 2021. This unique nautical marathon is open to single and doubles Sunfish sailors per the event NOR.

As the crow flies, the nautical distance around Shelter Island, starting and finishing at Southold Yacht Club, is 21.3 miles. Since crows don’t tack, however, it is estimated that the distance for the average race sailed over the years is the equivalent of a nautical marathon (approximately 26 miles).

The World’s Longest Sunfish Race has become one of the most exciting, enduring and popular competitions on the Sunfish Class calendar. Sunfish sailors from across the country have enjoyed spirited competition in sometimes challenging conditions that vary wildly from year to year.

Yearly participation has ranged from 35 to 55 Sunfish sailors ages 16 to 92. The youngest winners were Mary Beth O’Brien (Southold Yacht Club, 1977) and Shane Sullivan (Southold YC, 1988) at age 17. The oldest winner is Dick Heinl (Seawanhaka Place Yacht Squadron, 2011) at age 86. Heinl also holds the record as the event’s oldest participant (2017) at age 92.

Sunfish racers pass Bug Light in Gardiners Bay.   Photo courtesy of Southold YC

The average winning time is 4:51; the 4-hour mark has been broken nine times. The course record is 3:23 set by Todd Klinger (Narrasketuck YC) in 1999. John Condon (Southold YC) and John Eckart (Massapoag YC) have each won the race five times. Both are sailing for a sixth victory in 2021.

Many participants return to Southold to race every year. Joe Sullivan (Southold YC) holds the participation record of 47 races. Joe is one of the founding fathers of the race and, at age 84, plans to extend the record in 2021.

Race registration includes entry to the race, t-shirt, continental breakfast, drinks and a lively post-race awards ceremony and party. Awards will be presented to the top ten Sunfish singles finishers, first place doubles, first youth single, and first youth doubles. (Additional awards may be awarded for doubles and youth dependent on participation.) Perpetual awards (maintained at Southold YC) are presented to the winner of the race, the first female finisher and the oldest participant and first master finisher. All competitors will receive a personalized Certificate of Completion.

Registration opens April 1, 2021. For information and to register, please go to southoldyachtclub.com . ■

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Over 100 Young Sailors Compete in PGJSA Championship Regatta at Southold Yacht Club

Southold Yacht Club hosted this year's PGJSA Championships on Thursday, August 15. COURTESY SOUTHOLD YACHT CLUB

Southold Yacht Club hosted the 2024 Peconic Gardiners Junior Sailing Association (PGJSA) Championships on Thursday, August 15. Sailors from Breakwater, Devon, Mattituck, Old Cove, Orient, Shelter Island, Shinnecock, Southampton and... more

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Peconic Bay Yacht Club

64300 Main Road, Southold, NY

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• Quality of service 5 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Average response time 5 out of 5 rating 5.0
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• Value 5 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Flexibility 5 out of 5 rating 5.0

• Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Value 5.0 out of 5 rating 5.0
• Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating 5.0

Top choice for the best day of your life!

Our wedding at Peconic was PERFECT!!

PBYC is a dream come true!!

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Amazing! 5-stars All Around!

October wedding at Peconic Bay Yacht Club

Beyond amazing!!!

Extraordinary Night at PBYC!

PBYC is a dream!

A day/night to remember forever!!

Wedding 10/29/22

Outstanding in every way

A Perfect Day!

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Perfect Wedding Venue!

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Exceeded our very high expectations!

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Flawless, elevated wedding experience

Would choose PBYC again, and again, and again

A perfect location to get married1

Peconic Bay Yacht Club

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64300 Main Rd

Southold, NY 11971

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You know it was an amazing time if it's taken about two months for us to recover from all the dancing and incredible amount of fun we had at our wedding! To say the entire PBYC team (especially looking at you, John) made our wedding a day one that we couldn't have dreamt of and a day and experience we'll never forget is a massive understatement. They might be some of the finest professionals I've ever had the pleasure of working with and am SO grateful I got to for our wedding day. They treated us like we were the only couple they had booked for the entire year -- no request or question was too big, small, or silly. On top of that, they made everything feel fun and easy, even though wedding planning can feel like one of the most stressful things ever at points. I am eternally grateful for having gotten to feel like one of the most special people on earth because of John and his team at PBYC. If it weren't for their kindness, insane amount of effort and attention to detail, willingness to go above and beyond, I know our wedding wouldn't have been as amazing. John has such a gift in doing what he does for a living. If you were on the fence in considering PBYC, let me tell you this -- you should consider this your sign to do it NOW. You will not find a better team, a more beautiful location, and holy SMOKES... no better food, anywhere else. Thank you John and the entire team at PBYC for everything you did to make our wedding a weekend and experience one we'll never forget and our guests will never stop talking about. TEAM PBYC FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Attended a wedding there last night, it was outstanding! The grounds were impeccable and the building offered many wonderful options. Food was very good. But the one element that clearly stood out was the service; bartenders and servers were outstanding! Clearly the management has everyone on the same page. Well done!

To say that our wedding at the PBYC was the wedding of our dreams is an understatement...words cannot begin to describe how exceptional the entire experience was! From the outset, we knew we had made the right decision when picking our venue. Working with John over the last year was an absolute pleasure. His kindness, support, experience, and sense of humor made the entire process easy. Despite the fact that the last year and a half has been beyond difficult dealing with COVID, health restrictions, social distancing and countless unknowns, John was always there with a smile, a joke, and reassurances for us. Any questions we had were addressed immediately. By the time our wedding came around we were beyond confident that everything was going to run smoothly. And then came our wedding day. It was truly beautiful and while the weather certainly played a role in that, the Yacht Club itself was the perfect setting. Everything looked beautiful! John and the staff at the PBYC work hard to make the place an absolutely stunning venue, from the lawn overlooking the bay where we had our ceremony, to the upstairs patio where our guests enjoyed the best cocktail hour imaginable, to the main dining room with it's picture perfect views of the marina and greater bay beyond. Pictures are just starting to roll in and they are stunning! We also have to note how amazing the entire staff working that day were. Our guests are still remarking on how fabulous the service was. No one wanted for anything. We were fortunate enough to have Hillary work with us as our bridal attendant that day; she was phenomenal! She was always there at our side whenever we needed a drink, a bite to eat, or just a reminder to take some time for ourselves if we needed to. Thanks to her, John, and everyone else, we were able to relax, enjoy our family and friends, and have the best time ever. We cannot begin to thank John and everyone at the PBYC for making our special day an amazing one with memories that we will treasure for years to come!

Stop looking! Have. Your. Wedding. HERE! The well-manicured grass area overlooking the water, wedding party preparation areas, reception room and the upstairs bar area with HUGE balcony and very unique lantern room made for a remarkable and perfect setting for our special day! It could have not been more perfect. It is made easy given that you have the venue to yourself all day from 9 am until 1am. The staff and coordinators are extremely attentive and professional. They could not have been sweeter or more accommodating. They made our day very easy and stress free. We looked at several other venues and this one blew them all away. No detail was ignored. Oh, and we are still hearing how amazing the food was. Such an amazing place!

The Peconic Bay Yacht Club was everything we could have wished for and more! On top of how absolutely stunning the views are, the inside of the venue is impeccably designed and absolutely gorgeous. In addition to how wonderful PBYC is, they work exclusively with Robbins Wolfe catering - the food at our wedding was outstanding - we are still getting compliments! Most importantly, John and his staff went above and beyond in every single way possible when it came to planning our big day. While planning, we were told by so many people not to get too caught up in tiny details because inevitably something small can go wrong - I can honestly say that, not only did nothing go wrong, but everything was truly perfect - beyond what I could have even hoped for. John thought of every single detail imaginable, responded to every call/email immediately, and was there for us every step of the way. I didn't have a wedding planner or a day of planner, and I know that wouldn't have been remotely possible without John. My bridal attendant, Emily, was honestly my saving grace and I could not have imagined this day without her. John and Emily both thought of things that didn't even cross my mind - they are truly the absolute best!! I wouldn't have changed one single thing about our wedding and cannot recommend the Peconic Bay Yacht Club place more!

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World’s longest sunfish race set to circle shelter island this weekend.

By Chris Francescani

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The longest Sunfish race in the world kicks off this weekend at the Southold Yacht Club.

Seventy-four Sunfish boats are registered to set sail at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in a race that dates back more than half a century and includes sailors who traveled here from up and down the eastern seaboard, including Florida, Virginia and New England.

“This race is absolutely unique,” said Beth Fleisher, the club’s race committee chair. “Sunfishes are small, 14-foot boats. We normally sail a race that takes maybe 15 minutes, half an hour, maybe 45 minutes. That’s how you race small boats — in many races over the course of a day.

“But this race circumnavigates Shelter Island,” she said, which is roughly 26 miles, the length of a marathon.

“It’s uniquely challenging because Sunfish sailors are using skills that they don’t normally use. You have to sail continuously in these very physically active boats for, oh, the top boats come in around four hours, depending on wind.”

The sailors set out in nearly any weather except electrical storms, Ms. Fleisher told Suffolk Times.

“We’ve had lots of wind. We’ve had no wind — when we had to make the race shorter because the boats just didn’t have enough wind to get around. We’ve had races where it’s been just been blowing stinking raining. It’s the whole nine yards. Whatever the weather gods can throw at you, that’s what we get.”

In many ways, the race is a nautical marathon.

“Just to complete this race — about 26 miles, which is a heck of a lot in this little tiny boat, for a minimum of four or five hours out there — so to complete in this is a really big deal,” Ms. Fleisher said. “We make sure unlike in any other races, that not only do we give out the standard trophies and whatnot, but we give out nice looking certificates of completion.

“Not everyone that starts, finishes,” Ms. Fleisher cautioned. “Every year we have people who think that this is something that they can do, and they want to do, and they decide part way around [that] they’re done.”

Asked how sailors should best prepare for such a long race, Ms. Fleisher demurred.

“Let’s put it this way,” she said. “I don’t tell anyone what to do but you’re certainly going to want to be in good physical shape and in good shape. You want your boat to be in good shape so your boat doesn’t break. You want your body to be in good shape so your body doesn’t break.”

She said the first 10 boats receive awards, but there are also trophies awarded to the oldest person to complete the course, the first person over 50 to complete the course, and several other categories.

She said hot doggers should think twice.

“It’s not like, ‘oh, I’m a young, fit, 24-year-old so I have the advantage’ – that’s not true.”

And then there are the currents.

“Whether you’re in a big boat, a keel boat, a 40-footer or this 14-foot boat, there are wicked, wicked, wicked currents and tides around Shelter Island. There’s back eddies,” she warned. “If you look at a chart of the waters surrounding Shelter Island … the water at times is nine feet deep and the water at times is six inches deep.

“All those variations in depth, and the currents and the tides flowing around Shelter Island and the other shores create wicked whirlpools and back eddies and fast running currents. So if you’re in a boat that goes maybe four or five knots and the current’s against you at like two knots or more — which can happen around South Ferry — and you’re not sailing correctly, in relation to that current, you’re doomed. It’s really fun,” she concluded, “but it’s not casual.”

She called the race “a real test of all sorts of aspects of sailing.

“Of athleticism smarts can you figure out what current is best and most advantageous? Can you figure out where to put your boat so either you’re getting into the current when the current’s running with you, or getting out of the current when its running against you? Can you sail where the wind is going to be strongest?

“Most races you’re sailing around buoys. This race, there are no buoys. You just have to sail around the island, and you can sail as close to the shore as you want, but if you run aground and you hit what you have to do is walk your boat backwards, because you can’t advance the boat over land. And if you hit a rock, you should have known it was there. So it’s really wildly fun and interesting.”   

A small army of volunteers is expected, not just from Southold Yacht Club but nearby clubs including Menantic Yacht Club on Shelter Island and New Suffolk’s Old Cove Yacht Club.

“We have motor boats that stay with the fleet so that if anything happens to anybody they can safely get back to the yacht club,” Ms. Fleisher said.

While nearly every boat is sailed by a single competitor, there are a few two person teams competing, including two “older, adult sisters” and a pair of father-daughter teams.

“This is an annual traditional for them, even though it’s not that comfortable to have two adult human beings in one of these little boats. We give a separate trophy for the first boat with two people in it to come in.” 

While a teenager must be at least 15, with parental permission, to compete, there are also racers who are in their 60s, 70s and even 80s, Ms. Fleisher said.

Once again this year, the race will include Joe Sullivan, 86, who dreamed up the race in the first place.

In the summer of 1970, as a fairly new member of the Southold Yacht Club, he was sitting on the shore, gazing across the bay to Shelter Island. He turned to one of the club’s officers and asked what he thought at the time might sound a silly question.

“Has anybody ever sailed a Sunfish around Shelter Island?” The officer didn’t know. So he checked with the club’s race committee chairman, who didn’t think so. So in the summer of 1971 he and a group of members launched a tradition that continues today.   

“I was aware that there was a long-distance Sunfish race in Connecticut, so I looked at a map and plotted it out and I said, ‘I think ours is longer.’

“So we called it the ‘World’s Largest Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island, N.Y.’”

The young sailor set about plotting what time of day would be best to start the race. He studied the tide charts and made a determination.

“I wanted to make sure we would start with the current going out, so that by the time we got to Gardiner’s Bay, for example, the tide would be changing and the current would start coming back with us. That would be the ideal.”

“But of course, not being familiar with the tide charts I read them incorrectly and the very first race in 1971 at the start the tide was coming in, and that proved to be quite a problem.”

“It was a miserable experience.”

Mr. Sullivan was mortified, he said.

At the awards ceremony following the inaugural race, “I got up and I apologized to the group.

“I said, ‘look, everybody, we never did this before. It was a first time experience. I know it was pretty rough,” he continued, feeling awful, “and it didn’t make a lot of sense.”

When he promised that it would be the first and last such race, he said, he was bombarded with booing.

“No, no! We loved it! It was great!,” he said, laughing as he recalled the crowd’s enthusiasm.

“They were very, very psyched!”

Mr. Sullivan said this year will be his 50 th and final race.

Having finished fourth last year, and tenth the year before, he’s gunning for the top spot again this year.

“I’m not throwing in the towel,” he said with a laugh. “There are guys older than I that have won this race.”

Southold Yacht Club is located at 165 North Parish Drive in Southold. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m. and after the race there will be an awards ceremony with beer and a buffet.

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