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Local News | Photos: Some of the world’s fastest sailboats…

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Local News | Photos: Some of the world’s fastest sailboats will be on San Francisco Bay for SailGP races this weekend

F50 catamarans are capable of 60 mph speeds.

Sailboats capable of freeway speeds will be competing this weekend on San Francisco Bay in the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix.

SailGP’s eighth and final event of Season Two takes place Saturday and Sunday, with activities centered around the St. Francis Yacht Club near Crissy Field.

Teams from the United States, Australia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand and Spain will be competing aboard their F50 foiling catamarans, which are capable of 60 mph speeds. Earlier this week, both the Americans and Australians capsized. There were other close calls as they pushed the limits preparing for Sunday’s final $1 million race, which will determine the Season Two champion.

Jimmy Spithill, the U.S. SailGP Team CEO and driver, is best known for masterminding the 2013 America’s Cup comeback in San Francisco.

“Yes, we have qualified for the final, but time has shown that anything can happen. The team has rallied, yet I believe we are still the underdog,” Spithill said.

Though there are plenty of free viewing areas, limited tickets remain for premium on-land viewing near Marina Green or on-water experiences to see the action unfold on the bay between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. Racing begins at 2 p.m. each day. For more information, go to the SailGP website .

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World’s fastest on-water racing set for San Francisco as part of SailGP’s inaugural season

• United States SailGP

Tickets go on sale February 21 for first U.S. grand prix in May 2019

SailGP, now embarking on its inaugural season, today revealed new details of its highly anticipated San Francisco event, which will take place on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday May 5, introducing U.S. audiences to a redefined form of sailing while showcasing the members of the national team on their home turf. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday February 21 , at SailGP.com/SanFrancisco.

As SailGP’s first grand prix in the United States, the San Francisco engagement will be the second in a series of five events happening throughout the inaugural year and around the world in 2019. Spearheaded by Sir Russell Coutts and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, SailGP is officially sanctioned by World Sailing.

Each of this year’s events will feature teams representing six countries – the United States, Australia, China, France, Great Britain and Japan – all racing on identical 50-foot foiling catamarans, known as the F50 – the world’s fastest, most technologically advanced flying catamaran.

A new boat class, the F50 is a redesigned, supercharged incarnation of the exceptional foiling catamarans used for the past two America's Cups. Twelve months of further development at the hands of leading designers, technicians and engineers, the F50s are expected to break the 50-knot (60mph/100kph) barrier.

On Saturday May 4 and Sunday May 5, San Francisco SailGP will take place from 12 to 2pm, just off the Marina Yacht Club Peninsula in the heart of the San Francisco Bay, with the Golden Gate Bridge serving as a stunning backdrop. Each national team will compete in a total of five short-format fleet races, culminating with the top two teams facing off in a match race finale to determine the event winner on Sunday afternoon.

"San Francisco has a unique harbor that is perfect for sailing and we are thrilled to hold our first U.S. SailGP event in the Bay Area. The Bay’s consistently strong thermal winds will create an ideal test for these top sailors, and the shoreline serves as a natural amphitheater for spectators to take in the action. Fans in San Francisco will witness six flying catamarans going faster than ever before in a race environment – this is the next generation of sailing."

Sir Russell Coutts

Beginning today, fans can register at SailGP.com/SanFrancisco to receive exclusive updates on unique experiences available for the event, including access to ticket presales, as well as on-water boater registration, which offers special perks for fans wishing to watch the action from personal boats. Those who register early will also receive important race management information, including detailed schedules, spectator zones and the latest race course maps.

U.S. fans will be treated to the stateside debut of the U.S. SailGP Team – comprised of some of the most talented high-performance sailors in the country. As announced in October 2018, the five team members are: Rome Kirby, 29, of Newport, Rhode Island (helmsman); Riley Gibbs, 22, of Long Beach, California (wing trimmer); Hans Henken, 26, of Coronado, California (flight controller); Mac Agnese, 24, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida (grinder); and Dan Morris, 31, of Newport, Rhode Island (grinder).

SailGP’s Sydney inauguration will occur in February (15-16), after which SailGP will move on to San Francisco in May (4-5), followed by New York in June (21-22) and Cowes in August (10-11), before the Marseille final in September (20-22), which will feature a winner-takes-all, $1 million championship match race between the season’s top two teams to conclude three days of racing.

All six SailGP teams will be in San Francisco practicing for two weeks prior to the start of San Francisco SailGP.

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2024 sailing events in san francisco, california.

Sailing Save-the-Dates for San Francisco Bay 2024

Known as a sailing mecca the world over, San Francisco is home to hundreds of sailing events every year. From community boat parades and regattas to the latest innovations in the yacht racing world, you can see it on the Bay. Check out this list and mark your calendars to experience these sensational events that bring the local sailing community together on land or onto the Bay. Some of these event dates are "TBD" (to be determined), but we will continually update this page as event dates are announced.

To experience or participate in some of these events aboard our sailing yachts, keep an eye out for Club Sails on event dates at our two locations in Sausalito and Berkeley.

• View the Modern Sailing Club Sails schedule  here . 

Three Bridge Fiasco  - Saturday, January 27, 2024

The Three Bridge Fiasco hosted by the  Single-Handed Sailing Society  takes place right outside of the  St. Francis Yacht Club . Racers compete single- or double-handed to round three buoys or temporary marks representing the three major bridges of the San Francisco Bay; the Golden Gate Bridge, East Bay Bridge, and Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. This race is an annual event regularly attracting more than 300 yachts and teams from all over the Bay Area. 

Enjoy this video clip of Modern Sailing School & Club's owner and CEO, Captain Leigh Hunt and sailing instructor and Captain Jimmie Marquez as they attempted the 2020 socked-in, strong-ebbed regatta. 

Destination Chartering and Sail Tahiti 2024 Information Session - Thursday, February 8, 2024

Join Modern Sailing Global Destinations in our Sausalito conference room for antipasto, fine wine, craft beer, and refreshments while your trip leader, Captain Robert Bivin, presents detailed information on the exciting Sail Tahiti 2024 - The Society Islands of French Polynesia itinerary, boats, travel considerations, and more.

Thinking about an international charter vacation of your own? Consider yourself invited and come pick our captains' brains! At the end of the presentation, there will be a Q&A session during which you'll have the opportunity to ask questions of our expert captains about chartering out of the Society Islands or just about any sailing destination worldwide.

We invite anyone who is considering a sailing vacation or destination charter to attend. In addition to learning about sailing Tahiti, you will have the rare opportunity to learn from the experts about chartering abroad and ask questions of captains who are familiar with many popular worldwide charter destinations!

There is no cost to attend, but please RSVP so that we can ensure there will be enough seating and refreshment for everyone.

DATE: Thursday, February 8, 2024, 5:00 - 7:00pm LOCATION : 2330 Marinship Way, Suite 100, Sausalito, CA 94965

Latitude 38 Crew List Parties - Spring and Fall

Check for updates on  Latitude 38's virtual crew list page . 

These parties, hosted by our favorite maritime news outlet,  Latitude 38 , occur twice annually . Hosted by the  Golden Gate Yacht Club  from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, the event is a meet and greet for Bay Area Sailors (crew and boat owners), featuring stunning views of the Bay, and a live life raft launch from Sal's Inflatable Services. $10 cash at the door or $5 for ages 25 and under with ID.  Learn more . 

Advanced First Aid/CPR for Mariners Course , April 6 - 7 and October 5 - 6 (Sausalito)

Maritime Medical Guides is coming to Sausalito June 10-11 and Oct 14-15th, at the Spaulding Center, to offer Advanced First Aid/CPR for Mariners. Cost is $375. The class is US Sailing Accredited, meets World Sailing Offshore Special Reg. (OSR 6.5) and is also valid for USCG Merchant Mariner credentials.

International Ocean Film Festival  - April 12 - 14 (Cowell Theatre, Fort Mason Center, SF)

Learn about the ocean, its inhabitants, the people who play in it, and people who work on it at the International Ocean Film Festival. Each year the IOFF aims to save the oceans one spectacular film at a time by inspiring viewers to become the voice of Earth's largest organ. 

Svendsen's Spring Fling Show - April 12 - 13

In Alameda at Svendsen Marine's third annual Spring Flow Show, you'll meet top sailing and boating brand representatives and explore Svendsen's 20,000 square-foot store for the best deals of the year on your boating and sailing gear! There are also raffle giveaways happening all day long. Download free tickets to claim your show swag bag. Visit springflingboatshow.com for information and tickets.

Opening Day on the Bay - Sunday, April 28

Celebrate the official beginning to the San Francisco Bay sailing season with fellow sailing enthusiasts! 2024 marks the 107th annual celebration kicking off the start of the boating season in the Bay Area. From the blessing of the fleet in Racoon Straits to the parade of decorated boats, Opening Day on the Bay is one of the premier sailing events of the year. Dating back to 1917 and organized by the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association , the parade sails from the shadows of the Golden Gate Bridge to just past Pier 39. Any vessels can take part as long as they register beforehand. The procession regularly features tug boats, clean-up boats and tour boats, with visitors and spectators onboard. Judges are on hand to dish out prizes for the décor and imagination of the colorful vessels.

Remain subscribed to the Modern Sailing weekly newsletter email for Opening Day on the Bay Parade Club Sail announcements so that you can join in and participate in this spectacular event. If you're not already subscribed, subscribe to our weekly newsletter here .

Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show  - May 16 - 19

The Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show is one of the West Coast’s premier boat shows, featuring new sail and cruising power boats, gear, hardware, seminars, and interactive workshops. It will be held in Redwood City at Westpoint Harbor.

Jazz and Blues by the Bay  - Friday Nights this Summer

Enjoy late summer nights and the smooth tunes of jazz on land or from the water. Hosted by Sausalito Parks and Recreation, Jazz and Blues by the Bay is a community event focused on park enjoyment and music appreciation. During the summer, these weekly Friday night concerts occur in Gabrielson Park overlooking Richardson Bay and the Sausalito Yacht Club mooring balls. Modern members can book a boat to enjoy the tunes and sunset, or join one of our Jazz and Blues by the Bay Club Sails .

The Master Mariners Annual Regatta - Memorial Day Weekend

Hosted by the  Master Mariners Benevolent Association , a San Francisco yacht club that dates back to 1867, the Master Mariner's Regatta is an exquisite event showcasing wooden tall ships from all over the Bay Area. In contrast to the modernity of SailGP, regatta boaters and spectators will have the opportunity to experience the historic heritage of sailing innovation at its finest.

One Ocean Film Tour on  World Oceans Day - June 8

The One Ocean Film Tour is a world-class series of ocean-loving films focused on adventure, the aquatic environment and inspirational stories.  The tour was created in 2020 with the vision to increase awareness about ocean protection and conservation by sharing films made by people who have dedicated their lives to the ocean and all her glory. One Ocean Film Tour is a spectacular visual journey in itself. Join us! Immerse yourself in the mighty power of One Ocean!

Summer Sailstice  - June 22

Celebrate the year's longest day and the start of summer on the "Sailstice." Organized by Bay Area sailor John Arndt, this event is a global affair that brings sailors together to celebrate their favorite pastime - sailing. Participation in the Summer Sailstice event is free. All you have to do is slip the lines, hoist your sails, and head out to your favorite body of water on a sailboat. Modern Sailing members can participate in Summer Sailstice by chartering a boat or joining a Club Sail.  Share your Sailstice plans for a chance to win epic prizes from sponsors such as North Sails, Navionics, American Sailing Association, US Sailing, and more!

Master Mariner's Wooden Boat Show at Corinthian Yacht Club - June TBD

The Annual Wooden Boat Show is one of the highlights of the San Francisco sailing season, and one of only a few West coast wooden boat shows.

Open to the public and generously hosted by the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon, this unique event is an once a year opportunity to enjoy one of the most beautiful Yacht Clubs in the world, and dozens of the most elegant and delightful traditional sailing boats from the Bay and beyond. We'll let you know as soon as show dates are announced.

Independence Day Celebration - Tuesday, July 4

Celebrate America's independence on the water! Charter a sailboat or join a Club Sail to watch the multitude of fireworks shows around the Bay Area from the water. See our Member Resources article Best Places in SF Bay to See Fireworks by Boat .

SailGP San Francisco   (F50 foiling catamaran races) - July 13 - 14

There are a few ways to witness the exciting action of F50 foiling catamarans zipping and splashing around the Central Bay: (1) watch the race from shore by buying  tickets from SailGP . Modern Sailing club members can (2) charter a boat or (3) join a Club Sail to watch from the water.

Rolex Big Boat Series  and J/88 Nationals - September TBD

The Rolex Big Boat Series is a four-day regatta founded by the St. Francis Yacht Club in 1964. The annual event attracts competitive racing teams and big racing boats from all over the state, nation, and world. Thousands of racers and hundreds of boats take to the Bay each day of the race, competing for first place and the Rolex watch that comes with it. MSC club members can bareboat charter or join a Club Sail to witness the excitement from the water.

Island Yacht Club Women's Sailing Seminar - September TBD

IYC's 3 days of sailing, learning and fun includes in-person and streaming seminars and keynote speeches, food, drink, and no-host cocktail hours, giveaways including t-shirts and totes, and an amazing raffle drawing! Stay tuned for more details as we approach September.

Fleet Week  - October 2 - 8

The grand finale to summer in San Francisco, Fleet Week, celebrates the United States Navy allowing civilians to tour warships while their sailors tour the city. The week begins with a parade of ships progressing to free concerts, educational events, and family fun. Fleet Week's grand finale is a two-day air show over the Bay featuring the Blue Angels of the United States Airforce, the F-35 Demo Team, a demo from United's largest airplane, and several internationally known performance flight teams. The best seat in the house for these shows is from a boat on the Bay - keep an eye out for our Club Sails that weekend. 

Fleet Week Boating Safety

Sausalito Lighted Boat Parade - December 7

Spark the spirit of the season with holiday lights, music and fireworks on the water! This special event is a holiday tradition in Sausalito and across the Bay Area. Every year, we enter two of our club boats in the parade and our hard-working fleet staff decorate them for our members and guests to participate in this magical experience. With the sounds of holiday music and cheering spectators, you and your guests will be dazzled by the spectacle of decorated boats and fireworks. An enchanting and memorable event to kick off the season, even the grinchiest of sailors will be unable to resist the holiday cheer.

Do you know of any other San Francisco Bay Area sailing events? Let us know and we'll add it to this list!

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WE LOVED IT! The whole team was so honored and thankful. Thanks so much for all of your team's hard work and excellence in organizing our party. Of the 22 of us, only 4 had ever been sailing and not in the Bay. The guys had an incredible experience, the skippers were all really great, allowing each of us to be at the wheel. They were kind and empowering. Plus the weather and wind were perfect! It was definitely one of the top 3 experiences that we have shared as leaders in the past 5 + years. We couldn't have asked for a better day!

Every aspect of Modern Sailing - training, syllabus, course materials, quality of the boats, quality of the instructors, and the very friendly and helpful staff - exceeded my expectations. Modern Sailing has a first class sailing program in an environment with challenging winds and currents. I look forward to coming back to charter a boat and certainly plan to continue my sailing training.

Here are some snaps of Our Saturday, August 20, 2022 Modern Sailing Expedition with Captain Robert Bivin, who was outstanding. Please convey photos and thanks to him. He is an outstanding individual, leader and sailing instructor. His knowledge and experience made us all feel safe and our Farallones Day Trip educational and just amazing. 

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Sausalito Location 2310 Marinship Way, Sausalito, CA 94965 (415) 331-8250 (800) 995-1668

Berkeley Location 1 Spinnaker Way, Berkeley, CA 94710 (415) 331-8250 (800) 995-1668

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Sports | Sailing in Marin: Foiling events take main…

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Sports | Sailing in Marin: Foiling events take main stage on San Francisco Bay

Marin's Henry Vare winging it on the San Francisco Bay. Vare and Morgan Headington are set to participate in a wing foiling freestyle exhibition and slalom racing events between the official SailGP races which take place between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz starting at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. (Photo by Bryan McDonald)

Redwood High sophomore Morgan Headington wings foils around the buoys on the San Francisco Bay. Headington and Henry Vare are set to participate in a wing foiling freestyle exhibition and slalom racing events between the official SailGP races which take place between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz starting at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. (Photo by Bryan McDonald)

Marin's Henry Vare makes wing foiling look easy on the San Francisco Bay. Vare and Morgan Headington are set to participate in a wing foiling freestyle exhibition and slalom racing events between the official SailGP races which take place between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz starting at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. (Photo by Bryan McDonald)

The infamous SailGP event hits San Francisco Bay this weekend showcasing the world’s best foiling sailors on the F50 foiling catamaran. The event, now in its second season, continues to create drama and magic on the water in the world’s best sailing venues for a winner-takes-all-prize.

The F50 is a further iteration from the AC 50 launched early in 2017 for use in the 35th America’s Cup in 2017 in Bermuda and has been a boost to the huge and growing interest in foiling watersports anywhere there is breeze and water. Perfect for kids like Marin groms Henry Vare (13) and Morgan Headington (15) who thrive on fast and exciting.

The pair will be flying high on the Bay along with six other youth wing foilers when they participate in a wing foiling freestyle exhibition and slalom racing events between the official SailGP races which take place between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz starting at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday, with a practice session for all fleets on Friday afternoon.

Henry’s dad, Michael Vare, spearheaded the opportunity for the youngsters, reaching out to SailGP Inspire, the League’s community outreach program, to coordinate a youth event as part of the San Francisco SailGP stopover. He said the kids are ecstatic to be involved in such a high-profile event doing something they love and excel at. As part of the program, the kids will meet with the SailGP teams and be a big part of the action this weekend.

“The kids put together their bios including their favorite tricks and who they ride for, so they’re very excited,” Vare said. “SailGP Inspire will provide them with bright colored jerseys, they’ll have numbers on their wings and there will be commentary shoreside about this growing sport of wing foiling,”.

Vare and Headington followed their dads into wing foiling some 2 1/2 years ago and now the dads are taking a bit of a back seat as the kids’ passion for wing foiling grows. But that’s okay, says Geoff Headington, a long-time competitive water sports enthusiast, who loves being out on the water with his son.

“I feel like it takes some of the pressure off me from a competitive standpoint,” Headington laughed. “It makes me happy to support him and make sure he’s on the right gear, watch him go and give him tips and instruction, I’m becoming more of a coach than a competitor. I get a lot of joy seeing Morgan improve.”

The boys dialed in some pre-event training when they raced a wing foil regatta several weekends ago on the Bay, the first ever to be raced in the US and hosted by the St Francis Yacht Club. They’re stoked for this weekend.

“I’m really excited to have the great opportunity to race between the F50 races because of the novelty that it has,” Morgan, a sophomore at Redwood High said. “Some of my sailing idols are skippers of these boats and being able to sail alongside them, especially in the same event, is awesome. I’m also excited for the freestyle exhibition because that style of winging is my favorite part of the sport and its super fun to try tricks, even if you fly uncontrollably through the air and bellyflop into the water.

“I’ve been working on my 360 spins for the freestyle event, as well as tactics and mechanics for the slalom racing. For the racing I’ve been practicing speed gybes and my VMG (velocity made good) angle downwind.

Henry, an eighth grader at Del Mar Middle School, was a regular at the St Francis Yacht Club wing foiling race events last year and at just 12 years old placed 3rd overall at the end of the season. He’s been an inspiration for both his peers and adults wanting to get into the sport and is psyched for this weekend.

“I am really looking forward to performing in front of an audience!” Henry said. “I’ve been practicing my racing skills and freestyle tricks leading up to the event.”

Supporting activities that are on the pathway for the next generation of sailing athletes to become inspired and involved in SailGP is as important to the event as staying at the leading edge of technology which ultimately benefits the kind of foiling watersports, like winging, that we regularly see on San Francisco Bay.

“The F50 is constantly being updated, with new wingsails in Season 2 and new T foils being built now,” Russell Coutts, co-founder of the SailGP circuit said. “With the new foils (expected in October) they are predicted to exceed 55 knots of boat speed. The new wings are modular which allow us to use a smaller (faster) configuration in strong winds. The next development will be new rudders. We are also increasing the ‘righting moment’ by making adjustments to the rudder settings which will also make the boats faster.”

Coutts continued, “The F50 is a very good boat for what we are doing because they can now sail both in very efficiently light winds and very strong winds which opens a lot of additional venue possibilities. They are also transported in containers which is essential for this League.”

Catch the foiling action from Crissy Field or the City Front this weekend, info at: https://sailgp.com/races/22/united-states-sail-grand-prix-san-francisco/overview/

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Catamaran capsizes on San Fran Bay

• Associated Press

A 72-foot catamaran being sailed by America's Cup champion Oracle Racing capsized on San Francisco Bay on Tuesday afternoon.

While some of the crew members were thrown into the water, all were accounted for and there are no serious injuries, according to a statement released by the syndicate.

The boat was being skippered by Jimmy Spithill, who led Oracle to a two-race sweep of Alinghi of Switzerland in 2010 to bring the America's Cup to San Francisco.

The boat was believed to be carrying 11 crewmen and possibly some extra sailors and designers.

Tactician Tom Slingsby said the wing sail was badly damaged. He said the wind was about 25 knots and there was a strong ebb current. The crew was turning away from the wind, and as the boat accelerated it pitch-poled, or went end-over-end.

"We didn't know what was going to happen with the new boat. When the nose went down, the wing hit and a few guys went in the water," Slingsby said. "We were unsure if the wing would snap, so we all climbed off the boat.

"Luckily, everyone is accounted for and no one was hurt. The wing is pretty badly damaged, and we are working to get the boat back in position to return to Pier 80."

Oracle is testing its 72-footer for the 34th America's Cup next year. It was the boat's eighth day on the water since the launch in August. Two hours into the boat's first test sail in August, one of the daggerboards broke.

The America's Cup World Series is being contested in 45-foot cats, and there have been a number of capsizes.

Two weekends ago, Spithill capsized a 45-foot cat during an America's Cup World Series regatta in San Francisco. After recovering, he led his crew to the regatta's match racing championship.

Russell Coutts, a four-time America's Cup winner who is Oracle Racing's CEO, capsized a 45-footer last year during training.

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Spithill skippers Team USA to a SailGP win three weeks after losing a crewman to injury

This photo provided by SailGP shows the USA SailGP team as they spray champagne to celebrate winning the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cadiz, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (Ricardo Pinto/SailGP via AP)

In this image provided by SailGP, USA SailGP Team helmed by Jimmy Spithill leads Australia SailGP Team helmed by Tom Slingsby and ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team helmed by Nicolai Sehested on Race Day 2 of the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cadiz, Spain., Sunday, Oct 15 2023. (Bob Martin/SailGP via AP)

In this image provided by SailGP, USA SailGP Team helmed by Jimmy Spithill on Race Day 2 of the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cadiz, Spain., Sunday, Oct 15 2023. (Bob Martin/SailGP via AP)

In this image provided by SailGP, USA SailGP Team celebrate winning the Spain Sail Grand Prix onboard the USA SailGP Team F50 catamaran on Race Day 2 of the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cadiz, Spain., Sunday, Oct 15 2023. (Ricardo Pinto/SailGP via AP)

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jimmy Spithill barely made it into the podium race and then brilliantly skippered Team USA to victory in the Spain Sail Grand Prix Cádiz on Sunday, three weeks after crewman Hans Henken was seriously injured .

Spithill dedicated Team USA’s first victory of SailGP’s fourth season to Henken, the flight controller who was knocked unconscious when the team’s 50-foot catamaran crashed hard off its foils on the first day of the regatta at Taranto, Italy. Henken was hospitalized for two nights with unspecified injuries and now is back in the United States recovering.

Spithill overcame a pre-start penalty, sailed into a huge lead on the second leg and finished a full leg ahead of Nicolai Sehested of ROCKWOOL Denmark and three-time defending SailGP champion Tom Slingsby of Team Australia. The victory boosted Team USA into third place in the season standings in tech titan Larry Ellison’s global league, 11 points behind Australia and four behind Denmark.

“It was such a massive blow for the team in Italy and a tough moment for us all to go through,” said Spithill, who’s best known for twice winning the America’s Cup with Ellison’s Oracle Team USA. “But it also inspired us and gave us a real amount of purpose for this event. We dedicate this win to Hans.”

Henken, a Stanford grad who is campaigning for the Paris Olympics as well as competing in SailGP, said he was touched by the tribute. “The entire team has put in a ton of effort and it’s awesome to see all the hard work paying off,” Henken said through the team. “Each team is bigger than the individuals; I’m grateful for all the support and honored to be a part of this team and this win.”

Match racing ace Taylor Canfield filled in as flight controller for this regatta, although he wasn’t on the boat Sunday as the crews were reduced to four due to light wind.

Spithill both steered and flew the boat Sunday. He took a boundary penalty in the podium race prestart and had to fall in behind the Aussies and Danes. But he saw those teams lock into a duel and sail into light wind, which allowed him to sail clear and spring to a huge lead.

“Nothing pretty about that start — it was 100% my fault,” said Spithill, an Australian who lives full-time in San Diego with his American wife and their two sons. “I didn’t see the boundary, but as it turns out, that worked in our favor. For the teams in front at mark 1, the wind had started to go light, so we were able to jibe and lead them out of there. And that was really the race.

“Things like that don’t faze this team,” Spithill said. “It’s something we’ve built up; it doesn’t matter where we are, we’re going to fight all the way to the end.”

Strategist Erika Reineke moved to grinder in the four-person configuration, working the handles to produce power to adjust the wingsail.

“This weekend means a lot,” Reineke said. “It marks my one-year anniversary with the team and this year it’s full circle that we take the win together. I love racing with the guys and look forward to what’s next.”

It was also the second anniversary of the Women’s Pathway Program, and Spithill handed Reineke the steering wheel trophy before the sailors sprayed each other with sparkling wine.

In the fifth and final fleet race, with the third spot in the podium race up for grabs, an error by Spithill allowed New Zealand’s Peter Burling to get ahead at a mark rounding. But Burling, the two-time reigning America’s Cup champion helmsman, got caught in traffic in the 10-boat fleet and copped a penalty for not keeping clear of Emirates Great Britain. That let Spithill sail clear for a fourth-place finish that locked up a spot in the final.

Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson

Oracle Racing unleash, and capsize, catamaran in San Francisco

Editing by Greg Stutchbury

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History of USA 76 and Carbon Fiber Yachts in San Francisco

USA 76 is an International America’s Cup Class racing yacht used by the ORACLE Racing team in their preparations to challenge for the 2003 America’s Cup held in Auckland, New Zealand. ORACLE would go through to the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series final and come up against the formidable Team Alinghi from Switzerland. Alinghi, ultimately won the Cup after an impressive performance.

In September 2003, ORACLE arranged for a “rematch” to be held against Alinghi in San Francisco. Both pro and owner-driver series’ scheduled, it was an opportunity to showcase America’s Cup sailing on the Bay, and allow the Golden Gate Yacht Club representatives a chance to regain pride after their defeat in Auckland. Again the competition was tough, especially in the windy confines of San Francisco’s city front. ORACLE and USA 76, with a little more time to prepare and local honor at stake, won both events. USA 76 is now berthed at PIER 39, and has been in charter operation since June of 2011.

The TOMCAT Story

TOMCAT is a performance racing Prosail 40 catamaran, that has served as a platform and inspiration for the direction of multi-hull America’s Cup sailing.

Tom Blackaller was a charismatic San Francisco sailing legend. He won numerous World Championship titles and his involvement in the America’s Cup in 1980, 1983 and 1986, preceded his shift towards multihull sailing. He began campaigning a Formula 40 catamaran named ‘TOMCAT’ in the ProSail Professional Sailing Series in 1988, and was leading the 1989 series at the time of his passing.

Tom foresaw the direction of high performance sailing, predicting that the future would see the America’s Cup raced in fast multihulls. “The fastest boats are catamarans…with the pedal to the metal, flying hulls…I’d be back in the America’s Cup in a minute if it was held in big fast boats on San Francisco Bay.” – Tom Blackaller

The ACsailingSF Team is enhancing their America’s Cup connection in San Francisco with the addition of a ProSail 40 catamaran, named ‘TOMCAT’ in honor of Tom Blackaller’s legacy and his revolutionary ideas.

YIMBY Breed versus NIMBY Peskin square off in SF mayoral race

Election presents voters with divergent strategies on housing in San Francisco

From left: Mayor of San Francisco London Breed and Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin (Getty)

The San Francisco mayoral race between Mayor London Breed and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin is framed as the YIMBY versus the NIMBY.

Peskin, the progressive challenger who announced his candidacy this week, is expected to formally declare his candidacy with the city’s elections department on Friday, April 5, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

A month ago, Breed stood on the steps of City Hall and made a scorching assessment of her pending rival’s views on housing.

“What Supervisor Peskin is trying to do is what he’s always done, the NIMBY that he is, and that is to destroy housing production,” Breed declared. “I am sick of his shenanigans.”

It was the opening salvo in the battle around a central issue in the mayor’s race: how to fix a housing shortage that has made San Francisco unaffordable for most residents, according to the Chronicle.

Breed and her “yes in my backyard” backers have tried to paint Peskin as a “not in my backyard” preservationist because he has often sided with neighborhood groups in blocking specific projects, particularly on the waterfront and in historic districts. 

Breed has said she’ll fight any “anti-housing legislation,” while Peskin has said “we can be both pro-neighborhood and pro-housing.” 

For three decades, Peskin has been a thorn in the side of developers and landlords, described by the newspaper as a “litigious and wily operator” who has used his political acumen to kill housing projects, strengthen tenant rights and pass bills that have often made it harder and more expensive to build homes.

He sued to block the redevelopment of Treasure Island , causing a three-year delay.

He appealed to voters to block 136 condos at 8 Washington Street near the Ferry Building — known as the “wall on the waterfront.” He helped kill a 430-condo tower at 555 Washington Street.

Nonetheless, his voting record is more nuanced than Breed and his critics may admit.

As board president, he led the rezoning of the eastern neighborhoods, resulting in thousands of homes in Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, the Mission and Showplace Square. 

He negotiated neighborhood plans for Market-Octavia, the Transbay Transit District, Rincon Hill and Central SoMa, as well as development agreements for huge projects such as Parkmerced, Potrero Power Station and Balboa Reservoir, according to the Chronicle.

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And he has shown an independent streak, voting against his progressive allies to support large housing projects, including Hunters Point Shipyard and Candlestick Point. 

The next mayor must face a politically perilous task: allowing taller and denser buildings along transit corridors in NIMBY neighborhoods such as the Lakeside, the Sunset, the Richmond, West Portal, the Marina, Cow Hollow and Noe Valley.

The rezoning plan is part of a state-mandated goal for San Francisco to accommodate 82,000 new homes by 2031. Breed is a strong supporter. Peskin is the only candidate so far to pooh-pooh the premise.

Among Peskin’s central themes: that raising heights around the city won’t ease the city’s housing shortage, or make for more vibrant neighborhoods — unless it comes with a concrete plan on affordable housing, transportation and open space.

Builders who have faced Peskin’s opposition aren’t so sure.

Oz Erickson, who has built homes in the city for three decades, called Peskin “very anti-housing” and “the worst supervisor in the history of San Francisco.” He said Peskin’s 2016 push to increase the share of affordable units that market-rate projects must build onsite to 24 percent was “done without any due diligence.”

“He got no quotes from any contractors. He did not contact market-rate housing providers,” Erickson told the Chronicle “He proposed increasing the requirement so that it would become eventually impossible to build any housing.”

Other developers said Peskin can be helpful.

Veteran home builder Eric Tao said the supervisor intervened in 2009 when a 400-unit project at Fifth and Folsom streets was at risk of stalling. While Peskin pushed for a few more affordable units and a community arts space, he made sure the project could go forward.

“He negotiated, but he realized the need to get more housing built was more important than a policy debate,” Tao told the newspaper.

— Dana Bartholomew

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Progressive Candidate Could Upend the San Francisco Mayor’s Race

The contest has been dominated by Mayor London Breed and her moderate challengers. Supervisor Aaron Peskin seeks to change that.

By Heather Knight

Reporting from San Francisco

San Francisco residents have repeatedly told pollsters they don’t support Mayor London Breed. But until now, every one of her challengers in the November election has sounded a lot like her.

They have talked about adding police officers and taking a tough-on-crime approach to the drug and mental health crises on the city’s streets. They have tried to appeal to frustrated voters who recalled school board members and the city’s prosecutor two years ago, then expanded police powers and restricted welfare benefits last month.

But as those mayoral contenders try to outmaneuver one another from the middle, they may have left an opening for a candidate on the left. Into that void has stepped Aaron Peskin, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Mr. Peskin, 59, confirmed in an interview that he will file papers on Friday to run for mayor. While other rivals thought Ms. Breed might be ousted by someone to her right, Mr. Peskin could win the race if enough liberals coalesce around him in a city known for its left-wing politics.

Mr. Peskin said this week that he agrees with the other candidates that the San Francisco Police Department needs more officers, and he would try to create a program to seek recruits from local colleges. He said he also agrees that fentanyl dealers must be arrested and jailed.

But unlike some of his rivals, he does not believe police should crack down on public drug use. He also said Ms. Breed had not done enough to expand treatment options for those addicted to drugs, and he opposed her successful measure on the March ballot to require welfare recipients to undergo drug screening.

San Francisco’s reputation has been battered since the start of the pandemic, many residents say unfairly so , for its soaring number of drug overdose deaths, property crime epidemic, hollowed-out downtown and homelessness crisis. Voters have repeatedly given Ms. Breed very low approval ratings and said they were not optimistic about their city’s future.

In the past, Mr. Peskin and Ms. Breed have diverged most on how to address housing problems in a city wracked with a shrinking middle class and not enough affordable units.

Ms. Breed supports building taller, denser housing for people of all income levels across the city and has pledged to try to have 82,000 new units built by 2031 , the target set by the state.

Mr. Peskin sees that goal as unrealistic and believes San Francisco should retain local control over its housing development rather than have the state intervene.

Just last month, Mr. Peskin spearheaded a city ordinance limiting dense housing construction near his home in Telegraph Hill in the city’s northeast corner. After Ms. Breed vetoed it, Mr. Peskin rallied enough colleagues to override her veto, the first time that has happened in her administration. Critics accused Mr. Peskin of caring less about housing affordability than preserving the character of his own neighborhood, which is dotted with lovely homes and lush gardens and topped by Coit Tower.

Mr. Peskin said he has worked since his first election to the Board of Supervisors in 2000 to rezone some parts of the city for more housing while he has tried to protect the character, culture and history of its neighborhoods.

“I firmly believe we can grow San Francisco without ruining San Francisco,” he said.

He said he wants to focus on fixing “the dysfunctional planning and building departments” where projects regularly languish for months or years. He said he would be a better department manager than Ms. Breed.

Ms. Breed’s spokesman, Joe Arellano, said Mr. Peskin’s views on housing would set back progress.

“Aaron Peskin is synonymous with intimidation, obstruction and dysfunction,” he said.

Candidates on the left of the city’s narrow, mostly liberal political spectrum typically have a reliable base of about 35 percent of voters. But some political experts said that Mr. Peskin could win under the city’s ranked choice voting system .

It allows voters to rank their top 10 candidates in order. If nobody receives the majority of first-choice votes, the person who receives the fewest No. 1 picks is eliminated and the other picks on those ballots are redistributed. The process continues until somebody has the most votes, avoiding a traditional two-person runoff.

Jason McDaniel, an associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University, said Mr. Peskin “is well-positioned to come out victorious” because the moderate candidates could split the vote. He said the centrist candidates would be wise to form an “anybody but Peskin” slate and tell their supporters to pick each other as their No. 2 and No. 3 votes.

Mark Farrell , the venture capitalist who served as interim mayor for six months after the 2017 death of Mayor Ed Lee, is already pushing that idea. He is also organizing a counterrally at Mr. Peskin’s kickoff event in Chinatown on Saturday.

“It is in the best interest of San Francisco and all of the moderate candidates to work together to stop Aaron Peskin from becoming mayor,” Mr. Farrell said in an email.

He called his former board colleague “abusive, toxic and a documented obstructionist to the progress San Francisco needs to get back on track.”

In 2021, several colleagues complained about Mr. Peskin’s bullying behavior and the fact he sometimes appeared visibly intoxicated in meetings. He said this week that alcohol had brought out the worst in him and had led to some rancorous outbursts. He said he will have three years of sobriety in June and that he still attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

“We’re a city in need of recovery,” Mr. Peskin said. “Recovery is something I’ve come to know about. It’s hard work, but it’s not about beating up on yourself and not about beating up on your city.”

Daniel Lurie , an anti-poverty nonprofit founder and an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, did not jump at the idea of banding with other moderate candidates. Instead, his campaign pointed out that he is the only one who has not served at City Hall. Every other major candidate, including Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, has been on the Board of Supervisors.

“The people who got us into this mess are not equipped to get us out of it,” said Mr. Lurie’s consultant, Tyler Law.

Mr. Safaí said Mr. Peskin’s entry into the race was an indictment of Ms. Breed and “her inability to lead and collaborate.”

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of candidates that voters can choose in San Francisco’s ranked-choice system. It is 10, not three.

How we handle corrections

Heather Knight is a reporter in San Francisco, leading The Times’s coverage of the Bay Area and Northern California. More about Heather Knight

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Giants' Tyler Rogers Strikes Out Padres Player on Slider That Hit His Face

• Author: Tom Dierberger

San Francisco Giants reliever Tyler Rogers recorded perhaps the most unique strikeout of his career Friday.

In the eighth inning of the Giants' home opener at Oracle Park, Rogers delivered an 0–2 slider to San Diego Padres rookie third baseman Graham Pauley. Pauley swung and missed—badly.

The pitch, which was released at an awkward angle due to Rogers's submarine delivery, crept higher and tighter to Pauley in the batter's box. He swung with all his might, and the pitch hit his shoulder and ricocheted off his face.

A brutal way to strike out.

Tyler Rogers struck a guy out on a slider that hit his shoulder and face 😳 pic.twitter.com/cQWN0v9qMP — Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) April 5, 2024

Replays indicated that Pauley made contact with his bat and it should've been ruled a foul tip. But foul tips are not reviewable, so Pauley went down on strikes in painful fashion.

Back in April 2021, former Giants teammate Kevin Gausman predicted this would happen at some point in Rogers's career.

"You're going to hit a lefty in the face one day, and the guy's probably going to swing at it," Gausman said to Rogers, via The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly . Which is crazy to think about."

Crazy indeed.

Rogers recorded a perfect 1-2-3 eighth inning, and the Giants beat the Padres 3–2 on infielder Thairo Estrada's walk-off double in the ninth.

The Giants and Padres continue their series at 9:05 p.m. ET Saturday.

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Aaron Peskin officially enters San Francisco mayoral race

By Wilson Walker

Updated on: April 5, 2024 / 6:00 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin made his visit to the registrar's office Friday, signing paperwork to run for mayor. One of the longest-serving politicians in city history now becomes the sole progressive candidate running against Mayor London Breed, and several moderate challengers. 

But Peskin doesn't see the race that way.

"I don't think that this is about progressives or moderates," Peskin said after signing his paperwork. "This is about taking care of San Francisco, and being a mayor who knows how." 

"I think people know my work on behalf of the neighborhoods of San Francisco," Peskin said. "I want to be a neighborhood mayor that honors every neighborhood in San Francisco."

Neighborhoods were a running theme as Supervisor Peskin made his run for mayor official. It's the same focus he kept a few months ago, when KPIX was asking whether or not he would join the race.

"You know I started out as a neighborhood guy," he said in March. "I started out as a neighborhood activist in North Beach."

On one level, while running for mayor, neighborhoods are one way to think of building a coalition. Peskin has a quarter century of history in North Beach. And if he's going to build out from there, he has a decent head start in neighboring Chinatown.

"And the reason I am launching this campaign in Portsmouth Square is because of my deep and abiding connections with the Chinese community of San Francisco," Peskin said Friday.

Chinatown is more than just a neighborhood in this respect. It's the core of the city's Asian voting population, which makes for a third of the vote in San Francisco. 

Other candidates have already made major announcements in the neighborhood. Recent years have shown the power of this constituency, largely siding with moderate causes, but as political scientists will tell you, voters do not always vote by label.

"We tend to assume they will line up the progressives or line up the moderates and vote consistently," said Saint Mary's professor Corey Cook. "And they typically don't do that."

Peskin's roots in Chinatown could act as a buffer against one potential vulnerability as the progressive candidate. And then there is what it means to be progressive, specifically in relation to recent battles over housing and zoning.

"Building homes and adding treatment beds is progressive," London Breed said in her state of the city address.

Peskin would argue that the need for housing must also be balanced against the city's character and history.

"I think it's also about sticking up for the neighborhoods of San Francisco," Peskin said of the issue.

So the city's race for mayor begins to take shape, amid a lot of talk about shifting politics in San Francisco.

• London Breed
• San Francisco

Wilson Walker joined KPIX 5 in July 2007. After 10 years producing newscasts, Wilson became a Multimedia Journalist (MMJ) in 2012, meaning he shoots, writes and edits all of his own stories.

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