Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC)

Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC)

Founded: 1939 Location: San Francisco, California

The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) is one of America’s most high-profile sailing institutions, best known globally as the club behind BMW Oracle Racing and its victorious America’s Cup campaigns in 2010 and 2013. Founded in 1939, GGYC occupies a compact but strategically located clubhouse in the Marina District of San Francisco, adjacent to the St. Francis Yacht Club and facing the Golden Gate Bridge.

The club’s low-slung waterfront building may appear modest, but GGYC’s reputation and influence in international sailing are anything but. As the defending club of the 33rd and 34th America’s Cups, it played a pivotal role in modernising the sport, embracing foiling catamarans and groundbreaking media coverage. The victory in 2010 with the massive trimaran USA-17 and the dramatic comeback win in 2013 against Emirates Team New Zealand marked two of the most iconic moments in Cup history.

GGYC’s clubhouse includes a lounge, race office, member bar, and outdoor deck with sweeping views of the bay. While smaller than its neighbouring clubs, it offers a close-knit, prestigious environment for dedicated sailors and racing professionals. Visiting yachtsmen enjoy dock access and a coveted front-row seat for San Francisco’s notorious wind and tide racing.

GGYC remains involved in match racing, offshore sailing, and foiling development. The club also supports junior sailing, coaching programs, and co-hosts events like the Pac52 Series and team racing regattas.

Although elite and exclusive, the club maintains a friendly, practical atmosphere focused on serious racing and high-seas camaraderie.