Biscayne Bay: Great sailing and business

It was in 2004 when Scuttlebutt asked the question, ‘What are the best racing venues in the US?’ Among the top picks was Miami, and specifically, Biscayne Bay:

• Best in the winter for the warm air/water, normally breeze-on but also just a good assortment of wind and water conditions as well. – Mark Reynolds
• Feb-Apr, warm air temps of 65-85 deg, water temp 75 deg, nice sea breeze 10-20kts. plus you can race in the ocean or race in the bay. Plenty of options. Great places to go after sailing also. – Rick Merriman
• Biscayne Bay all year, but from May to October you can get some seaweed and afternoon storms. February through April are my favorites with good breeze, water about 74 degrees and good chop. My two favorite clubs for hosting regattas there are Coconut Grove Sailing Club and Coral Reef Yacht Club. Each is extremely friendly to competitors and has capable RC personnel. – Peter Commette
• Check water and air temperature out on a year round basis. Nothing else comes close. Check out the facilities to run regattas. Miami could host the ISAF World Championships like Cadiz. Restaurants galore. Water colors. Every hue of BLUE. Yesterday on Biscayne Bay we saw two new born porpoises swimming next to our boat. We followed a Tiger Ray along the flats. Saw a Sea Turtle swimming along. Where else do you see that with a City Skyline? – Kevin Burnham
• Fall, Winter and Spring only. – Peter Isler
• My favorite place in the US from Oct to March. – Zack Leonard

The venue is also a significant economic contributor, with a recent study reporting that in 2022 it contributed $15.1 billion in output, $8.2 billion in income, 113,300 jobs and $2.3 billion in tax revenue to Miami-Dade County’s economy. – Full report