The San Francisco Bay is a beautiful venue for the America's Cup! The race course allows viewers to view these amazingly fast boats race between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. While the bleacher seats are a convenience, spending the money is not necessary to get great views of the race along Marina Green and along the retaining wall. We watched the Saturday races (semi finals) in September and October. In Sept, we found great seats on the benches in front of the main grandstand on Marina Green and found our views to be great. For the October race, since it was also Fleet Week, we made our way over to the retaining wall and managed to sit right on the finish line! We can't wait for the bigger boats in 2013! read more

America's Cup World Series - Starting line a few minutes before Spithill capsizes... - Sports Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California

Race?! What race? It keeps getting cancelled or delayed due to accidents, malfunction, and whatever whatever whatever. Gee whiz, no wonder American Cup has bombed in San Francisco. This is what happened... I won free tickets from SFGate.com - woo hoo (hence the 4 stars)!!! :) Saturday - went and sat on the lamest benches in the world. Race 1 got into an accident. race 2 malfunctioned. CANCELLED... DELAYED :) Monday - Makeup race - Race 1 - malfunctioned. DELAYED :) Friday - I never made it because the race was wayyy too early That was it. Maybe the finals in September will be more exciting?! Also... The race is called LV American Cup. Don't expect to find a single morsel of brand recognition of Louis Vuitton on any American Cup merchandise. DARN! read more

Wow, can't believe all the haters out there. We had nothing but fun, and thought it was a great once-in-a-lifetime experience to see this awesome event live. I thought it was GREAT to see in person, though watching it on TV has its advantages, but that's the same with most sporting events. Yes, it's sad that someone lost their life, but that's sad in any sport. There's risk involved in anything you do, much less being aboard those high-speed wonders of engineering in infamous SF Bay. We had a great time, we enjoyed it, and we're glad we experienced it in person. We met great people from all over, and had friendly banter with Kiwi supporters along the Marina shore area. If/when the US wins back the America's Cup, we hope the races are held in SF again, because we'll be there with bells on :) read more

This is just not a great event to see in person. The action is really far offshore. You you can't possibly even discern that there are people on those boats. Also there is no one vantage point that's good for the whole race. I didn't want to spend the 75.00 to 500.00 for tickets with screens and announcers for just two 40-minute races. So we got there early to nab a spot, and we sat on the sea wall. We couldn't tell, at all, what was going on. Nor could anyone around us. The boats started at the Golden Gate bridge, then went east, then one veered wildly perpendicular to the course for a long time, then it looked like the boats went in lazy circles over by the bay bridge, then both boats headed back to the Golden Gate, again with one boat taking a weird loooong zag off course, then it looked like they practically stopped over by the bridge, then they zoomed east toward the Bay Bridge again...and it was over. So most of it was like WHAT IS HAPPENING? *Face palm.* If I need a tv and announcer to understand it, I'll just stay home! That said, it was nice for SF to score such a huge event. There was a lot of excitement and positive energy in the air. To state the obvious: parking in this area is a non-starter. We took BART and used Uber. Nice and simple. read more

Weirdest thing ever-- The other day after watching CNN's loop about 30x (Okay, that's an exaggeration, but I have CNN on while I'm working) I flipped the channel to something that was showing The America's Cup races. I kind of listened... bored... Then it started to get interesting. While listening and working It played out in my head something like this: these guys are on what? 8 million dollar boats--err.. Catamarans? OMG an Artemis sailor died when his boat capsized while practicing for the America's cup--AND he was an Olympian?! I couldn't help but to be sucked in to the race. These Sailors are Olympians and professionals that are on 8 million dollar catamarans that are EXTREMELY dangerous and highly technical-- In order to even build a ship of this nature they had to consult with Boeing and Airbus. I've never once been sailing in my life (I'm from Ohio, what do ya want?!) but I was the coxswain on the women's rowing team when I was in college, so I know how difficult in bad waters it can be to pull a boat port or starboard-- These guys are in crazy high winds and dealing with crazy currants with a backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz! It was just a coincidence my boyfriend came home a day later and announced we were going to San Francisco for the weekend. I was so excited!! I told him about the races and..... (drumroll please) ......He wanted nothing to do with them. Man... He's tough. We arrived in San Francisco had a great night, and the next morning while eating breakfast on the Embarcadero we spotted the Emirate's Catamaran... then the Oracle's... That 's what clinched it. He agreed to take me to the cup! We kicked down the $115 per person to sit on The Deck, a grandstands style structure that elevates you above all the people that are standing on the grass in front. There also was a huge screen with live telecast commentating what was happening in the race-- similar to that of what You'd see at an NFL or NBA game. The race was FANTASTIC and I could tell exactly what was going on, who was winning and what was happening. The races are 40 minutes long, and there's a 15 minute break in between the races. The 2nd race of the day was delayed 15 minutes due to high winds, but the deck area has its own private dining area with alcohol tasty snack treats like tarragon chicken salad sandwiches, and whatnot, so we weren't phased at all. Plus when you consider that these Olympian (I know the O in Olympian shouldn't be capitalized, but I feel like if some body's accomplished that status that maybe it should be recognized and ergo capitalized)-- anyway-- when you consider that these Olympians are soaking wet, freezing their tails off-- still sailing so their muscles can stay warm for the next race-- It's pretty incredible. Oracle won the 1st race, and New Zealand the 2nd-- The races were amazing-- the highlight of my 1st trip ever to San Francisco. I loved every second of it, and even bought an Oracle windbreaker. Even if you know nothing about sailing, or about The America's Cup, this is 100,000% a worthwhile event! Keep in mind, these events only happen once every 3 years, and the winner of the competition gets to choose the next cup's competition's location as well as the type of ship they'll be sailing-- so who's to say you'll ever get another chance to see this amazing event?! Next year they could be in Sweden, or St. Tropez, or whatever! Don't be cheap, kick down for the grandstands, the deck, or the SS. Whatever it is-- buy the tickets because finding a place on the lawn is like trying to find the matching McDonald's Park Place to your Boardwalk-- Plus, without the screen it gets hard to tell who's ahead when the race gets close, and everybody likes chicken salad :-) read more

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This was a lot of fun to watch - the tickets for the bleachers were sold out, but you can walk out on the spit at the entrance to the marina for the best view if you're not a VIP. They weren't letting people go out to the end - we found out after the the race since some Red Bull sky divers landed there, which was amazing because it was a small strip of land, and they come in looking like they're going to crash. Anyway, you can't quite see the entire race. The lady next to me had a radio with the live commentary which was quite helpful. Binoculars were also useful, especially when the boats are a bit far away and look like they're about to run into each other. The boats come near to shore several times during the race, and the finish line is right at the end of the spit at the harbor entry. You get a good idea of how fast they are racing, and when they lean over it's exciting (there had been spills other days of the race, but today the wind wasn't extremely strong). Both races were closely contested - the first race was won by less than a boatlength, with Spithill finishing just behind Coutts after a poor start. The second race, Spithill team overtook Korea in the last seconds of the race to get second place, but clinch the overall series win by a point. After the race, I went over to the Marina Green which had some concessions - free water station, and free red bulls and sunscreen being handed out. The awards ceremony is short and sweet, replete with champagne - you might get doused if you're in the front row. The concessions were varied and relatively good. read more

Today, Sunday August 26 is the last day of this round, but it will BE BACK October 2-7. Great event with free viewing along the Marina, Fort Mason and Chrissy Field. These boats are fast! Excellent turnout of spectators from the very knowledgeable to first timers. Young and hip to Old Salts. Great party! See the catarmarans up close and the sailors too. Food, drinks from bring your own to as much as you want to spend. Plan for it this October. read more

An Oracle-hyped dud. Silly boats, and a two year event barnstorming the sailing world at various Venue's with half-scale boats. What was that all about? The model boats, I mean. Hope the NZ team wins and the next contest will be how and where they decide, rather than Larry. read more

Before this visit to San Francisco I knew very little of the America's Cup. We were in the area and stopped into the Pavilion. It just so happened it was a race day for the New Zealand team. We got to see them get introduced and head out to their boat for a race. The boats are amazing and seeing the Kiwis race was great too. (Too bad the Italians boycotted the race). Great race viewing and lots of events going on in the pavilion. If you are in the bay area this summer it is definitely worth stopping by. read more

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My first time seeing this event. It's so exciting. The huge boat is colorful. I like seeing the crew so busy keeping the operation. And the huge boat is making turn with one "skate" on water and one "skate" up in the air. It looks easy but it is not especially high wind high wave and slippery boat. I like it a lot. read more

America's Cup World Series - Sports Clubs Near Me - San Francisco, California

The America's Cup - Louis Vuitton series was a blast. The village is very accessible and very well organized. For the semi-finals the bleacher seats were free. There were not that many people at the semi-finals but the grounds were clean, toilets were very clean and the food and souvenirs were reasonably priced. There are huge screens that show what you are unable to see at the moment and expert commenting both local and national. It was a very enjoyable afternoon. read more

The AC Village at the Marin Green is the prime location to watch the beginning of the race. The skippers could hear us cheering from the bleachers and sidelines. We got comp bleacher seats at East Grand Stands, and enjoyed an afternoon of fun & entertainment for kids and adults. New Zealand won the races to compete against USA Oracle next month. The huge screen TV's highlighted the day's events. Checkout the Puma store for headwear, novelties, and sustainable gear. The AC store had lots to choose from as well. On non-race days, these stores offer 10-20% discounts. Be sure to checkout the Healthy Oceans Project tech booth to learn more about saving the oceans. I love the Elite portable restrooms, quite fancy. Mumm Napa serves up their sparkling wine in a plastic cup for $14. I bought a mac 'n' cheese for my son from Ghirardelli's Pub for $12, and he was still hungry. Clam chowder bread bowls at $12 and smaller servings than at Fisherman's Wharf. My son couldn't get enough of the bean bag toss in front of the Puma store. Afterwards, we walked up to Chestnut and hit up super duper burgers, shakes, and soft serve! read more

This review is for the AC park in the Marina Green. this is an excellent place to view the race (assuming there are actually TWO boats racing). Of course, you can only see the race start and 2 turns - but there is a big screen where you can watch the action out of view and hear the very good announcers. My issue is with the food/wine. People, this is SF - a foodie city. I know the prices are high but we are used to high quality food and whoever is catering this event needs to be fired. It is awful. I think it was billed as a steak sandwich (which was the only food left at 1pm other than a hot dog). Two bites and we threw it away. Decided to have a cookie. almost RAW DOUGH. The only white wine available was Sterling Chardonnay. Do yourself a favor and watch the action at the AC Pavilion (has to be a different catering company) or plan to eat elsewhere. This is an embarrassment to SF. read more

A once in a life time event.....turn your nose up at it but it's the longest continuous sporting event in the history of the world. It has brought jobs, tourists and fun to the Bay area. IF you are too bored or too hip to be at least mildly interested....you may be in need of a pick me up. Come see what all the fuss is about. You may learn something and enjoy yourself. read more

I overpaid. There's really no doubt of it. I figured we'd only be up there once during the Vuitton Cup so I'd trust that the expensive Race Course Bleachers tickets would be worth the premium. That got us about 30 minutes or so of actual race viewing, at a location that can only claim to be a reasonable place to watch the all-important start of the race. You can't see the finish from this spot. New Zealand dropped out of the first of two races with a mechanical problem and it was judged too windy to run the second race. Fine - I get it - but the only alternative offered was to come back on Monday (a workday for me and most others, so an impossibility). There's certainly nothing special about the seating. Not even any wine or beer available at this location. Hot dogs, pretzels and soft drinks - and they were out of pretzels. You'd do much better almost anywhere else on the waterfront and pay a lot less for the privilege. Recommendation: If you're unfamiliar with the terrain for this event don't bother with the Race Course Bleachers tickets. They really aren't worth it. read more

These races were awesome to photograph! They are so much more intense than your grandfathers America's Cups. With the AC45's going so fast and them being so close to shore it is really a great experience! The AC Village has most amenities that you would need. Also, the best part to me, is that viewing is free on shore! there isn't a really bad place to watch the races from Crissy Field to Fort Mason. There's always something happening during the races! read more