Racing and Not Racing
Whereas the Golden Gate YC’s Seaweed Soup Cup midwinter race had gangbuster wind, their attempt to challenge for the America’s Cup had none. Or not enough. Or from opposite directions.
Waiting for the postponement to end at Golden Gate YC, around 0130 on Monday. Unfortunately for the sleepy, the first race in the Deed of Gift match was postponed until Wednesday. © 2010 norcalsailing.com
GGYC opened up at midnight Sunday evening for America’s Cup spectating, but the lack of wind in Valencia precipitated a postponement. GGYC Commodore Marcus Young, who was at the weather mark, reported seeing 15 knots of breeze there, so fans held out hope for a couple of hours. But massive wind shifts along the 20-nm leg and light air at the start line persuaded the Race Committee to try again later, which for us will be on Wednesday at 0100 PST.
They had to get up early too. The BMW Oracle team prepares to board the Space Shuttle -- er, trimaran. © 2010 Gilles Martin-Raget
BMW Oracle’s USA, Alinghi V, and their entourage milled around waiting for the wind to fill and stabilize, which it didn’t. © 2010 Gilles Martin-Raget
At least these trimarans got to race this weekend, and we’d bet they had light and shifty winds too. © 2010 OYC/BAMA
“There was a bit more wind on Sunday for the Oakland YC Sunday Brunch race on February 7, than the last one,” reports our source on the Estuary.
“One designs (5.5 Meter, Merit 25), handicap boats (large and small) and a few multihulls enjoyed the sunshine before a football game.”
Spitfire, the Santana 22 above, appeared to be going faster singlehanded than Dominatrax, below, sailing doublehanded. (Fast being a relative term.) © 2010 OYC/BAMA
© 2010 OYC/BAMA
The smaller boats at Richmond YC on the same day also had light wind, which would sometimes disappear altogether, especially right when it was time to go in for lunch, or to watch the Super Bowl. Some of the dinghy sailors threw off their wetsuits and spray gear to sail in swim trunks or board shorts.
The Snipe fleet had a resurgence at RYC this Sunday, with ten boats racing. © 2010 norcalsailing.com
Relevant links for more on all of the above: http://sites.google.com/site/oycracing/Home for Oakland YC racing; www.pbase.com/slackwater_sf/oyc_brunch_100207 for a gallery of photos from the Estuary; www.richmondyc.org for Richmond YC Small Boat Midwinters; www.ggyc.com for the Seaweed Soup Cup; http://ultimate-yachtshots.smugmug.com for more of Sergei’s photography; www.americascup.com for the official America’s Cup site; and www.bmor-photo.com for more of Gilles Martin-Raget’s photos from Valencia.
February 8, 2010
The most wind of the weekend could be found on the San Francisco Cityfront, where a westerly built into the teens on time for racing. © 2010 Sergei Zavarin/ultimate-yachtshots.smugmug.com