Eight young sailors from San Francisco, along with their coach, Parker Colantuono A wonderful time in Kiel—one of the world's most famous sailing cities—including participation in the sailing regattas of the Kiel Week part.

This visit marked the official launch of the youth sailing exchange program. The eight 420 sailors from the St. Francis Yacht Club were visited by their German peers from the Kieler Yacht-Club e.V., sailed and trained on the Kiel Fjord, and experienced the city's unique character through their host families and official events.

San Francisco and Kiel share a passion for sailing. A youth exchange between these sister cities was a natural fit—and as The Bay Areas, we’ve been working on both sides to find enthusiastic participants for this project.

He took over for the Kiel Yacht Club Philipp Sudbrack the topic and as Felix Weidling, a former regatta director at the Kieler Yacht-Club, moved to the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, where he immediately embraced the idea with enthusiasm. As with many of our projects, these personal connections make all the difference. 

In 2027, young sailors from the KYC will set off on a trip to San Francisco to visit the SFYC, and we would love to encourage other clubs to participate in sailing exchanges.