norcalsailing.com home page
race report
KnarrlyBoo
The Knarr fleet winds up for their start in Saturday's GGYC Midwinter. ©2015 norcalsailing.com
Seaweed Soup #4

February 8, 2015

February's Golden Gate Yacht Club Manuel Fagundes Seaweed Soup Regatta race #4 fielded 55 boats that started in an optimistic low-double-digit SSE wind with Blackaller Buoy as the first mark. The wind speed held for the first four divisions and then began to drop into single digits and oscillate between SSW and SSE. Many spinnakers blossomed on the first leg while other boats stuck with white sails in what became a series of running and reaching segments into the building 1.7-knot flood.

Swift Ness
Swift Ness is among five J/111s with a one design class. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

The PHRF fleets and Catalina 34s rounded Blackaller and headed for Harding Rock, with the earlier fleets able to carry their chutes, but later fleets changing down to white sails. Late arrivers at Blackaller were stuck in a wind hole while earlier arrivals enjoyed a brisk close reach toward Harding Rock until their wind also tapered off about halfway across. Both speed and direction were aided by the 12:24 1.7-knot flood. The four largest PHRF fleets sailed back and forth twice between Harding Rock and Ft. Mason before finishing, while the smaller PHRF fleet and Catalinas finished after a single rounding at Ft. Mason.

PHRF 3 start
PHRF 3 start. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

In the meantime, the Knarrs and Folkboats sailed a more or less windward/leeward two-lap course using Blackaller and a temporary mark near Aquatic Park. They did not enjoy as much wind since the southerly breeze was blocked by San Francisco's skyline.

Through the rocks
This race can be viewed from shore. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

The first boats to finish hoisted chutes for the short Ft. Mason to X (finish) leg, but later boats found themselves beating into a developing SW wind, which finally clocked around to NW and built into the mid-teens. All in all it was an interested exercise in wind direction and speed. Full results are available at www.ggyc.org.

— Pat Broderick

Snowy Owl
Working the bow on the Express 37 Snowy Owl. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

Nancy
Pat Broderick's Wyliecat 30 Nancy sailed the first leg close to shore for current relief. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

Wave Knarrs
Knarrs sail wing on wing to their first mark as the sea swell and high tide combine to make waves crash on the rip-rap along the shore. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

Bookmark and Share

< previous next >