Around the Bay, people who love to sail are sharing the sport with young people. Tucked into marinas and coves, and working out of portable classrooms and small offices, yacht club volunteers and nonprofit staff are working hard to get youth out on the bay in sailboats. They don’t expect to make sailors out of the kids but they do believe that getting a kid on the water, even for a few hours, has value. They know that being on a boat pushed through the water by wind teaches science and math; builds camaraderie, confidence, and teamwork; inspires environmental stewardship; and encourages the habit of saying “yes” to life. “I enjoy sailing because it’s a sport that challenges you mentally as much as physically,” says 14-year-old Declan Donovan, who participates in a program where students learn to race on the Bay. He likes the Bay’s constant wind patterns. “It’s good for any kind of sailing, from a casual cruise to the America’s Cup.”

Photo: Rick Lewis San Francisco Maritime Historic Park. Photo NPS Matthew Turner and the Seaward at dock in Marin. Photo: Call of the Sea Boat building skills can translate to other trades. Photo: GOAL/NMPA Photo: Rick Lewis