The Great Vallejo Race: Sunday

May 3, 2010

Sunday was looking good at 0900 with a nice warm northerly blowing down the Napa River full of promise for a downwind start under chutes. The only problem was getting out to the line. It seems that someone at the Municipal Marina forgot to tell the racers that there was only four feet of water available to get out at low tide. While the boats in Vallejo Yacht Club's newly dredged harbor got out fine, there was a mad dash of activity to get those stuck next-door out of the mud and onto the race course. After the first two divisions started, the RC threw in a ten-minute postponement so that some of the hapless mud victims could get underway. A couple of boats found low-tide mud after their start and had to fire up their engines to get free.

Stewball, an Express 37, hugged the shore to avoid the predicted flood and enjoy the scenery. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

Sunday's start was in reverse order with the slower boats starting first. The fleets headed out in a nice, light-moderate northerly to Pt. Pinole, where parking lot A formed, and the slow boats watched the faster guys catch up. After ghosting along for about an hour in slack current, the racers caught a westerly, and they were off, just in time to make it to Lot B about a quarter-mile before the finish.

The J/105 Masquerade ghosting through Lot A. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

Pat Broderick, singlehanding his Wyliecat 30 Nancy, had seen it all: "What a frustrating day! Tom Patterson and Sue Estey [on sistership Wyliecat 30] Dazzler and I did everything right, except pay the wind gods! A mile from the finish line, we were side by side and ahead of everyone by miles. And then the wind completely shut down with just enough breeze to hold our places against the flood. We sat there for an hour watching the colorful wall of spinnakers approaching from San Pablo Bay. There was nothing we could do except wait. I felt like General Custer at the Little Big Horn."

Nancy just out of the Carquinez Strait, where there was still a good breeze. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

Some took the wise move and went to the north of the 'Little Big Horn' hole to squeak across the finish line, passing the majority of the fleet and on to sweet victory, while others suffered humble defeat.

Can O'Whoopass crew Paul Sutchek summed up the weekend: "Back from the Vallejo race sunburned bad! We corrected out to first overall on Saturday and second overall on Sunday. Dragonfly, a Rhodes 19, got us by a minute on Sunday. Very technical racing this weekend. It's not easy to stay focused for five hours a day and party till 1:00 am in between! We hit no corners and tried to stay in wind and favorable tide."

Also see part 1, Saturday. For complete results, see www.yra.org.