San Francisco Bay Area sailors will be joining the rest of the world for the 17th annual Summer Sailstice celebrations of sailing to be held on the weekend of June 24 and 25.
Photo by John Arndt
BC STAFF REPORT
Published: June, 2017
San Francisco Bay Area sailors will be joining the rest of the world for the 17th annual Summer Sailstice celebrations of sailing to be held on the weekend of June 24 and 25. Summer Sailstice events are held across the United States and across the globe, including as far away as Hungary, China, Australia and the South Pacific.
Events include the Bay Area’s longstanding Encinal Yacht Club celebration, which invites everyone to sail in, cruise in (drive if you have to) and enjoy the calm, warm waters of the Oakland estuary, finishing with entertainment, food, drink and activities at the club.
In addition, Lake Merritt Sailing Club will be hosting El Toros and Sunfish in the Mayor’s Cup, and Shoreline Lake in Mountain View will host a weeklong celebration of dads and sailing. Clipper Cove, host to a 62-boat Summer Sailstice raft-up in 2016, will be hoping to break that record with a “Apocalypse Raft-Up” this year.
On Sunday, June 25, the Corinthian Yacht Club in Sausalito will host the annual Master Mariners Wooden Boat Show, the largest gathering of classic wooden boats open to the public in the Bay Area. The event is easily accessible via the Tiburon ferry, which drops you off just a few hundred yards from the club.
Summer Sailstice is the creation of California-based sailing enthusiast John Arndt. Each year, sailors from all over the world are invited to sail together on the weekend nearest the northern hemisphere’s summer solstice to celebrate the joy, tradition and beauty of sailing. Supported by local and international marine manufacturers, businesses and organizations, the global sailing event promotes participation in sailing as a sport and recreational activity.
“Christians have Christmas, soccer players have the World Cup—so why shouldn’t sailing have a day, just ahead of the peak sailing season, where all tall ships and small ships shake out the canvas, adjust the foils, raft-up, cross an ocean or just connect with each other and the world of sailing?” Arndt said.
Many events are open to the public, giving Bay Area residents an opportunity to step aboard and discover a new one of the region’s best activities—sailing the Bay. Events can be found by visiting the event map at www.summersailstice.com. Summer Sailstice also actively supports ocean conservation. All sailors participating in Summer Sailstice are encouraged to pledge support for the event’s environmental partner, Sailors for the Sea.
SUMMER SAILSTICE EVENT DETAILS
Who: Sailors and non-sailors worldwide
When: June 24 and 25
Where: Global (wherever there’s wind, water and sails)
How: Register at www.summersailstice.com, add your sailing plans and invite others to join your event. All registered participants are automatically entered into the draw for prizes.
Many of the Summer Sailstice events are open to the public, giving Bay Area residents an opportunity to discover one of the region’s best activities—sailing the Bay.
Summer Sailstice is a great time for family and friends to enjoy the Bay on one of the longest days of the year.
