Why We Love Where We Live - Reason #87: The Wind in Your Sails

Posted: January 4th, 2011

The San Francisco Bay is considered by many to be the best place in the world to sail. Our place on the map has made for a rich maritime history, and each year the sailing season opens with much pomp and circumstance during the annual Opening Day on the Bay, with the traditional blessing of the fleet and boat parade. It is truly a sight to see hundreds of boats take to the water that day with their colorful sails and energetic crews.

There are several yacht clubs in the North Bay, including Belvedere’s San Francisco Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in North America west of the Mississippi, Tiburon’s Corinthian Yacht Club, San Rafael’s Marin Yacht Club, the Presidio Yacht Club, the Inverness Yacht Club and the Sausalito Yacht Club. These organizations offer scenic harbors, social events, and organized races, including one that we are proud to help sponsor, the annual Leukemia Cup Regatta. While a relatively new addition to our Bay, this race is held in the fall and is now ranked as the top fundraising Leukemia Cup nationwide. In 2010, the San Francisco Yacht Club, for the fourth year in a row, was the top fundraising club in the US for all Leukemia Cup Regattas. This is a true testament to the dedication of the local sailing community.

Our own Bill Smith at
the helm of his boat

It’s no wonder that the most prestigious event in all of sailing will come to our waters in 2013. The 34th America’s Cup will draw the top sailors and yacht designers from around the world to the city of San Francisco and surrounding areas and will provide a general uptick of interest in the sport. (The Cup is said to provide the third largest economic impact in sport to its host countries, behind the Olympics and soccer’s World Cup.) This is a tremendous honor for San Francisco, which will be the first US host city since 1995, and will bring the Bay Area to the forefront of a national stage.

To stay up to date on all things Sailing in Marin, visit the appropriately named blog maintained by Marin Independent Journal sailing columnist Michelle Slade who keeps tabs on news, racing results and other stories from yacht clubs around the bay.