Racing is held primarily on Stevens Creek Reservoir, a small lake (92 acres) in Stevens Creek County Park, on the outskirts of Cupertino, CA. Conditions are generally light and shifty, but can be blustery.
To reach Stevens Creek Reservoir, take Interstate Highway 280 to Foothill Blvd. Follow Foothill Blvd south (logically west from 280, i.e. toward the ocean) approximately 3.5 miles. Note that Foothill Blvd becomes Stevens Canyon Road as it crosses McClellan. Pass the first marked entrance to the park on your left and proceed uphill, past the dam, to lake level. The launch ramp is reached via the second entrance, on your left at the end of a long parking lot.
The county charges a small fee to park your vehicle and a fee to launch a vessel. In practice, only the parking fee seems to be consistently enforced, and it can be avoided by parking on the side of Stevens Canyon Road just outside the parking lot. There is an automated vending machine to purchase parking and vessel passes with cash or credit card. Officially, boats need to be off the lake 30 minutes before sunset.
The start line is typically in the vicinity of the launch ramp and dock, with marks set at the dam to the north, at "Picnic Point" to the south, and sometimes partway up "Hurricane Gulch" to the southwest. The most common course is windward/leeward, marks left to port, two times around, subject to a time limit. Other marks and courses may be set, depending on wind conditions.
After racing at Stevens Creek Reservoir, all sailors are encouraged to adjourn to Judy's Kitchen, a Chinese restaurant approximately one half mile north of the launch ramp on Stevens Canyon Road, in the first strip mall on the left as you head back into town.
Later in the season (typically in September or October), races may be moved to Shoreline Lake in Mountain View, CA. The decision to move is taken by concensus among participating sailors, and is usually motivated by low water in Stevens Creek Reservoir. As specified in the sailing instructions, the venue for the next Wednesday Night race is posted on the home page of the club website.
To reach Shoreline Lake, take highway 101 to Charleston Road and proceed north (logically east from 101, i.e. toward San Francisco Bay) approximately 1 mile to the park entrance kiosk. Charleston Road becomes Shoreline Blvd at the kiosk. Go straight and follow the signs to the lake and launch ramp. The sailing facility at the lake charges a small fee to launch a boat.
The start line is typically about halfway across the lake (to the north), in the vicinity of a small floating raft. Shoreline Lake has a number of permanent floats, which may be designated as marks of the course in addition to any temporary marks set by club members. As at Stevens Creek Reservoir, the most common course is windward/leeward, marks left to port, and two laps, subject to a time limit. Other marks and courses may be set, depending on wind conditions.
After racing at Shoreline Lake, all sailors are encouraged to adjourn to Tony and Alba's Restaurant. To reach the restaurant, exit Shoreline Park onto Charleston Road and continue north across 101 for approximately 2 miles. Turn right onto California, and left onto Escuela. The restaurant is at 619 Escuela Avenue in Mountain View. Call 888.924.3645 for more information.