Sailboat Racing in San Francisco | Modern Sailing

Sailboat Racing on San Francisco Bay

Take your sailing skills to the next level and learn to race sailboats! The San Franciso Bay is known as a sailing mecca and racers from around the globe come to test their skills under the Golden Gate Bridge. The Bay's famous winds and significant currents test every team’s expertise, strategy, and mettle year-round.

Modern Sailing's Racing Program is for intermediate to advanced sailors who wish to focus on building their navigation and sail trim skills in a casual racing environment. 


Join our Racing Program and you will join an inclusive community of sailors while adding depth and dimension to your sailing knowledge.

Wondering if racing is for you? Check out our Member Resources article Five Reasons to Race with Modern Sailing.


San Francisco Bay Area Sailboat Racing Clinics

Prior racing experience is required to join our teams in the local yacht club races. However, if you're new to racing, our Racing Clinic and Asymmetrical Spinnaker Clinics will fulfill this requirement and prepare you to be a solid crew member on any Modern race boat. 

With locations in Berkeley and Sausalito, Modern Sailing is able to offer the widest range of opportunities to learn and experience the excitement of yacht club racing on San Francisco Bay.

The Racing Clinic is a 2-day clinic held on a Catalina 320 (Sausalito) or a  J/105 (Berkeley) that will teach you performance sail trim, efficient maneuvers, and the basics of the race course. After spending a portion of the clinic honing these skills, you will enjoy hands-on experience racing against another Modern boat!

The Asymmetrical Spinnaker Clinic will teach you all the ins and outs of flying this beautiful light wind sail. You will spend two days getting familiar with all the crew positions to hoist, trim, jibe, and douse an asymmetrical spinnaker. 

RACING CLINIC   ASYMMETRICAL SPINNAKER CLINIC


This two-day clinic is for qualified sailors to learn the fundamentals of sailboat racing. We will work on starts, marks, windward-leeward courses, optimal sail trim, and the basics of racing rules, strategy, and tactics. The majority of instructional time will be on the water but we will include classroom sessions on these topics. Practice races will be conducted with white sails only to help students focus on the fundamentals of racing.

When paired with the Asymmetrical Spinnaker Clinic, the Racing Clinic meets the prerequisite to enroll in the Berkeley BYC Midwinters and Friday Night Races and the SYC, CYC, and GGYC races out of Sausalito.

Price: Members $495 / Non-members $595
Prerequisites: Silver or Sportboat Fleet Rating
Duration: 2 days, 9:00am - 4:00pm

 


Aboard one of our fully outfitted J/105s (Berkeley) or a Catalina 320 (Sausalito), this clinic focuses on all aspects of asymmetrical spinnaker handling. We will practice a number of different sets, jibes, douses, and crew overboard recovery maneuvers with a spinnaker.

When paired with the Racing Clinic, the Asymmetrical Spinnaker Clinic meets the prerequisite to enroll in the Berkeley BYC Midwinters and Friday Night Races and the SYC, CYC, and GGYC races out of Sausalito.

Price: Members $495 / Non-members $595
Prerequisites: Silver or Sportboat Fleet Rating
Duration: 2 days, 9:00am - 4:00pm


Enroll now and be ready to join the races for the upcoming season!

View the Schedule of Clinics and Enroll Online 


Sailboat Races and Regattas in the SF Bay Area

Once you've completed the Racing Clinic and Asymmetrical Spinnaker Clinic, you are eligible to join the races!

The Bay’s many yacht clubs take turns hosting regattas year-round, giving sailors ample opportunity to partake in thrilling races all over the Bay Area. During races, our participants rotate through different roles (skipper, helm/driver, spinnaker trimmer, jib trimmer, foredeck crew, midship/mastman, tactician) in order to gain skills and confidence in each role. Each team will have one of our USCG Captains on board to give expert advice and coach racers across the finish line.

Below are some of the Bay Area yacht club races that we typically enter our teams in.
 

BERKELEY RACES   SAUSALITO RACES


Berkeley Yacht Club (BYC)

  • Friday Night Beer Can Races - Friday evenings April through September.
  • Midwinter Series - Second Sundays of the month November through February. These are competitive races that require a commitment from team members to participate in all races in the series.
  • Chowder Races - Sundays October through March. (The only prerequisite to join a Chowder is Basic Keelboat certification. These casual drop-in races are a great opportunity for new sailors interested in giving racing a try!)
 


Sausalito Yacht Club (SYC)

  • Chili Midwinter Series - First Sunday of every month during the mid-winter season.
  • Summer Sunset Series - Every other Tuesday evening from May to September.

Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC)

  • Midwinter Series - First Saturday of every month November through March.

Corinthian Yacht Club (CYC)

  • Friday Night Series - Every Friday during summer months.


View the Race Schedule and Enroll Online


Race Pricing

  • Race Pack 5 (a discounted bundle of 5 races): Members $625; Non-members $725
  • Single Race*: Members $150; Non-members $175

*After purchasing your first Race Pack 5, you have the option to purchase single races separately.
 


Questions?

We're happy to help! Please feel free to reach out to our friendly customer support team at either location. 

Berkeley

Sausalito

 


Race Cancellation Policy

  • If you cancel your reservation in a Race with notice more than 72 hours (24 hours in winter) prior to the Race, you will receive a full refund.
  • If you cancel less than 72 hours (24 hours in winter), there is no refund.

NOTE: Some races are a part of a multi-day series and require you to participate in all race days in the series. These races have a modified cancellation policy. Please refer to your confirmation email or call the office for details.


 

 

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Testimonials

  • Rolf Zingg

    Since many, many years, I had the dream to sail underneath the Golden Gate bridge. On October 14th last year, my dream became true. Thanks to our dear friend Aaron Fritz who made it possible and organized this cruise for us. With this adventure I was able to achieve one more milestone on my sailing career.

    Finally on the water, it was great! Full moon made the flows even stronger and it was like sailing in a washing machine.

    I did my sailing education in the English Channel, where the situation with the wind and flows is comparable to the San Francisco Bay. So I felt pretty much "at home" being on the helm in the Bay.

    I hope our skipper Stan Lander enjoyed this day cruise too. We, definitely did! It was an unforgettable experience for all of us.

    A very big thank you to all of you who made it possible, that my dream became reality! Also thank you for the MSC flag I got at the end of the day. It found it's place in my study, where I can see it daily.

  • Casey Bishop, Corporate Regatta

    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!

  • John Kratochvil, Oregon

    I would like to compliment Stan Lander for his coaching, counseling and teaching Heavy Weather Offshore Sailing. Stan was very accommodating to all of the student's interests and shared his many years of insight on handling the boat in heavy seas. I would certainly recommend Stan and this course to sheltered waters sailors. My confidence in handling a boat of this size was certainly enhanced by the experience.

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Modern Sailing School & Club

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Modern Sailing School & Club

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

Berkeley Location
1 Spinnaker Way, Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 831-1800

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