Small Craft as in Small Craft Advisory. They usually have more impact on the coast, the Slot, and notoriously windy places like Suisun Bay, but Friday’s ‘Small Craft’ hit the South Bay with westerly winds up to 35 knots, just in time for South Beach Yacht Club’s first Friday night race - a practice race to precede the spring series.

As a result of the high winds and choppy waters, several skippers chose not to take their boats out. Others tested the water, so to speak, and went back in without racing. Even the race committee debated taking the RC trawler out and getting a race started. In the end, 17 boats were able to finish the race. The RC, led by Commodore Nancy DeMauro mercifully gave them a short course to get them in out of the cold wind quickly.

You can find results or sign up for this popular and competitive series at www.southbeachyachtclub.org.

Over at the Corinthian Yacht Club on Friday night, beer can racers report that they had a very little northwesterly in Belvedere Cove at the start, but once past the Belvedere Point buoy and the lee of Belvedere. they had gusts as high as 25 knots. At Yellow Bluff, along the south end of Sausalito, the wind moderated as the sun went down, calling for bigger sails for the ride back to the finish off the clubhouse. You can sign up for Corinthian Friday Night Racing and see results at www.cyc.org.