Sunsail 40s Arrive on the Bay

Due to the enormous size of the San Francisco Bay sailing community, the occasional arrival of a brand new boat is to be expected. But when more than a half dozen identical sisterships arrive in unison directly from a European factory, that’s pretty big news.

Early last week, eight Sunsail First 40s (built by Beneteau) were off-loaded at a San Francisco wharf, then were taken to Svendsen’s Boat Works in Alameda for commissioning. According the yard’s Ray Ronquillo, the process of fitting them out with masts, rigging, electronics and other creature comforts will take a couple more weeks. Once commissioning is complete, the fleet will sail out of a new Sunsail base at Sausalito Yacht Harbor — the worldwide firm’s first foothold on the West Coast of the U.S.

Although Sunsail’s fleet will undoubtedly compete for bareboat charter rentals with existing sailing clubs and schools, the company will also offer racing packages and ASA sailing courses, as well as corporate offerings such as team-building and leadership programs.

The comments of Sean Svendsen, V.P. of Svendsen’s Boat Works echo the assumption of many that the decision to set up a fleet here was strongly influenced by current and future America’s Cup activities. “We are very pleased to be partnering with Sunsail on this expansion of their business. The arrival of the fleet is a strong indicator of the positive effect America’s Cup is already having on the Bay Area maritime industry.”

We’re told that West Coast sailors are a major element of Sunsail’s worldwide charter market, so many Bay sailors are undoubtedly familiar with the quality of their boats. Thus, the amenities of these new Sunsail 40s won’t be altogether unfamiliar. They feature three-cabin, one-head layouts; large wheels; and chart plotters. But there’s one big difference: these come with built-in heating systems! For more info call (800) 797-5907 or see the company’s San Francisco web page.