Richmond Small Boat Midwinters

It’s really interesting trying to race small boats when the wind suddenly goes from 10 knots to 35 - and back - repeatedly. Add to that sudden heavy downpours in between teaser flashes of sunshine. Those were the conditions that led the El Toro and Opti fleets to cut their racing short on Sunday, deciding after lunch to put their boats away instead of taking them back out on the race course.

Gordie Nash in the El Toro newsletter Bull Session said that “Fred Paxton gave the fleet a sailing lesson on Sunday, 1-1-2-1 in four races.” None of the Toreadors capsized in the gusts, but had several close calls.

We’re grateful to Peter Lyons for sending us some great shots of the Southampton Course.

Results should be available soon at www.richmondyc.org/2008-RYC-Racing-Results~138215~13823.htm. The docks at RYC were less crowded than usual - we have to assume the weather was to blame. Or was it that other sport - something to do with a supper bowl?

Sausalito Midwinters

Same weather, bigger boats, Knox area west of Angel Island. Sausalito Yacht Club Race Director Paul Adams reports, “We had a fine race day in between the squalls. The one postponement in our starting sequence was due to a northwest wind shift at the start line, but the brave souls that made it out to race on Super Bowl Sunday were rewarded with some great sailing. We raced on course #5 with 18 knots of wind from the west. 26 boats started and 24 finished. We managed to get the results out and give out awards prior to the start of the Super Bowl.” SYC’s Course #5 is a windward-leeward double sausage around inflatable marks.

Thanks again to Peter Lyons for the photos. You can check results at www.syconline.org. The last race in both series will be on March 2.