The St. Francis Yacht Club is a private sailing club located in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

History

Founded in 1927, the Saint Francis Yacht Club (StFYC) was formed when some of the members of the

San Francisco Yacht Club The San Francisco Yacht Club is a yacht club located in Belvedere, California. They were formerly located in San Francisco. History Founded in 1869, the San Francisco Yacht Club is the oldest club on the Pacific Coast. The original anchorage ...

decided to move their clubhouse from Sausalito to Belvedere, California to escape the rapidly growing commercial activity of Sausalito. This was prior to the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, and travel to Marin County from San Francisco was entirely by water. A group of San Francisco Yacht Club members wished to relocate the club to the City of San Francisco to make it easier to access the Clubhouse. No agreement between the two factions was reached and the group favoring a San Francisco location split off to found StFYC. StFYC has become generally considered to be the most prestigious yacht club in the western United States. Membership in the club is by invitation only.

San Francisco Clubhouse

StFYC hired the famous San Francisco architect

Willis Polk Willis Jefferson Polk (October 3, 1867 – September 10, 1924) was an American architect, best known for his work in San Francisco, California. For ten years, he was the West Coast representative of D.H. Burnham & Company. In 1915, Polk oversaw t ...

to design their clubhouse which was then built on land leased from San Francisco by the club on the jetty off of

Crissy Field Crissy Field is a public recreation area on the northern shore of the San Francisco Peninsula in California, United States, located just east of the Golden Gate Bridge. It includes restored tidal marsh and beaches. Crissy Field is a former Un ...

in the

Marina District, San Francisco The Marina District is a neighborhood located in San Francisco, California. The neighborhood sits on the site of the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition, staged after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to celebrate the reemergence of the ...

, on landfill created for the 1915

Panama Pacific International Exposition Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cost ...

. Polk died before the blueprints could be completed but his office finished them. The

Mediterranean Revival Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonial ...

-style building enjoys views from the Bridge to

Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is a small island in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military pris ...

and beyond. On December 21, 1976, the original Clubhouse caught fire during a party. One member was killed and seven badly injured. The membership rallied to rebuild the western half of the Clubhouse which had been destroyed in the fire. On October 17, 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Clubhouse and extensive foundation repairs were required. Once again, the membership rallied to repair the beloved clubhouse. With some of the best water views in San Francisco, the StFYC Clubhouse has three eating venues: A formal main dining room on the second story, the Clippership bar also on the second story, and the Grill Room a snug gathering place on the ground . In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, StFYC has added two outdoor eating areas: The Race Deck, located on the rooftop of the Clubhouse, and the Courtyard, centrally located and protected from the strong winds of San Francisco Bay.

Sailboat racing at StFYC

StFYC assembled a syndicate to compete for the

2000 Louis Vuitton Cup The 5th Louis Vuitton Cup was held in Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in t ...

, with their entry, ''AmericaOne''. Their entry was defeated in the semifinals by Italy's ''Prada''. StFYC sponsors numerous regattas and races for sailboats of all sizes. These include the Rolex Big Boat Series for large yachts of all kinds, Kleinman/Swiftsure Regatta, Elvstrom/Zellerbach regatta, Jessica Cup for classic yachts, and numerous one-design events. An annual highlight is th
Opti Heavy Weather regatta
sailed on the windy north shore of the City of San Francisco, right in front of the StFYC Clubhouse. Youngsters test their skill and stamina in this cherished event. StFYC has hosted numerous World, Continental, and National Championships including the 5O5, Farr-40, Meges-24, Farr-30, Express-27, Express-37, and many others.

Flagships

The St. Francis has had many flagships over the years including some historic craft. *

USS Zaca (IX-73) USS ''Zaca'' (IX-73) is a wooden-hulled, schooner-rigged yacht with an auxiliary engine. History She was commissioned by the self proclaimed explorer, Charles Templeton Crocker, to a design of Garland Rotch, and built by Nunes Brothers Boat a ...

Tinsley Island outstation

StFYC maintains a
outstation on Tinsley Island
a few miles west of

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquir ...

in the

Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, or California Delta, is an expansive inland river delta and estuary in Northern California. The Delta is formed at the western edge of the Central Valley by the confluence of the Sacramento and San ...

. Every year, the members of StFYC and their guests visit Tinsley Island for cruises, events, and sailing classes. Heavily used during the summer months, the outstation is open and staffed year-round. Many members cherish the peace and slower pace of winter months on Tinsley Island. The facilities include dockage for boats, swimming, accommodations in a lighthouse built in the late 1800s and other buildings, small boats to sail and paddle, and various sporting events.

Reciprocity

The St. Francis Yacht Club warmly welcomes sailors from all over the world. Like many yacht clubs on the West Coast, St.FYC is a member of the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association, which provides reciprocal privileges between members of hundreds of other yacht clubs. St.FYC also shares reciprocity with clubs around the world including: The New York Yacht Club, Outrigger Canoe Club,

Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) is one of Australia's leading yacht clubs with a strong elite sailing focus located in Pittwater Newport, New South Wales. The club was formerly located at Kirribilli before relocating to its present locatio ...

Royal Thames Yacht Club The Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC) is the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the world, and the oldest yacht club in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located at 60 Knightsbridge, London, England, overlooking Hyde Park. The club ...

Société Nautique de Genève The Société Nautique de Genève is a yacht club based in Geneva (Switzerland). It was founded in 1872 with the goal of developing nautical sports and high level sailors. Currently the club has about 3000 members. The club held the America's Cup ...

Yacht Club de Monaco The Fédération Monégasque de Voile is the national governing body for the sport of sailing in Monaco, recognised by the International Sailing Federation. This organisation is in effect part of the Yacht Club de Monaco, which is the only Sailing ...

and Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. If you wish to visit the St. Francis Yacht Club, visit thei
StFYC Home Page

Notable members

The club has had many notable members in its history *

Tom Blackaller Thomas David Blackaller, Jr. (January 6, 1940 – September 7, 1989) was a world-champion American yachtsman, America's Cup helmsman, sailmaker, and racecar competitor. He was a two-time world champion in the Star class keelboat, a world champio ...

, world-champion yachtsman and America's Cup helmsman, Sailing Hall of Fame member *

Paul Cayard Paul Pierre Cayard (born May 19, 1959) is an American yachtsman and professional sailor. He has competed at multiple world championship level sailing events, including the America's Cup, the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Volvo Ocean Race ...

, Olympian and America's Cup competitor, Sailing Hall of Fame member *

John Kostecki John Paul Kostecki (born July 7, 1964) is an American competitive sailor of Polish descent. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He started his sailing career in the San Francisco Bay, California. Events World Championships Kostecki won a n ...

, Olympian and America's Cup competitor, Sailing Hall of Fame member *

Gary Jobson Gary Jobson is a sailor, television commentator and author based in Annapolis, Maryland. He is a Vice President of the International Sailing Federation. Gary has authored 19 sailing books and is Editor at Large of ''Sailing World'' and ''Cruising ...

, sailing author and America's Cup tactician, Sailing Hall of Fame member *

Pamela Healy Pamela Katherine Healy (born June 24, 1963 in San Francisco, California) is a retired female sailor from the United States, who won a bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. She did so in the 470 class, alongside Jennifer ...

, pioneering female sailor and Olympian, Sailing Hall of Fame member *

Stan Honey Stan or STAN may refer to: People * Stan (given name), a list of people with the given name ** Stan Laurel (1890–1965), English comic actor, part of duo Laurel and Hardy * Stan (surname), a Romanian surname * Stan! (born 1964), American author, ...

, renowned navigator, founder of Etak and SportVision, Sailing Hall of Fame member, 2010 Yachtsman of the Year, two time Emmy Award winner * Daniela Moroz, 4-time Formula Kiteboard World Champion, 2-time US Yachtswoman of the Year *

Christopher Michel Christopher P. Michel (born August 26, 1967) is an American photographer, entrepreneur and investor. He is the artist-in-residence at the National Academies, founder of Affinity Labs, Military.com and Nautilus Ventures. Early life and career ...

, American Photographer * Myron Spaulding, yacht designer *

Roy E. Disney Roy Edward Disney KCSG (January 10, 1930 – December 16, 2009) was an American businessman. He was the longtime senior executive for the Walt Disney Company, which was founded by his father, Roy O. Disney, and his uncle, Walt Disney. At the ti ...

, yachtsman, former CEO of

the Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

and nephew of

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

* Ed Zelinsky, founder of the

Musée Mécanique The Musée Mécanique (, "Mechanical Museum") is a for-profit interactive museum of 20th-century penny arcade games and artifacts, located at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California. With over 300 mechanical machines, it is one of the w ...

* James David Zellerbach, businessman and US Ambassador * John Barneson, early California oil baron * Clarence W. W. Mayhew, modernist architect

Staff Commodores

Past Commodores of the St. Francis Yacht Club are: * John M. Punnett, 1927–28 * Hiram W. Johnson Jr., 1929–30 * Henry W. Dinning, 1931 * Philip S. Baker, 1932–33 * Cyril R. Tobin, 1934 * Philip S. Finnell, 1935 * Frank A. Cressey Jr., 1936–37 * Templeton Crocker, 1938–39 * Stanley Barrows, 1940 * Leon de Fremery, 1940–41 * Sidney W. Ford, 1942–43 * Ingraham Read, 1944 * Howard H. Hurst, 1945 * Dr. Jessie L. Carr, 1946 * Tracy W. Harron, 1947–48 * James Wilhite, 1950 * Arthur W. Ford, 1951–52 * Charles A Langlais, 1953 * Franklin D. Heastand, 1954 * Thomas A. Short, 1955 * James Michael, 1956–57 * Thomas C. Ingersoll, 1958 * Dennis Jordan, 1959–60 * Leavittt L. Olds, 1961 * Christopher M. Jenks, 1962 * A. L. McCormick, 1963 * Stanlus Z. Natcher, 1964 * Tomlinson Moseley, 1965 * Dennis Jordan, 1966 * William L. Stewart III, 1967–68 * Townsend L. Schoonmaker, 1969 * Aldo Alessio, 1970 * Albert T. Simpson, 1971 * Robert D. Ford, 1972 * Leonard P. Delmas, 1973 * Hays A. McLellan, 1974 * Robert C. Keefe, 1975 * John E. Klopfer, 1976 * Eugene C. Harter, 1977 * Emmett A. Murphy, 1977 * James C. Nichol, 1978 * Kevin A. O’Conell, 1979 * Charles W. Corbitt, 1980 * Kauko E. Hallikainen, 1981 * Thomas H. Conroy, 1982 * John W. McFarland, 1983 * Howard A. Looney, 1984 * Edmond Brovelli Jr., 1985 * Merv Shenson, 1986 * George E. Sayre, 1987 * John H. Keefe Jr., 1988 * Richard F. Ford, 1989 * Peter A. Culley, 1990 * Karl A. Limbach, 1991 * James M. Kennedy, 1992 * William M. LeRoy, 1993 * Thomas V. Allen Jr., 1994 * Grant Settlemier, 1995 * P. Terry Anderlini, 1996 * Duane M. Hines, 1997 * Hans P. Treuenfels, 1998 * Monroe J. Wingate, 1999 * Bruce H. Munro, 2000 * Steve Taft, 2001 * Charles J. Hart, 2002 * Thomas M. Quigg, 2003 * Terry G. Klaus, 2004 * Douglas E. Holm, 2005 * Richard A. Pfaff, 2006 * Ray Lotto, 2007 * Joseph J. Horn III, 2008 * John R. McNeill, 2009 * David H. Sneary, 2010 * Patrick M. Nolan, 2011 * Peter B. Stoneberg, 2012 * James M. Cascino, 2013 * George Dort, 2014 * Sean E. Svendsen, 2015 * Kimball Livingston, 2016 * James Kiriakis, 2017 * Theresa Brandner, 2018 * Paul Heineken, 2019 * Ken Glidewell, 2020

Notes

References

*St. Francis Yacht Club: 1927–2002. Photo Editor and Editor: Sandra J. Swanson (Hardcover - Apr 2002) *St. Francis Yacht Club: Founded 1927 by Kimball Livingston (Hardcover - Apr 2002)

External links

Homepage of the St. Francis Yacht ClubThe St. Francis Yacht Club's racing page on Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Francis Yacht Club 1927 establishments in California Yacht clubs in California America's Cup yacht clubs Sports organizations based in San Francisco Gentlemen's clubs in California