Historic Sunsail Afternoon with Mission Beacon Center Kids

Friday was literally a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Sharing five Sunsail First 40’s with 25 Mission Beacon Center kids: awesomeWatching the space shuttle Endeavour fly over Angel Island and Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Mason hill: historic.

 

Treasure Island Sailing Center works in partnership with the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and their Families to provide on-the-water options for learning life’s lessons on Clipper Cove.  Sunsail’s San Francisco operations in Sausalito provided both programs with a sunny, breezy two-hour sail on San Francisco bay in brand new First 40’s, made possible by five professional sailors who donated their afternoon.

Mission Beacon Center, part of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative and one of many SFDCYF programs, uses the Everrett Middle School as a center of activity for surrounding neighborhoods. TISC supports thier programs with sailing lessons and after school activities.

 

My job Friday afternoon, along with four volunteers from the Cal Sailing Team, was to work as an on-the-water host and crew aboard the Sunsail First 40’s (OK, not really a job; more like a super opportunity to sail cool new boats, teach kids about sailing and water safety, and hang out on SF Bay !).  Of course the bonus was the one-day delay in Endeavour’s visit to the Bay Area announced on Wednesday; I simply took the 7:45 bullet train from San Jose and hung out at Fort Mason for the fly-over, then pedaled over to Pier 40 for our 2pm sail.

These 25 kids and 5 chaperones would not have had this opportunity without the gracious support from Sunsail’s Sausalito General Manager Travis Lund who along with fellow sailors Charlie Bogue, George Fay, Jim Hancock and Ted Thornton donated their Friday afternoon and the Cal Sailing volunteers Katelynn Wiley, Martin Gibson,  Michael Lebow, and Saul Rosen.

From On The Cove (on this voyage from Pier 40), Dave G

In the wake: Here’s a few more pictures from our awesome, historic day on the bay.

Endeavour Over North Tower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our captain Ted Thornton arrives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safety briefing before loading

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side by side heading toward Angel Island

 

 

 

 

 

AC 45 Prada up close

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7+ knots VMG heading toward Angel Island

 

 

 

 

Everyone got to drive a Sunsail First 40