As the America's Cup approaches the local interest in sailing is growing. We want to make it easy for people to find the resources they need to learn the sport.

Sailing is an exciting sport that is far more accessible than most people think. Besides being a "carbon friendly" sport it promotes team building and is fun for the entire family. Besides the SF Bay there are many lakes around Northern California that have great sailing opportunities.

We are fortunate in the San Francisco Bay Area because there are many resources that can help people learn to sail. Among them are non-profit and for-profit Sailing Schools. If you are under 18 or have children under 18 there are many Youth Sailing programs available. Some of these programs provide scholarships for qualified youths.

During the summer months many Yacht Clubs have "beer can" racing series. They are called "beer can" because they are fun, relaxed, not very serous racing. Many skippers look for last minute crew for these races. The best way to get on a boat is to go to the yacht club before the race and ask around.

We have added a "Newbie" category to the Crew List on this web site. This is specifically for people that want to learn to sail.

So go for it, learning to sail will be one of the best decisions you will ever make.