The U.S. Coast Guard is alerting recreational boaters about restrictions that will be in effect on the Bay during the America’s Cup World Series races this week.
There will be a “regulated area” along a swath of the Bay stretching from Crissy Field to Aquatic Park.
The interior of that area will include the race course, which will be marked with stake boats flying large red America’s Cup flags, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Mike Lutz said.
Spectators on boats can watch the race from anywhere outside that marked-off zone, he said. Unauthorized entry into the race course itself could result in civil or criminal penalties.
The restrictions were enforced from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today, when the 45-foot sailboats were practicing out in the Bay, and the rules will be in place again during those same hours for the races Wednesday through Saturday. On Sunday, the hours change from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Boaters are encouraged to wear proper-fitting life jackets and to not drink excessively, since operating a boat with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or higher is illegal.
In the event of an emergency, boaters can call the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco command center at (415) 399-3547.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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