A Great Weekend to Watch Sailing

It’s been a gray, cool week but things are looking to get brighter, warmer and more colorful for a much better Memorial Day sailing weekend.

First on the color charts are the International 14 Nationals held at the St. Francis Yacht Club on the Cityfront. If you want to check out high-speed, double trapeze, high-tech (but old-school) dinghy sailing, this is a class to watch. International 14s date back to the 1900s but, because it’s a development class, the boats are more advanced than almost any dinghy on the water. They’re racing the 26th-29th and, if you’re out sailing this weekend, it’s worth a detour to watch the show. Just give them plenty of room because they’re fighting for a national title! They’ll be back in the fall to race at Richmond Yacht Club for the I-14 Worlds. 

Another weekend event full of colorful characters is the annual Master Mariners Regatta, held on Saturday. Racing starts at noon off the St. Francis Yacht Club with the final class start at about 1 p.m. Boats will race Bay courses before finishing down at the Encinal Yacht Club.

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The weekend is forecast to start a little cooler, with sunscreen requirements increasing as we progress toward the holiday. If you sail Saturday, you’ll have some great contrast in spectating when you watch the most high-tech dinghies and most low-tech classics face off in hard-fought rivalries, all from the cockpit of your cruiser! We look forward to seeing you on the Bay.