The History of St. Francis Yacht Club
Becoming St. Francis
There is a tide that flows through the Golden Gate. There is a tide in the affairs of men.
In 1927, San Francisco Bay sailors crossed both in a single tack. The Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915 had reimagined the waterfront to the east of the Army’s Presidio, and one of the developments was a harbor. After the fair, the harbor remained. With that, it became possible to imagine placing a yacht club on the San Francisco city front, and there were visionaries with that in mind. They believed the city was “the” place for a great yacht club on San Francisco Bay.
First came the not-at-all-minor matter of negotiating a rift within the venerable The San Francisco Yacht Club, which dated from 1869. That institution had been founded in the sunny shelter of Mission Bay but was driven out by industrialization. Now it needed to relocate a second time. In this case, the issue was a clubhouse in downtown Sausalito, across the bay from the city, where the press of railroad traffic and ferry traffic had become intolerable. Or perhaps we should say, the issue was that a prime piece of dry—and wet—real estate was available in a cove in the lee of Belvedere that would be ideal for a clubhouse and a marina. That seemed a perfect solution to many of the members, especially those who lived nearby. But the marina, when dredged, was never going to be deep enough for the largest yachts of the club, which would have to moor off the windward face of Belvedere.
And that was not to be.
Those who left The San Francisco Yacht Club included two-time Commodore John Punnett. Now he became the first commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club, incorporated on May 6, 1927. The voices of those few who argued that one club could support stations on both sides of the bay drifted away in the breeze, opportunities lost. The judgement of those who organized St. Francis Yacht Club, primarily Punnett, Jack Johnson and Hart Weaver, reflects today in a Club known and respected around the world.
An excerpt from the Stenographer's Record of the General Meeting of the San Francisco Yacht Club
Saturday, February 5, 1927
Mr. Don Lee: I think it is the simplest thing in the world to build a yacht club in San Francisco, but let me tell you what it needs: It needs every man in this room believing that we can build a yacht club in the City of San Francisco…And if we want to build a yacht club, all we have to do is say: We are going to build a yacht club in San Francisco. And if you say that you are going to build it here, you can build it here, because here is where your demand for a club is. (Applause)
A Yacht Club in the City
The original St. Francis Clubhouse was designed by famed architect Willis Polk, and constructed on land created for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, which marked the opening of the Panama Canal. Since then, the clubhouse has been rebuilt and expanded following a devastating fire and a series of earthquakes. Little remains of the original building, but through the years, the Club has served the sport and anchored the international game of yachting on San Francisco Bay.
Articles of Incorporation
St. Francis Yacht Club May 6, 1927
Know all men by these present:
That We, the Undersigned, have this day voluntarily associated ourselves together for the purpose of incorporating under the laws of the State of California, and we hereby certify:
1. That the name of this corporation is and shall be “St. Francis Yacht Club”.
2. That this corporation is formed for social purposes, and, especially, to promote the science and art of navigation and naval architecture; encourage yachting; assist in making members proficient in the science of navigation and in the designing, building and sailing of yachts; develop and promote aquatic sport; promote social intercourse among its members…”
The Club Buys an Island
With San Francisco summers often foggy, windy and cold, StFYC members started a search for a warmer option in the mid-1950s. In 1958, that destination was secured when a small group of members pooled personal funds and purchased a 21-acre, overgrown island in the Delta for $10,750. Our little slice of heaven on the San Joaquin River, Tinsley Island, was founded. A plaque commemorating those generous visionaries may be found in the lighthouse on Tinsley Island.
We Started Something Big
In 1964, St. Francis Yacht Club welcomed eight yachts to the inaugural St. Francis Perpetual Trophy Regatta. Four boats came from Southern California: Odyssey, Kialoa, Audacious and Kamalii; and four from Northern California: Athene, Baruna, Ocean Queen IV and Santana. The regatta was soon nicknamed the “Big Boat Series.”
Since then, Rolex Big Boat Series has earned a reputation as the West Coast’s premier regatta. St. Francis Yacht Club is proud to host hundreds of sailors each September, drawing competitors from all the great ports to race in our famous front yard.
The Mission of the St. Francis Yacht Club is to serve as the inspirational center of boating activities regionally and a leader of yachting internationally. We honor camaraderie, sportsmanship, tradition and the maritime heritage of San Francisco in a premier yachting environment.