Sailing

Cruise Ship Terminal Finances Terrified Port Director

The news that the city's nascent cruise ship terminal could well lose the city boatloads of money is disturbing -- but hardly unanticipated. Last year, SF Weekly obtained a January 2012 e-mail from Port of San Francisco Director Monique Moyer to members of her staff lamenting the proposed cruise shi ... More >>

America's Cup: Sailor Refers to Boats as "Godforsaken Deathtraps"

The off-the-water element of the America's Cup has been the antithesis of smooth sailing. Mayor Gavin Newsom and the "city family" pushed a series of fiscally disastrous deals with Larry Ellison -- only for the yachting billionaire to pull the plug on the cusp of all-but-certain approval by the Boar ... More >>

Cup of Merde: News of the City Being “Fucking Played” Reaches France

America's Cup Fiasco Reaches France -- Merde!

Readers wondering how the French are seeing the ongoing fiasco that is the America's Cup -- and how they'd translate the line "all the members of the Board of Supervisors were fucking played" -- have been granted a two-for-one special. Last week, Le Monde ran a short story titled "Qui paiera la fact ... More >>

Cup Runneth Under: Bad News About America's Cup Forecasts

America's Cup: Who's on the Hook for Private Fund-Raisers' $5 Million Loan?

For those who may or may not enjoy watching syndicates of wealthy men race boats on the bay -- but definitely don't want the city to lose money on the deal -- this has been a beguiling week. New projections put the expected public and private benefits of hosting the America's Cup way down from prior ... More >>

America's Cup: John Avalos Says "All the Members of the Board of Supervisors Were F**king Played"

News broke over the weekend that the America's Cup Organizing Committee, a private group tasked with fundraising to offset the race's public costs, is struggling mightily. Logically, public money not offset by private funds is simply public money expended -- in this case on a yacht race thrown by on ... More >>

New Concert Venue Coming to the Embarcadero for America's Cup

Ah, the America's Cup. You think of sailboats, you think of tourists, you think of -- a massive new concert venue on the waterfront? Well start imagining, because concert giant Live Nation is teaming up with the sailboat racing organization on a new, temporary outdoor performance venue at Piers 27- ... More >>

America's Cup: Larry Ellison's Oracle Team Fined for Spying on Italian Team

Larry Ellison's Oracle team has taken another tumble after being slapped with charges of espionage on a rival team. While spying isn't unusual in the America's Cup, a international jury of sailing experts concluded that Ellison's sailing team went a little too far when they sailed a little too clo ... More >>

Off the Grid Expanding to Pier 29 for Two Months

Good news for SF Weekly staffers, others who work and live at this lonely corner of the Embarcadero, and people who are really, really into the America's Cup: Food truck gathering Off the Grid announced plans today to have a twice-weekly market at Piers 27/29. Starting on Thursday, January 10, a sma ... More >>

America's Cup: Straddled by the Big Boats

Sailing club members taking a boat out this weekend to observe the America's Cup races while  being dive-bombed by the Fleet Week aircraft were handed a good-sized pamphlet. It could have been titled "How to Navigate the Armada of Drunken, Inexperienced Boaters You Will Encounter." There's no w ... More >>

America's Cup: Mayor Lee Still Insists It Will Benefit S.F.

America's Cup: A Day at the Races

Sunday was about as glorious an afternoon as San Francisco ever hosted. The sun shone brightly and the weather was Northern California perfect. Beautiful people and their dogs were everywhere. That there was an America's Cup World Series race taking place was almost an auxiliary pleasure.  ... More >>

America's Cup: Will Crowds of Yachting Fanatics Invade San Francisco?

Lo, the America's Cup is upon us -- yet we have not been run off the road by a pack of folks resembling Thurston Howell III. Tourists are still cramming the F-Line and eating chowder out of bread bowls, as they would on any nippy Aug. 21 in the city. If San Francisco is going to serve as a beachhead ... More >>

Summer Guide: The Life Aquatic: Get out on the Bay

Summer Guide: Bars on the Bay to Watch the America's Cup

Pier 29 Blaze Contained, Traffic Backed Up Along the Embarcadero

(Update 4:35 p.m) America's Cup officials released a statement saying they do not anticipate this fire hindering plans for the big race. "We look forward to moving ahead with the future construction of the America's Cup Village at Pier 27/29," the statement read. (Update 4:02 p.m.): Supervisor ... More >>

America's Cup: Everyone Lowers Their Standards

Barring unforeseen circumstances -- Chris Daly, a rain slicker, and a longshoreman's hook -- the Board of Supervisors today will give its blessing to the pared back America's Cup plan. This supes probably would have approved the Cup's glitzy prior iteration, which would have cost the city up to $136 ... More >>

America's Cup: "Decrepit" Piers Could Be Resurrected After All

​The classic film On the Waterfront involved plenty of fighting -- with both longshoreman's hooks and bare fists. The battles on San Francisco's own waterfront are far rougher. But, upon reflection, they resemble high-stakes -- and very grown-up -- versions of the Marshmallow Test. Would San Franc ... More >>

America's Cup Considering New York City For August Race; NYC Surprised to Hear of It

​The America's Cup will grace San Francisco not once, not twice, but thrice, citizens were promised: before  catamarans race for the main Cup currently held by Larry Ellison's Oracle team in 2013, there will be smaller World Series races in October and in August, according to plans the race e ... More >>

America's Cup: Economic Projections Are Beyond Optimistic

America's Cup: Rollout of the "We Screwed Up!" Storyline Under Way

​The San Francisco Chronicle today continued to thump the tub Supervisor Mark Farrell and others wheeled out last week. It's the "San Francisco and its Board of Supervisors screwed up the America's Cup deal because we're an insufferable, NIMBY city that ruins everything" tub.Well, we are pretty in ... More >>

America's Cup: NBC Not Paying Anything for TV Deal

​The America's Cup is the Super Bowl of yacht racing -- but it's certainly not the Super Bowl of television rights fees. Networks fork over billions for the privilege of airing pro sports like football and their lucrative postseason championships. Yet, tucked away in today's AP story about NBC obt ... More >>

America's Cup: Deal Nearly Funded Race with Pricey Condos

America's Cup: Rancor Over Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! Easier than Real Analysis

​With the pricey former America's Cup deal now residing in the vicinity of Davy Jones' Locker, it's high time for the types of folks who comment frequently on the SFGate webpage to decry San Francisco blowing a "golden opportunity" for some "economic revitalization." Supervisor Mark Farrell -- als ... More >>

America's Cup, San Francisco, and an Armada of Yachting Teams are Sued

​On the cusp of next week's likely final approval of the far-reaching America's Cup development agreement, the city, race organizers, the Board of Supervisors, and no fewer than 50 yachting teams have been hit with a lawsuit in San Francisco court. Waterfront Watch, an umbrella group that lists fo ... More >>

America's Cup: Having Six Teams Would Thrill Organizers

​After a nearly seven-hour slog last night, the all-important America's Cup development deal advanced to the full Board of Supervisors. The race's backers and organizers wouldn't self-apply comparisons between their hulking, speedy boats and a steamroller -- but it appears the America's Cup itself ... More >>

The Cup Runneth Over: S.F.'s America's Cup Decision Looms

America's Cup: Booze and Boating Unite!

Wine and yachts -- an American traditionWine and yachts go together like PBR and fixies. So you knew this was coming. The organizers of the forthcoming America's Cup and Napa Valley Vintners today announced that Napa will be the "Official Wine Region of the 34th America's Cup." Those toting in forei ... More >>

America's Cup: Teams Introduced in San Francisco Today

Golf would be much easier ​Mayor Ed Lee joined Regatta officials today to introduce eight of the 13 teams that will compete in the prestigious America's Cup to be held in San Francisco in 2013. Regatta Director Iain Murray introduced representatives of teams from China, New Zealand, Italy, South K ... More >>

Catch the First Glimpse of Oracle America's Cup Team Next Week

​While we still have two years before the madness of the America's Cup truly descends on San Francisco, you can still get a taste of what we'll be seeing next week. Larry Ellison's ORACLE Racing team will begin practicing out on the Bay, using two 45-foot long wingsail catamarans to cut through th ... More >>

America's Cup: SPUR Weighs-in On Development Plans

​In the current issue of SF Weekly, staff writer Joe Eskenazi goes deep on the story of how bombastic former Supervisor Chris Daly saved the city millions by holding out for an optimal plan for hosting the America's Cup. Now that San Francisco has sealed the deal on the regatta, lots of hard work ... More >>

How Chris Daly saved San Francisco from a bad America's Cup deal

Ross Mirkarimi Asks Budget Analyst to Make Sure America's Cup Deal isn't Costing Extra

Making sure the deal is even keeled, to use a nautical term ​Following the approval of the America's Cup deal, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi pledged to follow up with budget reports that would analyze whether the mayor's office has made any tweaks to the deal that would cost taxpayers extra money.&nbs ... More >>

America's Cup: Chinese New Year Floats Must Float Away

Joe EskenaziThe bunny's sign reads, 'Welcome America's Cup.' You can't accuse this float of not being a civic booster​Jonathan Stern's official position with the Port of San Francisco is listed as "Assistant Deputy Director, Waterfront Development Projects." But you can just call him the human Pow ... More >>

Jelly's Club Sues San Francisco Claiming City Shuttered Nightclub To Protect America's Cup Bid

Whistleblower​Jelly's Dance Cafe, a nightclub that has faced eviction since a fatal July shooting, is suing San Francisco, claiming the city was retaliating against the club after it complained about leaky bay-side sewage pipes, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court last week.If publiciz ... More >>

San Francisco Landed America's Cup ... And Now We See Why

Sailing To A Sweeter Deal​The Examiner unravels some details of the "sweet" America's Cup deal that helped San Francisco land the sailing regatta. After much back-and-forth, San Francisco scaled back on its bid, essentially saving city taxpayers scores of millions of dollars. T ... More >>

America's Cup: San Francisco Has It

We has it!​It turns out not only beggars can't be choosers. Neither can yachtsmen. Word is trickling out ahead of an afternoon press conference that San Francisco will host the 34th America's Cup in 2013. This comes after the city scaled back an offer to the race's organizers -- saving city taxpap ... More >>

Santa Beats Yacht Club Robbery Rap

We knew you didn't exist ​Readers may recall an eye-catching story we had earlier about jolly old St. Nick himself knocking over the East Providence Yacht Club in Rhode Island. This, we postulated, was reason enough to award the America's Cup to San Francisco and not Newport. Kris Kringle may tell ... More >>

America's Cup: Mayor May Make Large, Long-Lasting Changes to Deal

Will Larry Ellison be San Francisco's Santa? Or the Grinch?​While the pulse of San Francisco's chances to land the America's Cup may be sliding toward demise, the offer the city put before Larry Ellison and the cup organizers is very much a living document. The "final agreement" bid unanimously ap ... More >>

America's Cup: Supervisors Unanimously Adopt Hosting Bid

San Francisco has finalized its bid for the America's Cup. Is it enough to win the battle?​By an 11-0 vote, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors adopted the so-called "Northern Waterfront Alternative" bid to host the America's Cup -- a deal race officials over the weekend deemed insufficient. Th ... More >>

America's Cup: San Francisco's Chances Are Sinking, Thanks to Chris Daly

America's Cup Organizers' Surprise Rejection of Latest Terms All About Securing Pier 50 For Waterfront Arena, Supervisor SaysChris Daly's tenacity -- and the fiscal studies he demanded -- may have sunk San Francisco's chances at the America's Cup​"Worse things happen at sea" will come as cold com ... More >>

America's Cup: How City Would End Up On the Hook for $55 Million

​During a lengthy Wednesday hearing regarding the America's Cup -- which was far less thrilling than a yachting race and had far more nautically themed public comment -- the city's budget analyst made an emphatic point. Based on the "Northern Waterfront Alternative" plan which is currently en vogu ... More >>

America's Cup: Newport, Larry Ellison Have Been in Contact

Hello, Larry! ​During yesterday's committee hearing regarding the hosting of the America's Cup regatta, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi warned his colleagues that former race site Newport, R.I. is clamoring to sail off with San Francisco's prize following any "glitch or defect in our process." This, it ... More >>

America's Cup: No 'Dramatic Swing' in Cost to City in New Report -- It'll Still Cost a Ton

Still sinking...​Last week, the city's budget analyst released an eye-catching report claiming that San Francisco would lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars should it see fit to host the America's Cup regatta on the terms currently before the city. The mayor's office dropped into a defensiv ... More >>

America's Cup: Chris Daly Admits Some May Support City's Race Bid Just Because He Doesn't

Was this trip really necessary? ​Last week, the city's budget analyst released an in-depth report claiming San Francisco would lose up to $143 million if it hosted the America's Cup regatta based on the offer currently on the table. Budget Analyst Harvey Rose stressed to SF Weekly that, despite th ... More >>

America's Cup: 'Not One Cent' In Private Funding Guaranteed

This city knows a bit about being under water...​Budget analyst Harvey Rose today defended a report his office released Thursday, which claimed that hosting the America's Cup regatta would lose San Francisco up to $143 million. "I don't think everybody understands. We say there'll be huge benefits ... More >>

Can San Francisco Actually Make Money on America's Cup?

Is it too late to stop the boat? ​On Friday, the Bay Citizen revealed that San Francisco may be bidding against itself in its quest to host the America's Cup sailing spectacle. The city's budget analyst's office has not yet been able to verify whether or not any other cities have bothered to commi ... More >>

Nights at the Races

How to sail the bay for free this summer

Sails Pitch

Born to sell, would-be America's Cup skipper Dawn Riley puts her birthright to work