An F50 does not look fast from the shore. It looks impossible. Fifty feet of catamaran lifts clean out of the water on a pair of foils, and the whole boat flies across the Bay on blades no wider than a plank, faster than the cars on the Embarcadero.
SailGP, the league that races them, is coming back to San Francisco on Saturday April 3 and Sunday April 4, 2027, after a year away. Here is what it is, where it happens, and how to see it from where the racing actually is: on the water.
- Apr 3 to 4 SailGP San Francisco, 2027
- 50 ft foiling catamarans with wing sails
- 50+ knots top speed, around 60 mph
What SailGP is
SailGP is a global racing league. Every team races an identical boat, the F50, so the racing comes down to the crews rather than whoever spent the most on design. The teams sail under national flags, with six sailors on each boat, and a season travels from city to city around the world.
The F50 descends from the boats of the America's Cup. Instead of a cloth mainsail it carries a rigid wing, like an aircraft wing stood on end, and instead of sitting in the water it flies above it on hydrofoils. On the right day it reaches well over 50 knots.
San Francisco has history with this. SailGP raced here in each of its first five seasons, and the Bay hosted the season's Grand Final twice: Australia won here in 2023 and Spain in 2024. The 2026 calendar left the city out. In 2027 it is back.
Where the racing happens
The course runs between Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, off the Marina. SailGP's grandstands sit on the shore at the Marina, next to the St. Francis Yacht Club, and that is where the ticketed seats are. The boats come close to that shoreline at times, but most of the course is out on the open water in front of it.
Race times for 2027 have not been announced yet. SailGP lists them as to be confirmed for both days, and notes that they can change with the weather. Racing is usually in the afternoon, when the westerly fills in through the Gate, for the reasons in our guide to the wind and weather on the Bay. We will set charter times around the official schedule as soon as it is published.
Why watch from a boat
The course itself is closed to everyone but the race boats and the officials. Spectator boats watch from the edges of it, which means that on the water you are not looking at the racing from a distance. You are beside it, with the start line, the marks and the turns in front of you, and the boats passing at a speed the grandstand cannot quite convey.
You also hear it. An F50 at speed makes a sound you do not expect from a sailboat: a hum from the foils, the hiss of spray, and the crew calling across the boat. On the water that reaches you clearly. On shore it gets lost in the crowd.
What the afternoon looks like
- Pier 40 You board at South Beach Harbor with your group. Arrive half an hour early; on a race weekend the boats leave on time to be in position. How to find us.
- The city front The crew sails you north along the waterfront toward Alcatraz, and the wing sails start to appear over the piers.
- The edge of the course The captain takes up a spot as close to the action as the race officials allow, and keeps the boat there as the racing moves around the course.
- The racing Short, fast races, one after another. Food and drinks come out while the fleet lines up for the next start.
- Home When the last race finishes, you sail back to Pier 40 while the crowds on shore are still queueing to leave.
Practical things
Charters on SailGP weekend are private: your group has the whole boat. Yukon Jack takes up to 20 guests, and a larger group can sail several boats together, up to 44 people. Bring your own food and the crew will serve it, or let us cater. Drinks are beer and wine only. Catering and drinks.
Early April on the Bay is cool, and the afternoon breeze that makes the racing good is cold on a boat that is sitting still to watch. During the 2025 event the fog rolled in over the course on the Sunday afternoon. Bring more layers than the forecast suggests: here is what to wear on the Bay, season by season.
And book early. Like Fleet Week, this is one of the weekends that people plan around, and the larger boats go first.
Plan your SailGP weekend
Look over the fleet and the current rates, then ask us for a quote with your group size and which day you want, Saturday or Sunday. For grandstand seats on shore, tickets are sold through SailGP's official ticket site.