April 6, 2015

Once a year the 8-ft El Toros get to stretch their legs in a dash across the Golden Gate from Sausalito to San Francisco. The 62nd running of the Bullship drew 22 boats on Saturday, and it was a smooth affair after a varied weather forecast the night before. Here is the report from participant Gordie Nash written for the class newsletter, Bull Session.

"It was a day of very confusing wind predictions. The forecasts, depending on the one you looked at were: 1. Variable conditions to 5 knots of wind; 2. Light easterlies until the Gate and a 5 to 7-knot southwesterly wind after noon; 3. Light easterlies until 10:30 then westerly 15-17; or 4. Northwesterly from 15 to 20 knots all day.

Sausalito Yacht Club makes their guest dock available for the Toros and provides a buffet breakfast. Here volunteer Gary Hartsock checks the boats for safety gear. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

"After a postponed start to allow many of the fleet time to sail the .1 mile from Sausalito Yacht Club to the starting line, they were off just before 0930. It took one sailor 22 minutes to get to the line because of the light air and building flood that was going to get stronger throughout the race.

The start. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

"As in many Bullship races, the fleet went every which way. Some went for Alcatraz, some up the middle, and, as it turned out, the smart way was with the boats that hugged the Sausalito shore for protection from the flood.

JV Gilmour, a former Junior El Toro champ. Juniors are not allowed in this race. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

"Finding a very light easterly, this group that included Fred Paxton, Art Lange John Amen, Deb Fehr, JV Gilmour, Buzz Blackett, Chris Nash, Dennis Silva and Bruce Bradfute crept along the beach.

El Toro newbie Deb Fehr, with Gordie Nash in the background. Deb finished sixth and won trophies for the first maiden voyager — and first maiden — to finish. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

"By the time this first fleet got to Yellow Bluff the wind had swung 180 degrees into a westerly and picked up to 12 knots. It did not bend around enough to save the boats that went left early and the building flood slowed down the up-the-middle boats leaving this shore group to face the big flood with a little more ability to crack off just a little bit and get their boats really moving (for an El Toro) through a very nasty short San Francisco Bay chop.

2014 Bullship champ Fred Paxton, on his way to a repeat win. ©2015 Richmond YC

"The order of first four to finish was almost the same order as when the parade left the light-air Sausalito shore flood protection: Fred Paxton, Art Lange, Gordie Nash, Buzz Blackett and John Amen."

The podium, left to right: Fred Paxton, Gordie Nash and Art Lange, with Gran Almiranta de la Regata Juan Amén. ©2015 Richmond YC

While all of the boats got to stretch out the cramped racers will be undoubtably be un-crimping all week. See www.eltoroyra.org, and check out our photo gallery.