With festival, San Rafael Yacht Club opens its doors to public

On another day, Lori Marston might have taken to the water in her own boat, a 41-year-old -- but still reliable -- Boston Whaler.

On Saturday, however, the Petaluma resident sat in an inflatable dinghy, oars in hand, and did her best to complete the race course set up by the San Rafael Yacht Club as part of its first-ever Summer Water Festival.

"I'm here because it's fun," said Marston, who isn't a member of the club -- though she's strongly tempted to become one.

"I'd love to do it," Marston said. "My dad was a former member here for years."

That's exactly what club Commodore Mark Rinkel wants to hear. The club launched Saturday's event -- which included small boat races, kayak demonstrations, live music, barbecued oysters and plastic duck races -- as a way to draw in residents who might otherwise never have visited the clubhouse at the end of the San Rafael canal.

"This was an opportunity to show off one of the jewels of the area that's been ignored for a long time," Rinkel said. "We wanted to invite the community in."

Membership in the Yacht Club has remained consistent -- at about 125 members -- for several years, said Vice Commodore Marcy Hanley. But that membership is growing older, leading the club to seek out activities that might attract younger sailors.

One who answered the call is William Ross, 20, a graduate of the sailing program at San Rafael High School.

"This is the first time I've been sailing in two years," said Ross, who took part in the school's

alternative physical education program for three years. "But all the information I learned has come back to me today."

Like Ross, Edgardo Martinez took part in San Rafael High's sailing program. These days, the 21-year-old puts his maritime skills to use as a ship leader in the Sea Explorers program.

"We sail out to Angel Island and San Francisco, and teach signals, tying knots and wilderness survival," said Martinez, who oversees a group of about 10 boys and girls aged 13 to 21.

Rinkel hopes young sailors like Martinez and Ross will bring their enthusiasm to the club -- though he notes that it's possible for those who don't own or operate a boat to become an associate member. The club hosts social events throughout the year, and sponsors "cruise-outs" -- trips to other harbors -- and "cruise-ins," in which other yacht clubs visit San Rafael.

Should Saturday's festival prove to be as popular as planned -- Rinkel had hoped to attract as many as 500 guests -- the club may hold other open-house events in the future, he said.

Ross, for his part, was happy to have rediscovered the waters of the canal.

"It's a nice day to be by the water," he said. "It's even nicer to get out on it."

Read more San Rafael stories at the IJ's San Rafael section.

Contact Rob Rogers via e-mail at rrogers@marinij.com

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