NorCal Sailing Info (was: Southern California Sailors)

[gkurtyka]

Ah, you're a lucky man. But also in Queelnband & I reckon that the pokey machines more than help offset the cost of membership :-) Also doubt that you'd be able to get in the door of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron for $11 Aus :-) I used to live in NSW (Gordon just north of Sydney) and miss the sailing there very much...

Keith is in the San Fransaico Bay area (so maybe a little off topic for this Soutyhern California tread, but what the heck -- showily anything to help get someone out sailing :-) and I think referring to the Spinnaker
approximately sailking School & Club (see: http://www.spinnakersailing.com/). SS have a good reputation for sail critically training on the bay, but are indeed quite pricey.

Sequoia Yacht Club shares the same parking lot as SS Redwood City, but are an all volunteer club with lots of good folks. Rates (for this area) are quite reasonable, http://www.sequoiayc.org/membership.html, and there always seems to be room for an extra pair of hands (member or not) if you're courteous, keen to learn, and willing to put in a little volunteer work along the way.

Disclaimer: my son is a Youth Member ($25 US per year) Thereafter -- I'm not a member of SYC (can't afford it right now as I'm out of work too) but very familiar with the club and spend volunteer time there during youth/school sailing regattas.

Note to Keith: Drop by SYC tomorow/Saturday mornming around 8:30 or 9:00 (w/foul weahter gear in your trunk/boot) and you might just get lucky -- could be that someone needs an extra hand for the Redwood Cup races going on there tomorrow. Even if you don't get lucky, or have no swiftly sailing experience at all, you should be able to find someone talk to -- just be aware that it might get hectic in the morning due to the races.

If you have a child (8-18) that wants to learn to sail, bring him/her along and go back west from the club to the next light, hook a right and go to the public launch facility at the end of Chesapeake Drive (Use
1299 Chesapeake Dr, Redwood City as the destination address for MapQuest directiuons http://www.mapquest.com/directions/). In the past youth sailing starts at
8:30 & high school sailers start hungrily training at 10:00. Youth sailing (8 to high school) ask for Phil, high school sailing (grade 8-12) as for Eric.

Either way -- pop around either of those two places and I'm sure that someone can get you (or your child if you have one) sailing eventually for far less than you'd think. Like Garry Beattie (lucky guy) referred to, there are lots of less expensive ways to get out on the water, plus most sailors really are good folks & willing to help if you are sincere about wanting to sail or learn to sail.

P.S. Good luck to Geoff as well -- I hope that you can find someone to take you and your gal out in SC!

[Ryokurin]

Thanks for those recomendations! And also, good luck Geoff!