It was an image of the Bay Area-based racing yacht IMP on the cover of Yachting Magazine way back when that had young John Baier packing his bags and headed for the only racing scene he wanted to be part of: San Francisco Bay.

"It's a pretty famous photo now, " Baier, 55, said with a laugh. "IMP was blasting through the swell and that was a deciding moment for me. I wanted to be in the IOR (International Offshore Rule) boating world and San Francisco was ground zero in the early 80s for that, with the best racing, technology and most forward thinking people."

It's for similar reasons that Baier is excited about the San Francisco Boat Show that kicks off this week, an event that has the potential to attract San Francisco's tech best.

"We hope to see people from the City and Silicon Valley, especially younger people from the high tech world. This may be their first opportunity to explore technology as it pertains to sailing, to get on a boat and get a taste of sailing on the bay."

Oceanic Yachts will feature sail and power boats at the show, where a variety of vessels — sail, fishing and power — will be available to tour on-water and on-land. Other activities include the Try-It-Cove, an indoor heated pool where paddleboards and kayaks can be taken for a spin; and Fred's Shed, an interactive learning center covering boat maintenance topics. Discover Boating will run on-water oower and sail skills training. Free seminars will cover everything from fishing to sail trim from knowledgeable speakers.

A long-time racer, Baier became interested in sailing after taking a couple of years off school during which time he worked in a boat yard on the east end of Long Island. He delivered a series of race boats to Fort Lauderdale, eventually landing in Rhode Island to work there during the 1980 America's Cup.

"Newport was where I met a lot of guys from the West Coast who were not only racing the America's Cup but also events like the Admirals Cup and the New Yacht Club cruise, so San Francisco Bay seemed the place to be."