Hot showers after racing? You bet. There is even a sauna and steam room as well (which feel absolutely wonderful after a long day on the water). The St. Francis Yacht Club allows the wettest and soggiest racers into their wonderful facilities to warm up and recharge. Hungry? The St. Francis has amazing food.
Worried about too much wind? This definitely should not be a concern. The St. Francis teaches juniors to windsurf in the light air and flat water conditions just behind the club. During the main sailing season (which is late spring, summer and early fall), the breeze on the SF Bay can be quite aggressive. But this is due to a very predicable thermal engine that operates between the hot inland and relatively cooler Pacific Ocean. If one wants to race in light air conditions, that's simple: just start the racing early and race behind the club. If one wants epic world cup breeze with exciting and challenging huge chop, that's simple too: race late in the afternoon and plan for an aggressive ebb tide. Unlike most other venues, the wind and conditions at the St. Francis are so consistent that one can virtually bank on them (for both lighter air and windy conditions).
For example, the picture below was taken in the morning where juniors were just learning to windsurf in the calm bay just behind the club (and it was so calm that the windsurfer pictured could windsurf one handed while juggling with his other hand (and still keep his clothes and iPhone dry)).
In that same day, by 4pm, high performance short board windsurfing was going off on 4m and 5m sails off Crissy Field (a beach approx 1 Km west of where the above picture was taken))...another lovely day on the bay :-)
The St. Francis Yacht Club's junior history is amazing. Olympic Silver Medalist John Bertrand, Rolex Yachtsman of the year Paul Cayard and John Kostecki and many other notables got their start as junior sailors at the St. Francis...maybe you can too? Pictured below is the junior trophy case.
Need a break? No problem. Check out the rich history of the St. Francis Yacht Club. Be sure to enjoy the magnificent Olympic heritage,
the historic nautical library,
the fun junior room (with lots of games), the exciting America's Cup history
or, from the club's balcony or many windowed rooms on the west or north side, take in the breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge over the natural beauty of the San Francisco Bay.
Want to get away from the sailing scene? San Francisco has it all. From world class opera to the full schedule of Davies Symphony Hall to the museum of modern art. With two of the top ten restaraunts from the USA located in the SF Bay area, it's easy to find excellent dining of all ethnic backgrounds.
In 2004, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed July 10 to be International Windsurfing Day
