The biggest show in yacht racing is coming to San Francisco next summer and local mega-billionaire Larry Ellison has been busy gearing up for the America's Cup. He has poured time and money into reshaping the format of the Cup, to make it more exciting for the spectators, more enticing to sponsors and broadcasters, and to bring the action closer to shore. With the 2013 race set to go off in the waters between Alcatraz and San Francisco, Ellison should have a nice view of the course from his mansion up on Billionaire's Row in Pacific Heights. Not surprisingly, San Francisco listings with similar views have been popping up with increasing frequency, like this Mission-style penthouse on Lombard Street, which goes so far as to pencil in the America's Cup finish line in a listing photo. The three-bed, four-bath duplex has lush garden terraces and is listed for $4.65M.
? Yachting fans looking to be right in the middle of the action would do well to snap up this four-bedroom Mediterranean, located directly across the street from the Golden Gate Yacht Club. Listed for almost $4M, the house has a two-car attached garage and some classic 1929 style crammed onto a tiny lot. For yacht enthusiasts with their own boat, this place will be plenty useful, even after the America's Cup has come and gone.
? It would be hard to find a high-rise with better bay views than this 18th-floor penthouse at 1000 North Point Street. Listed for close to $3M, the four bed, three bath unit might suffer from some ill-advised wall-to-wall carpeting, but the floor-to-ceiling windows and long terrace make it a prime America's Cup viewing platform. Oh, and the listing isn't shy about letting potential buyers know that it might be a "SUPERB VANTAGE POINT TO WATCH THE AMERICA'S CUP RACE!"
? Just down the block from the last place, this 7th-floor studio is the cheapest way to get into the box seats for the Cup. Coming in at just $425K, the place sure is small, suffers from similarly bad wall-to-wall carpeting, and the "remodeled kitchen" is a cramped galley. At this price though, a deep-pocketed buyer could afford to keep this as a pied-a-terre for the regatta.
? This modern, Stanley Saitowitz-designed mansion has somewhat limited peeks at the bay, so what is it doing on this list? Well, to be frank, it's one of the few properties with views that is truly desirable on its own. Listed for $6.98M, the house has enough of a view of the action while wowing with a minimalist aesthetic and a prestigious address in the Russian Hill neighborhood.
· 268 Lombard Street [Zillow]
· 611 Marina Blvd [Zillow]
· 1000 North Point Street [Realtor.com]
· 1050 N Point Street [Zillow]
· 1110 Green Street [Redfin]
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