An education in sailing produces learning in many dimensions–from physical fitness to scientific and practical lessons for harnessing the natural forces of wind, weather, currents and tides. Valuable social skills inherent in teamwork and mastery of the Racing Rules of Sailing set an analytic and tactical challenge that can be applied globally.

Beyond supporting sailing as a recreational activity, the Foundation provides grants to organizations which offer a range of educational opportunities that foster learning about the Bay, our oceans, the environment and seamanship. Examples of these organizations include Call of the Sea, Tall Ships Education Academy which is affiliated with San Francisco State University, the Bay Area Sea Scouts and the Sailing Education Association based in Woods Hole, Mass.

Grants made to these organizations most often assist toward funding an individual student so they may participate in a specific trip or curriculum. An example of such a grant was made to the Sailing Education Association to fund two high school students from disadvantaged areas of San Francisco so they are able to study the Oceanography of the Southern California Bight. This 18-day program focused on the marine environments of the California coast which included a shore component at the University of Southern California’s Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, and a sea component aboard one of SEA’s sailing research vessels, the SSV Robert C. Seamans. During the shore component, students study near-shore marine biology and ecology specific to the region. During the sea component, students study offshore ocean­ography, nautical science, and act as members of the ship’s crew.

The FoundationEducational Programs & Organizations