The San Francisco Yacht Club awarded the St. Petersburg YC Trophy for outstanding regatta management
February 7, 2025 - San Diego, U.S.A. - On Thursday, February 6, 2025 at the annual US Sailing Awards banquet in San Diego, The San Francisco Yacht Club was awarded the 2024 St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy for outstanding race management at the 2024 Diversified Melges 24 World Championships.
According to US Sailing, “The St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy is awarded to a local sailing organization for exceptional race management at a specific event. Among other factors, the comments of participating sailors weigh heavily in the selection of a winner.
"Emblematic of excellence in race management, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy was originally awarded by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club in the late 1960s to recognize the club that ran the best regatta. The trophy was retired for a number of years, then was donated to US Sailing in 1977. The winner is selected on the basis of race management excellence, including evaluation by participating skippers."
Nearly 100% of the 31 teams completed the post-regatta competitor survey offering glowing feedback of the Melges 24 Worlds.
Representing the Club to receive the trophy were Matthew Sessions (Regatta Chair), Jr. S/C Jenni Dailey (2024 Commodore), Forrest Gay (Director of Sailing) and Mark Foster (Regatta PRO).
This is the first time the SFYC has won this prestigious award since its inception in 1967. The SFYC joins Richmond Yacht Club (2001 - Byte Class North Americans) as the only Northern California yacht clubs to win the trophy.
In August 2024, Commodore Jenni Dailey welcomed the sailors at the opening ceremonies with the memorable words, “this club is your club” making it clear the commitment of the SFYC community to the visiting teams.
“To say I’m thrilled would be a dramatic understatement,” said Regatta Chair Matthew Sessions. He commented that 1,000+ hours of pre-regatta planning and onsite execution by dozens of volunteers were the reasons for the regatta's success. The Melges Worlds occupied the SFYC campus for 17 days which was choreographed down to the minute to minimize impacts on Club operations while maximizing the experience for the competitors.
For Principal Race Officer Mark Foster (San Antonio, TX), this is his fifth regatta that has won the trophy. Feedback from the competitors gave glowing reviews of Foster’s on-the-water race management. Foster highlighted the outstanding RC volunteers coordinated by Forrest Gay as well as the excellent Club resources (like race committee boats and equipment) for making his job execute smoothly.
Forrest Gay stated, "The 2024 Melges 24 Worlds at the SFYC was a long time coming, after being postponed for two years by the COVID pandemic. Once we finally zeroed in on August of 2024 for the event, we started building the team. Securing PRO Mark Foster from Texas early in this cycle was a critical piece of the equation and set the SFYC on course for the possibility to run a terrific regatta. Lighter wind than expected for many races and even a real rain shower, with real shifts, all called for extra effort by the race committee to get the course as close to correct as possible for the sailors. It all worked, and along with the exceptional shoreside organization led by Chair Matthew Sessions, the awarding of this trophy is proof of that. I am very proud of our whole team for running such a great World Championship in irregular conditions."
Piret Salmistu, Class Administrator and Media Coordinator for the International Melges 24 Class Association said, “I have nothing but praise for the incredible experience we had at the Melges 24 Worlds at The San Francisco Yacht Club. This was truly an event by sailors, for sailors—meticulously planned and flawlessly executed in everything from registration to hospitality. Matthew and Forrest ran a world-class regatta and created a welcoming and unforgettable atmosphere. A heartfelt thank you to the local club members who opened their homes to IM24CA team members and welcomed us into the SFYC family.
We were able to bring together a strong international media team to provide extensive coverage, ensuring that even those who couldn’t be there could experience the energy and spirit of the event."
Chelsea Simms, Owner of Melges 24 Straightarrow, Vice Chair of Americas (International Melges 24 Class Association) and Vice President (U.S. Melges 24 Class Association) added, "On behalf of the Melges 24 Class, we congratulate The San Francisco Yacht Club on receiving the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy—an honor that is very well deserved. The 2024 Melges 24 World Championship was an exceptional regatta in every way, from race management to shoreside hospitality. The SFYC set a new standard, delivering an experience that exceeded Class expectations for sailors and spectators alike.
"As both a competitor and a Class representative, I can confidently say this was the best World Championship I have ever attended. The seamless execution, outstanding facilities and commitment to excellence at every level make it a model event for future Worlds.”
The 2024 Worlds ran twelve fair races over five days, serving up a variety of SF Bay course conditions, fantastic Belvedere weather, extensive media coverage and great competition which came down to the final race to determine the winner. Shoreside hospitality included daily awards presented by local sailing heroes, the “Beer Boat” hydration station for the afternoon return sail, live music, tons of sponsor swag and prizes, morning weather briefings, excellent branding, delicious catering and the SFYC membership which enthusiastically welcomed 150+ competitors.
More details can be found on the US Sailing and 2024 Melges Worlds websites.
