From the press release: This week, the world's largest sailing and watersports vacation company, Sunsail, launches San Francisco's newest yacht charter fleet with the delivery of eight Sunsail First 40 yachts. Sunsail's fleet arrived on an inbound freighter and was offloaded at Pier 80 in San Francisco. From there, the fleet travelled by water to Svendsen's Boat Works in Alameda, where new masts and rigging are being installed to make them charter-ready.
"The City of Alameda is the maritime village of the Bay Area," said Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore. "Svendsen's full-service boat yard is an excellent example of the many types of quality services Alameda offers the boating community coming here for the America's Cup."
Sean Svendsen, V.P. of Svendsen's Boat Works, said: "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."
Jonathan Grisdale, President of Sunsail, noted: "The arrival of our unrivalled fleet to San Francisco provides a great opportunity to enjoy the sport of sailing on the Bay. We will host events that appeal to people who are new to sailing as well as those for whom it's a lifelong passion."
The brand new Sunsail First 40's, built by yacht manufacturer Beneteau to Sunsail specifications, are designed to be the ultimate cruiser-racer. They feature a heated three-cabin, one-bathroom layout; a large wheel helm in a spacious open cockpit; a generous sail plan with spinnaker gear; and a chartplotter/ autopilot system, ideal for team sailing as well as private yacht charters.
Once commissioned, the new Sunsail fleet will be berthed in Sausalito Yacht Harbor, offering:
- Corporate meetings & events
- Team building & leadership programs
- Racing packages for major events & local regattas
- ASA Certified Sailing School courses
- Yacht charters with or without skipper
San Francisco Bay's excellent sailing conditions are well-suited for all levels of experience. The area is home to a remarkable landscape of protected waters and steep rolling hills, as well as many famous landmarks, including Alcatraz and Angel Island. Extended sailing itineraries are possible within the Bay and inland Delta region. Sunsail's new home in San Francisco also offers access to the best seats in the house to watch the 34th America's Cup racing season events (August 21-26 and October 4-7, 2012), and the America's Cup Match, which will be a best-of-nine series, currently set for September 7-22, 2013.
To book your San Francisco sailing vacation or corporate event, call Sunsail 800.797.5907 or visit www.sunsail.com/sanfrancisco.
