West Coast Tour - Adventures With The Olympic Circle Sailing Club (OCSC)

by Kate Sheahan
West Coast Tour Coordinator

Anthony Sanberg and Onya, courtesy of Alexander Cohen

Perhaps one of the most beautiful legacies is to truly enable someone within their lifetime to push their comfort boundaries and find their full potential.

The America's Cup buzz has certainly brought attention to sailing on San Francisco Bay this summer. Only a half mile from the AC-72 finish line is a place that has taught thousands the art of sailing for more than three decades.

I recently visited perhaps the finest sailing school in the world - San Francisco's OCSC, "The Olympic Circle Sailing Club," which teaches the science, tradition and responsibility of sailing in a holistic way at its six-acre campus. However, sailing is just the threshold to so much more.

West Coast Tour - Dave Hughes, Olympic 49er Coach and US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider 470 Sailor, Talks about current at the San Francisco Bay Model

by Kate Sheahan
West Coast Tour Coordinator

When any waterman arrives in San Francisco it is helpful to pay a visit to the The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model in Sausalito to get up to speed. I stopped by with Dave Hughes, Olympic 49er Coach and 470 Sailor for US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider. In addition to his Olympic sailing, Dave works as a pro sailor and his next big event is the Melges 24 Worlds beginning October 1st in San Francisco's Berkeley Circle. Hear Dave explain how the current movement one can study at the Bay Model translates to important considerations in rig tune and sail choice for the ebb and flood tides on the actual racecourse.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model is a three-dimensional hydraulic model of San Francisco Bay and Delta areas capable of simulating tides and currents. The Model is over 1.5 acres in size and represents an area from the Pacific Ocean to Sacramento and Stockton, including: the San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun Bays and a portion of the Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta.

While the Bay Model is still operational, it is no longer used for scientific research but is instead open to the public alongside educational exhibits about Bay hydrology. It offers a unique opportunity for teachers and students to learn about the geography, topography, ecology, and the human and natural history of the San Francisco Bay and Delta. The dynamic nature of the model allows students to observe tidal action and visualize currents and eddies, as they would actually occur in the Bay and Delta.The model is located in the Bay Model Visitor Center at 2100 Bridgeway Blvd. in Sausalito, CA.

Next, come aboard as Dave Hughes and I sail the Melges 24 Pacific Coast Championship at San Francisco Yacht Club with Olympic gold medalist Nathan Wilmot and team "Embarr." Follow the West Coast Tour on Twitter at @USSailing. 

Click to check out The West Coast Tour Schedule