WELCOME TO THE
CANYON LAKE YACHT CLUB
CANYON LAKE, CALIFORNIA
A Little Bit of Paradise!
Canyon Lake Yacht Club consists of 470 enthusiastic members who love to enjoy the water. In fact, if there is one thing that ties us all together it is our love of the lake. We enjoy many activities that get us out on the water, as well as some awesome land-borne events that we do as a club.
If you love the lake and would like to hang out with others who love to get out on the water, we'd love to have you join us. No boat required! Check out the pages of this website to get to know us a little better, and then join us via our membership page. We'd like to get to know you and help you make lifelong friends who share the same interests. We invite you to be part of the Canyon Lake Yacht Club and enjoy "a little bit of paradise!"
CLYC Deckhand of the Month!
Aye, Aye Mates!!!! Anchors aweigh…All hands-on deck!
When our Commodore, Rob Mora, took over the helm in January, he told us to get our sea legs ready as he began to navigate us in the direction that our prior Commodore saw on the horizon. As we set sail, he battened down the hatches and began to focus on a better way to navigate our deckhands through a website that could not only host activities and other announcements, but also provide additional features that would make it easier to safely sail the following seas [lake] for the upcoming year. Although we were pretty even keeled, we needed to make sure we were squared-riffed and squared away and wanted to have, among other things, our activities highlighted, announce volunteer opportunities, advertise, and sell our merchandise and collect dues in one convenient location.
So mates, do NOT be caught dead in the water over the next year! As we cast off, look for opportunities as to how you can be our Deckhand of the Month! The Canyon Lake Yacht Club will be on the crow’s nest looking for that deck hand that goes the extra mile and guides us towards our destination. We have our map above but are always open to veering new courses too! Feel the talk of the boat and set your destination(s) and let us showcase you….
CLYC January 2025
Deckhands of the Month!
ALL HANDS-ON DECK!!!!!!
We are excited to share the next CLYC Deckhands of the Month!
Glen & Holly Biondi
January Deckhands of the Month: Glen & Holly Biondi
Glen and Holly Biondi have been active and engaged members of our club for the past three years. Their dedication to volunteering and offering their boat for various excursions has made them an integral part of both our club and community.
Glen and Holly played a significant role in making the Parade of Lights a huge success over the past few years. Holly has not only served as a parade judge but has also worked closely with me to improve the judging process for both the club and participants. Glen generously volunteered his time at Holiday Harbor, ensuring that all boats were docked safely and that participants had up-close views of the boats, all while prioritizing crowd safety. This was a new aspect of the parade this year, and it was a resounding success.
Beyond their ongoing commitments, Glen and Holly are always quick to step up whenever an unexpected need arises. They don’t wait to be asked—they look around, recognize where help is needed, and jump right in. This dedication extends not only to our club but also to the other clubs they actively support.
Whenever they are in town, they fully immerse themselves in club activities, always embracing the theme of every event. Their enthusiasm, spirit, and laughter bring joy to our community, and we are grateful for all they do.
Meet Glen Biondi
Glen grew up in New Jersey with his two brothers. Born with cystic fibrosis, he underwent a double lung transplant at the age of 30 and has been a true warrior ever since. In 2023, Glen celebrated the 30th anniversary of his double transplant, and true to their style, the milestone was celebrated in grand fashion with fun and friends.
As one of the longest-surviving lung transplant recipients in the nation, Glen is incredibly humble and never seeks attention, but his strength and resilience continue to inspire everyone around him.
An avid sports fan, Glen remains loyal to his childhood teams from the New York/New Jersey area. After earning his degree from Seton Hall University in 1986, he moved west to Oceanside, CA, where he worked at Callaway Golf in Carlsbad while enjoying the beautiful California lifestyle.
Glen later obtained his contractor’s license and worked alongside his brother, who also lives in Canyon Lake, before deciding to take time off to study for the Bar Exam. In 2000, he became a licensed attorney and has since built a successful 25-year legal career, assisting many Canyon Lake residents through various legal challenges.
In 2011, Glen and Holly relocated to Canyon Lake, where they purchased their dream home on Inspiration Point and quickly became active members of the community.
Meet Holly Biondi
Holly was born in Orange County, the youngest of 5 daughters She spent her early years in Rossmoor/Los Alamitos before her family relocated to Ohio for her father’s job. After several years, they moved back to California and settled in La Verne, where Holly graduated from high school.
Holly has always had a passion for interior design and real estate. She has held her real estate license for 35 years and also pursued studies in interior plant design.
She is highly competitive and has competed in bodybuilding competitions for the past 11 years, remaining dedicated to health and fitness. In her early 20s, she moved to Menifee, where she welcomed her daughter, Courtney. Now a proud grandmother, Holly and Glen cherish their time with their two handsome grandsons.
Holly’s dedication to helping others is one of her greatest strengths. She and Glen have built a strong network of friends and are known for being the kind of friends everyone wants to have.
Glen & Holly: A Perfect Match
Twenty-five years ago, Glen and Holly met on a blind date set up by friends. Their connection was undeniable, and in 2002, they were married on a yacht in Newport Harbor.
Together, they cherish special moments with their grandsons and share a love for traveling. Whether it’s Hawaii, Mexico, or the Caribbean, you can always count on them having a great time wherever they go.
The CLYC and our community are incredibly fortunate that Glen and Holly have chosen to call Canyon Lake home. Their active involvement, generosity, and enthusiasm make a lasting impact on our “Little Bit of Paradise.”
Thank you, Glen & Holly, for all that you do!
Sailor Six Questions & Answers
Q: How long have you lived in Canyon Lake?
A: 14 years.
Q: How long have you been a member of the CL Yacht Club?
A: 3 years.
Q: If you were stranded on an island, where would want to be?
A: Exuma Bahamas.
Q: What YC event do you look forward to the most?
A: Parade of Lights.
Q: Favorite water activity?
A: Floating & drinking.
Q: Does your boat have a name? If not, would you call it?
A: Stars and Stripes.
Who will be our CLYC Febuary Deckhand of the Month? Rumors have it that sailors tend to be predominantly realistic individuals, so we are looking for our sailor(s) that have contributed to the club by working outdoors and/or applying themselves to a hands-on project. Check out our website and see how this can be YOU!
SEE PAST DECKHANDS OF THE MONTH HERE!
First International Burgee Exchange - Thousand Islands Yacht Club,
Ontario Canada
June 19, 2024 - Cathy and Dan Lekawa are happy to deliver the first international burgee to the CLYC. It is from the Thousand Islands Yacht Club (TIYC) in Ontario, Canada. Thousand Islands is an archipelago of over 1,800 islands in the St. Lawrence River as it emerges into the Northeast corner of Lake Erie. It is also the home of Thousand Island dressing and contains one of Canada's oldest National Parks!
This burgee comes from a club with a kindred spirit to ours and an interesting story. We extracted this history from their website:
The TIYC came about as the result of a conversation in which one of a small group of boaters at a 1,000 Islands dock said he wished there was a way to get accommodation at various yacht clubs around Lake Ontario. He'd been turned away because he had no yacht club affiliation, or had to pay at others for a one-night stay.
Somebody mentioned the obvious: Why not form a yacht club? This group included no financiers or captains of industry. Among the lot, meeting the annual gas and booze bills and summer dockage was regarded as a feat of financial legerdemain.
The vision of a "yacht club" as exemplified by the Royal Canadian Yacht Club was so far from the realm of possibility among these short arms and deep pockets, it was beyond imagination...but not beyond the kind of ridicule stimulated by an early cocktail hour, boozy barbecue, after-dinner drinks and a full moon shining operation on Mermaid Island.
"We could just call ourselves a yacht club," one dogged dreamer persisted. "That's no good," was the retort. "You've gotta be RECOGNIZED." "How do you get recognized?"
....And so, on it went, and answers became as intangible as a Scotch mist. It was decided to ask the director of the Canadian Yacht Club Association (CYCA), Geoff Wheatley, on Monday (and somebody actually remembered!) Mr. Wheatley provided a quick answer: "Show me 10 members, pay me 10 bucks for each, and I'll register you as a yacht club....but there's one condition.", "What's that?" "I want to be a member too!"
So it was, in the year of 1981, the Thousand Islands Yacht Club was gathered into the bosom of the CYCA, and stamped with legitimacy.
Cathy met a member of the small yacht club earlier in our vacation when we were waiting for a ferry to Nantucket. This member convinced us to stop at Thousand Islands on our way to Niagara Falls from Montreal.
Upon arrival, we could not find anyone around. We knocked and entered the small shed known as their clubhouse. Although there was no one present, there was a counter of assorted candy bars, a jar for paying, a bottle of Southern Comfort next to an old microwave, and a 12 pack of beer on the messy desk. They had 3 burgees in their collection pinned on the wall, one being their own.
We finally bumped into Bill, the “Water Manager." We told him we had hoped to meet the commodore and exchange burgees. He volunteered to see if he could find one amongst the mess of maps and other papers. He couldn't so he took the last known burgee off the wall and said, "it is a little worn, but it is yours." He took ours in exchange. We expressed our appreciation and told him a little about our club.
The TIYC burgee has a story too. The red, white and blue colors, the maple leaf and the white stars on blue background are symbolic of the club's Canadian & American ties, while the six stars represent the six founding members that came up with the idea on the moonlit drinking night.
