st francis yacht club events

A Parade Of Festive Illuminated Boats Will Set Sail On The SF Bay This Holiday Season

St. Francis Yacht Club's annual Lighted Boat Parade will take to the San Francisco Bay on December 15, 2023.

San Francisco’s annual Lighted Boat Parade returns this Friday, December 15th, at 6 pm. This beloved holiday event hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club dates back to 1994 and is a welcome sight along the waterfront every year.

A procession of about 2 dozen illuminated boats will set sail from Pier 39 around 6 pm and cruise along the waterfront to Crissy Field. Once they reach Crissy Field, the lighted boats will turn around and sail back to Pier 39. The lighted boat parade is a beloved tradition and great for enjoying holiday lights in a uniquely coastal way. The procession goes leisurely, taking about 2-3 hours. You can bring a picnic and watch the glowing boats for the evening. Just don’t forget some layers and a blanket to keep you warm.

The best viewing is along Pier 39, the parking lot east of St. Francis Yacht Club, the Marina Green, Crissy Field, and Aquatic Park. If you have a boat, then be sure to grab a front-row seat right on the water. The St. Francis Yacht Club is members-only, so the public has no viewing opportunities inside the yacht house.

If you miss the procession on the SF Bay, consider catching the San Mateo Holiday Lighted Boat Parade on Saturday, December 16, at 5 pm. The best viewing is along the berm in front of the Coyote Point Yacht Club. You can also check out Winter Fest in Sausalito, which hosts a boat parade on December 9 starting at 6 pm .\

About the St. Francis Yacht Club

The St. Francis Yacht Club began in 1927 as an offshoot of the San Francisco Yacht Club, which dates back to 1869 . In the 1920s, a debate emerged between its members about relocating the club to San Francisco from its original location in Sausalito. After all, this was pre-Golden Gate Bridge, and it was a long commute across the Bay.

The Marin County club members resisted the move, and the club eventually split into two groups : The San Francisco members started the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, and the Marin County members relocated the San Francisco Yacht Club to Belvedere. These days, the two clubs have a great relationship, and many members belong to both.

The St. Francis Yacht Club hosts the Rolex Big Boat Series every year, which is known as a premier regatta on the West Coast. The event happens every September, bringing hundreds of sailors to San Francisco.

By Jamie Ferrell and Dana Flynn

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St. Francis Yacht Club Announces Action-Packed 2024 Regatta Season

St. Francis Yacht Club

January 18, 2024

Mark your calendars and make your plans to compete at one of the top sailing venues in the world in 2024. St. Francis Yacht Club has released a 2024 regatta schedule that’s comprehensive in its inclusion of various types of sailing—from board sports and dinghies, to keelboats and classic yachts, to team and match racing. Local, national and international sailors will have a plethora of opportunities to test their skills on the challenging waters of San Francisco Bay.

“Our mission is to be a leader in yachting and inviting the most talented sailors in the world to our shores and to our club is our highest calling. We’re looking forward to another stellar season of racing on San Francisco Bay,” said Chris Perkins, incoming Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club.

While sailors of various disciplines will have multiple opportunities to challenge each other in weekly series and seasonal regattas, St. Francis Yacht Club will also host several high-profile events, such as the US Sailing Wingfoiling Championship (August 2-4), the International Knarr Championship (August 31-September 7) and the 60th anniversary of their signature Rolex Big Boat Series (September 11-15). The club will also host stops for the US Match Racing Championship (October 4-6), the Women’s World Match Racing Tour (May 1-5) and SailGP (July 13-14).

“With over 100 days of racing on the calendar, we run a very busy racing schedule, and from a race management perspective, we are always looking for ways to improve. In 2024, we’re focusing more on quality versus quantity, by combining some events to deliver a top-level experience from the moment a sailor arrives at St. Francis Yacht Club, through their time on the water and after racing, enjoying the parties and amenities ashore. We want an outstanding experience at all points,” said Felix Weidling, Race Director of St. Francis Yacht Club.

DINGHIES Small-boat sailors can look forward to Spring Dinghy (May 18-19) and Fall Dinghy (October 26-27) running repeated courses during both events to provide an opportunity to improve on the same playing field as the year progresses. The Elvström/Zellerbach Regatta will be combined with Spring Dinghy to draw a larger pool of competitors in the invited one design classes. The club’s popular Opti Heavy Weather Slalom & Regatta also returns (June 21-23) to test the smallest boats in the big summer winds of San Francisco Bay.

BOARD SPORTS After the success of the inaugural Wingding Regatta in 2023, the event will return in early August of 2024 as the Wingding US Sailing Wingfoiling Championship, the first national wingfoiling event in the United States for this board sport. Foiling enthusiasts will enjoy the weekly Thursday racing series, which began decades ago when windsurfing was the hot new sport, and which now draws a loyal following of foiling kites, wings and windsurfers. For those looking for a full-send experience, Ronstan Bridge to Bridge is scheduled for August 29, when the westerlies are typically strong enough to sail a foilboard from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge faster than a bird flies—will someone make it in under 10 minutes this year?

KEELBOATS Keelboat enthusiasts will be busy this season, beginning with Spring Fest & Stone Cup (April 6-7) and the start of California Race Week’s CA 500 (May 25) and Spinnaker Cup (May 26). IODs, Folkboats and Knarrs can look forward to the Woodies Invitational (June 28-30), and the Knarrs play again August 31-September 7, at the 52nd International Knarr Championship, just ahead of Rolex Big Boat Series, which also hosts a Classic Yachts division.

In past years Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta and Aldo Alessio were held the same weekend, to serve as a tuneup to Rolex Big Boat Series. This year, the two events will split, with Swiftsure remaining in the tuneup position (August 17-18) and Aldo Alessio held as an offshore return race for Rolex Big Boat Series competitors (September 21). J/Boat fleets will be busy all year, and the J/105 Women’s Skipper Invitational (May 11) will be run for the third time, encouraging greater helm time for talented female sailors.

The J/105 class will likely be the largest fleet competing at Rolex Big Boat Series (September 11-15), which will celebrate its diamond anniversary with a week of world-class competition and stellar post-race celebrations. Various one design classes, ORC-rated boats, and classic yachts will be invited to compete, with registration opening in early 2024.

MATCH RACING With its fleet of J/22s now expanded to 13 boats, St. Francis Yacht Club remains a prime host for match racing events, including stops of the California Dreamin’ Series (March 16-17) and the Women’s World Match Racing Tour (May 1-5). The US Match Racing Championship also returns to San Francisco Bay (October 4-6).

TEAM RACING A highlight in the 2024 season will be the Cornerstone Cup (August 23-25), a four-way international team racing event between New York Yacht Club, Royal Yacht Squadron, Royal Thames Yacht Club and host St. Francis Yacht Club. Last run in San Francisco in 2015, the event features top-level competition and interclub camaraderie. Team racers can also look forward to an inaugural San Francisco Sailing League Regatta (June 8-9), which will import a popular European format to the West Coast for the first time.

Make your plans to compete at St. Francis Yacht Club this upcoming regatta season.

VIEW THE 2024 REGATTA SCHEDULE

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St. Francis Yacht Club announces action-packed 2024 Regatta Season

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St. Francis Yacht Club

The history of st. francis yacht club  , becoming st. francis, a yacht club in the city, the club buys an island.

With San Francisco summers often foggy, windy and cold, StFYC members started a search for a warmer option in the mid-1950s. In 1958, that destination was secured when a small group of members pooled personal funds and purchased a 21-acre, overgrown island in the Delta for $10,750. Our little slice of heaven on the San Joaquin River, Tinsley Island, was founded. A plaque commemorating those generous visionaries may be found in the lighthouse on Tinsley Island.

WE STARTED SOMETHING BIG

In 1964, St. Francis Yacht Club welcomed eight yachts to the inaugural St. Francis Perpetual Trophy Regatta. Four boats came from Southern California:  Odyssey ,  Kialoa ,  Audacious  and  Kamalii ; and four from Northern California:  Athene ,  Baruna ,  Ocean Queen IV  and  Santana . The regatta was soon nicknamed the “Big Boat Series.” Since then, the Rolex Big Boat Series has earned a reputation as the West Coast’s premier regatta. St. Francis Yacht Club is proud to host hundreds of sailors each September, drawing great sailors from all the great ports of the blue planet to race in our famous front yard.  

93 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE...AND COUNTING

People and boats make the sport of yacht racing, and for 90+ years, through members, guests, pros, and generations of kids insisting, "I'm not cold; let me try it again," we've known the best of both.

THE MISSION OF THE ST. FRANCIS YACHT CLUB IS TO SERVE AS THE INSPIRATIONAL CENTER OF BOATING ACTIVITIES REGIONALLY AND A LEADER OF YACHTING INTERNATIONALLY. WE HONOR CAMARADERIE, SPORTSMANSHIP, TRADITION AND THE MARITIME HERITAGE OF SAN FRANCISCO IN A PREMIER YACHTING ENVIRONMENT.

Our App enables the sailors to have the boat´s performance tracked live and to be able to review the performance later on. The app can be complemented by a tracking device that you can have on your boat.

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