A Gentle Daysail Aboard a Fast Yacht on San Francisco Bay

Sailing on San Francisco Bay doesn’t always have to be heavy weather pounding into steep, teeth-jarring chop, white knuckles gripping the helm, hanging on for dear life in howling wind. Sometimes it can be simply lovely, gentle and easy. Case in point: this video, shot on Thursday, September 22, the first day of fall.

Video by Jean Philippe Rabeux

The boat is the J/120 Mary J. The 1990s design sails beautifully — and swiftly — whether racing, cruising or daysailing. Thanks to Steve Seal for sharing the video. “The small ship at about 5.5 minutes in on the video is the presidential yacht, the USS Potomac,” reports Steve. “She was FDR’s personal yacht from 1936 to 1945. A lot of history was made on the Potomac.” Earlier in the video, we can spot the wooden brigantine Matthew Turner. It seems to us that every time we go out on the Bay we see the new tall ship with sails unfurled, a fun and unmistakable sighting.