Local Sailors Old and New Join Global Celebration of Sailing

Media Contact: DP&A, Inc. / Erin Saberi (916) 952-5080 / erin@davidperry.com

Bay Area Hoists Sails For Summer Sailstice: June 18 & 19
Local Sailors Old and New Join Global Celebration of Sailing

16 June 2016 — Alameda, CA: Experienced sailors and those entering the water in sailboats for the very first time, will join in an assembly of individuals, families, community sailing educators, activists, regatta champions and the America’s Cup at this year’s San Francisco Summer Sailstice held Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19th at the Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda and sites throughout the Bay Area.

The San Francisco Festival is a collaboration of numerous SailSFBay.org affiliates holding events all weekend throughout the Bay Area. “Summer Sailstice celebrates the joy of sailing and the accessibility of the sport here in the Bay Area and around the world,” said Bay Area resident and Summer Sailstice founder, John Arndt. “The endless fascination and attraction of being out in open nature just a few minutes from our most populated areas, is something that we want to share with as many people as possible.”

Summer Sailstice which started in 2001with 200 boats sailing in the San Francisco Bay, now has grown to become an annual international celebration of sailing on the weekend before the summer solstice, with 5,000 boats and an estimated 19,000 sailors in more than 40 countries.
This all-day weekend event, open to the public and free of charge, will begin in the Bay Area with a kick-off at the Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda on Saturday June 18th at 11:00 a.m. The day’s celebration of sailing will include free sailing tours for families, youth sailing races, a cardboard boat-building competition, a helicopter demonstration by the Coast Guard Search and Rescue Team, educational seminars by sailing experts and enthusiasts and live music, food and beverages served all day.
The America’s Cup, the most prized trophy in sailing, will be on display at the event with Tucker Thompson, official host of the 35th America’s Cup, on hand and giving a presentation about what goes on behind the scenes of sailing’s biggest event.
 “I am thrilled to be a part of Summer Sailstice 2016,” said Tucker Thompson, “Sailing is a test of skill and boat design at the America’s Cup level, but it is also a beautiful, relaxing, and enjoyable pastime shared by millions around the world.  We are here to celebrate sailing in all of its forms, and I’m really looking forward to it!”
Summer Sailstice celebrates the joy, adventure and accessibility of sailing for people from all backgrounds. While sailing is portrayed often as an elite sport, in actuality sailing is enjoyed the world over by people from all walks of life. The majority of the millions of sailors worldwide, including more than 3 million in the United States, sail small boats, crew on other people’s boat or are members of community sailing and club programs.
“Community sailing, youth outreach and education is a big part of Summer Sailstice and the year-round focus of our community program on Treasure Island and SailSFBay,” said Travis Lund, Executive Director of the Treasure Island Sailing Center. “Sailing is not only affordable, it is also educational, teaching an array of skill-sets and offering an incomparable experience of nature.”
Locally, San Francisco Bay is home to almost 10,000 sailboats in the water between Stockton and San Jose and thousands more in dinghy racks, backyards and community programs like Shoreline, Cal Sailing, Lake Merritt, Treasure Island, and other on-land storage locations.
Additionally, Summer Sailstice celebrates accessibility to the outdoors and to nature, highlighting the Bay’s large ‘open space’ that is easily accessible to the Bay Area’s 7+ million residents. Summer Sailstice has joined with Sailors for the Sea to inform and mobilize sailors, their families and communities worldwide to enjoy and conserve the beauty of the oceans and to raise awareness of human impacts on the fragile marine environment and wildlife.
About Summer Sailstice: http://www.summersailstice.com

About SailSFBay: Founded in 2008, SailSFBay is an association of Bay Area sailing individuals and organizations committed to growing participation in sailing. SailSFBay provides sailors at all levels resources they need to pursue interest in sailing the San Francisco Bay. We encourage all leaders of organizations that serve this vibrant community to join our non-profit. SailSFBay.org. For more SailSFBay.org affiliate events: http://www.summersailstice.com/Sailsfbay2016.
###