Sponsored by BoatUS
Biggest Event of the Year for
Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association

A celebration marking the official beginning of the new boating season, “Opening Day on The Bay,” is slated for Sunday, April 29. A flotilla of nearly 250 recreational vessels of every size and shape will parade along San Francisco Bay’s northern shoreline from Crissy Field to Pier 39 starting at 12:00 noon. With this year’s theme “Pages of Time,” viewers can expect to see historical scenes from the past aboard the parade of power and sail boats.

Organized by the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association (PICYA) and sponsored for the last six years by BoatUS, the nation’s largest recreational boat owners association, Opening Day is Northern California’s premier boating event. PICYA members representing over 20,000 boating families and one hundred yacht clubs from around the Bay and Delta region will compete for an array of awards, including the BoatUS Ward Cleaveland Memorial Trophy for best decorated boat. The Chardonnay Commodore mega yacht will serve as the official committee boat.

In addition, various classic vessels are participating, some of which are over 100 years old. The Lynx, a 122-foot topsail schooner replica of a privateer from the War of 1812, and the 165-foot Potomac, a former US Coast Guard cutter used by Franklin D. Roosevelt as his “Floating White House,” will also be parading.

A Blessing of the Fleet will take place prior to the parade at 10:30AM and will be located at Raccoon Straights in Marin County. The event also coincides with additional Opening Day festivities taking place at dozens of PICYA clubs across the region, such as BBQ’s, flag raisings and other social events.

“This event brings many PICYA families and boaters from all walks of life together for some camaraderie, celebration and fun,” said Richard Schwartz, founder and chairman of BoatUS “It’s what boating is all about,” he added.

PICYA Commodore Duane Collins said, "BoatUS is an important supporter of PICYA and has been a great advocate for all California boaters. We are especially pleased that Richard Schwartz will be with us again to witness this great event that heralds the beginning of the new boating season.”

For more information, go to http://www.PICYA.org

BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 670,000 members with a wide array of consumer services including a group-rate marine insurance program that insures nearly a quarter million boats; the largest fleet of more than 500 towing assistance vessels; discounts on fuel, slips, and repairs at over 850 Cooperating Marinas; boat financing; and a subscription to BoatUS Magazine, the most widely read boating publication in the US. For membership information visit http://www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.

The Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association was formed in San Francisco in 1896 to improve communication between yacht clubs, provide uniform racing rules, and encourage yachting. Today it is the only organization in Northern California that supports the promotion of recreational boating through the coordination and dissemination of information for the benefit of boaters. It publishes the Yachting Yearbook, the annual directory of member clubs and information, and created Recreational Boaters of California, a governmental advocacy organization committed to promoting the enjoyment, protection, and responsible use of our waterways. PICYA has coordinated Opening Day since 1917. http://www.PICYA.org.