race report
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 Ginna Fe leading the other Etchells in Saturday's buoy race. ©2011 Erik Simonson/www.pressure-drop.us |
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Richmond Riviera Regatta August 18, 2011 The Richmond Riviera Regatta, held August 13-14 at Richmond YC, is shaping up to be one of the secret gems of San Francisco Bay. It's a charity event, benefiting Richmond charities and providing racers with a way to help one of the most needy communities on San Francisco Bay. Two racing areas accommodate about three fleets each, so the starting area is not crowded for anyone except the boats on the line. The start lines are near Treasure Island for the 'Deepwater' fleet, and on the northern part of the Berkeley Circle near Southampton Shoal for the 'Riviera' fleet. Trophies are awarded for each day's performance. The RRR is preceded by 'A Taste of Richmond' on Friday night, a fund-raiser which unites sailors and the community at large, with plenty of music, food and drink. About 400 people attended the 2011 version, which raised more than $25,000 at last count, for the selected charities. 'A Taste of Richmond' has been recognized by members of the Richmond City Council as the best party of the year!
On the race course, strong steady breeze was the order of the day both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday the race committees, led by Kers Clausen and Eric Arens, led a buoy racing affair for both courses, with three races each. Standout performances were turned in by Michael Laport on Ginna Fe, in the Etchells one design fleet, and Travis on his Hawkfarm Warhawk in the smaller Deepwater PHRF fleet, both of whom scored 1-1-2 to win their divisions. Complete dominance was achieved by Brad Copper and his Tripp 43 TNT in the larger Deepwater PHRF fleet with three straight bullets. Karl Gillette won the Riviera PHRF division, which was mainly Express 27s, on Lightn Up. The post-race party featured free beer, a great tri-tip and chicken dinner and one of the best bands of pure musicians ever seen at a yacht club, the Boogiemen.
On Sunday Eric Arens, PRO, scheduled a Bay Tour race for all the boats starting at the Treasure Island starting area. The larger boats sailed a 24-mile course, similar to a Big Boat Series Sunday course. While the breeze may not have been up quite as much as Saturday's, all the boats came home quickly to finish at the RYC race deck. It's a real shame that the Harding Rock Mark is not visible from RYC, because the Harding Jibe is a true test of crew work. Next year there should be a webcam, so the Race Committee can see the carnage.
Winners Sunday were Brad Copper on TNT, Frank Morrow on Hawkeye, an IMX-38, and Kers Clausen on his Etchells. More free beer flowed on Sunday at the prize-giving, with the conclusion of a raffle where everyone who wanted to win a prize did so. The format is set, and all 29 boats who participated had some serious fun on and off the water. With all the PHRF boats from yacht clubs on San Francisco Bay invited to the Richmond Riviera Regatta, it's only a matter of time before the secret gets out. - Scott Gordon For complete results and more of Erik Simonson's photos, see the event website, http://richmondrivieraregatta.com.
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