For many of the San Francisco Bay area residents sailing can seem as far away as Mars. Perceived barriers such as cost and complexity sustain a myth that sailing is not for them. But, head down to the nearby shoreline and most residents will find a sailing venue and welcoming sailors who are ready to help them find a way off the land and onto the Bay where suddenly Bay Area living takes on a whole new dimension. Like a skier living in a ski town people discover getting on the Bay is one of the very best reasons to live in the Bay Area. Following are Summer Sailstice events put on by many of the Bay Area sailing organizations ready to welcome any sailor aboard.
Sailing the Bay is one of the closest 'escapes' from urban mayhem. Step on a sailboat and life changes - for the better.
There's a lot of Bay Area sailors but how many have sailed Vasona Lake? How many even know where that is? The central Bay gets all the attention but besides that jewel of a sailing arena the Bay Area sailing scene has much more than meets the eye. You can click below to find numerous Summer Sailstice events around the Bay and, on June 23rd, if you're in the Bay Area you should be visiting at least one of them.
To find endless places to sail in the Bay Area click here.
You may have heard of Lake Merritt in Oakland or Huntington Lake in the high Sierras or possibly Shoreline Lake in Mountain View but Vasona Lake? Maybe it's just us but we didn't know about it and, by posting an event on the Summer Sailstice site, we and, hopefully many more will discover Silicon Valley sailing in Los Gatos, CA.
Yes, your invited to try sailing on Vasona Lake in Los Gatos. Learn More.
Beyond Vasona Lake you have the largest Bay Area Summer Sailstice celebration being held for the seventh year running at the Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda. Complete with free sailboat rides, small boat racing, a cardboard boat building contest (that you have to build, launch and paddle with you in it!), all day entertainment, the yacht club's select beverage of Gosling's Dark 'N Stormies, paddle boards and a full day of sailing celebrations on the shores of your favorite Pacific Island, Alameda. Check out the schedule of events here:
See their event site for more information.
Across the island Club Nautique, Cruising Specialists, Ballena Bay Yacht Club and Safe Harbor Marinas is putting together their own event complete with sailboat rides, new Jeanneau sailboats on display and all day sailing celebrations.
Ballena Island Marina on the West Shore of Alameda will be
welcoming the public to their Summer Sailstice celebration.
Need more options? Are you thinking more of schooners and classic yachts? If you're in the North Bay or can get there are a couple of other Sailstice events that will stir your sailing soul. One of the Bay's most active sailing schooners, the Freda B, will be taking folks out on a Summer Sailstice Sunday evening sunset sail. Remember, it's summertime with more daylight than any other time of year and a perfect time for sunset sails. You can find a link to a sunset sail ticket here.
Pirates and buccaneers welcome. Sunset sails on the Freda B are
the ideal way to celebrate sailing. Link to tickets here.
Further down the Sausalito shoreline the Bay Area's newest tallship, the recently built and launched Matthew Turner will be hosting tours of the ship dockside at her berth at the Bay Model. This is a 100' tallship built by local craftsman over the past 6+ years. She's in the final stages of outfitting and you're welcome to bring the whole family to board and look at their handiwork and imagine her sailing soon.
The tallship Matthew Turner was recently launched and now stands
ready to welcome you aboard at the Bay Model in Sausalito. Learn more here.
Liking the time travel of classic sailing ships. Ready to put down the virtual tools and get back to the fine lines of traditional sailing vessels with gleaming varnish, polished stainless and carefully-crafted teak decks? Then put the Sunday, June 24th Master Mariners Wooden Boat Show at the Corinthian Yacht Club on your weekend sailing celebration tour. The event is a fund raiser to help preserve traditional sailing ships and puts at least 30 of the Bay Area's most beautiful wooden classics on display. The Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon is open to the public and an ideal destination for families who want to enjoy a day in the sun while touring the Bay Area's best classic sailboats. Learn more here.
Step aboard - you'll be impressed and enjoy a great afternoon at the Corinthian Yacht Club.
Back in the East Bay you can taste the Bay Area sailing scene at the OCSC Sailing Open House at their home base in Berkeley. Everyone is invited to visit their facilities and to learn more about their sailing fleet and US Sailing certification programs from 10AM to 2PM on Saturday, June 23rd.
Sailing with OCSC will bring a refreshing new perspective to Bay Area living.
Northern California sailing also takes place throughout the California Delta with warm, fresh water and steady breezes. One of the most active sailing clubs in the Bay Area is the Stockton Sailing Club with great youth sailing programs and, for Summer Sailstice this year, a sailing Poker Run. They're inviting all sailboats to come out and sail while chasing down a winning hand of cards. Learn more here.
Sail the Delta while picking up a winning hand
with the Stockton Sailing Club Poker Run.
Back to the South Bay where Silicon Valley sailors can find another celebration of sailing right next door at the Shoreline Lake sailing celebration. A fleet of boats, an easy-access community program and plenty of sunshine and breeze make it an ideal place to put down the digital device and enjoy a bit of the analog life where the colors are real, the breeze is fresh and the people are ready to welcome and 'share' something in real life: sailing.
Sail Silicon Valley for Summer Sailstice at Shoreline Lake.
One of the best reasons to live in the Bay Area is sailing the Bay. It's kind of like living in a ski town - your favorite activity right next door. Numerous orgainizations stand ready to take you sailing. You can join a club, become part of a crew or be part of a community sailing center. For crewing opportunities look here or join Latitude 38 sailing magazine's crew list. Just look around on Summer Sailstice to discover how so many Bay Area residents get on the water for sailing all summer long. Explore the map of Bay Area Summer Sailstice events and then go sailing. You might not stop until you reach Tahiti.