Vallejo 1-2

October 18, 2010

This weekend's SSS Vallejo 1-2 drew 64 singlehanders on Saturday to sail from the Berkeley Circle to the Vallejo Yacht Club. Although the racers had plenty of wind at the start - off the Richmond YC trawler Pelican - the breeze lightened up considerably as the fleet reached the North Bay. The lightest zone on Saturday was around the Point San Pablo buoy. A steady southwesterly filled in before Point Pinole, then the breeze lightened up again near the Chevron fuel dock just before the Carquinez Strait. Crossing over to skirt the Mare Island breakwater paid off in this zone. Once in the Mare Island Strait, the advantage eventually went to those who worked the right side. The Strait featured the usual shifty side-blaster puffs, not as intense as during the summer.

Observers at Vallejo YC waited in anticipation for the first finisher. Who would it be? The only multihull in the race, Ray Wells' F-27 Wingit? Maybe Greg Nelsen's Azzura 310 Outsider, the first monohull to finish in 2008? Or would it be the JS9000 JetStream, now even more spear-like with the addition of a bow sprit?

JetStream approaches the finish line amid a forest of masts (mainland side) and girders (Mare Island side). Note the stern of Sorcery, anchored in the river, on the right. ©2010 Stephen Buckingham

Not only did Dan Alvarez on JetStream finish first, at 13:24:17, but he also corrected out to first place overall. The second finisher was Wingit, and the third was Outsider.

Greg Nelsen on the aforementioned Outsider entering the harbor. ©2010 Stephen Buckingham

Stink Eye, Cassiopeia and Bandicoot in what could be called the 'top of the bell curve' finish. ©2010 Stephen Buckingham

A TV crew were on hand to videotape the first arrivals, producing a pilot for a new series called Inside California. Producer Michael Bouyer is putting together six two-segment shows to start with, which will air on community access channels in the North Bay. (We asked Michael to alert us to when and where the Vallejo 1-2 segment will be shown; when we get that information, we'll let you know.)

VYC member Tony Spinetti and SSS race committee volunteers Scott Prusso and Jan Brewer talked to Michael Bouyer and Amy Wright of Bouyer Productions. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

The singlehanders arranged themselves in a tidy raft-up. ©2010 Stephen Buckingham

Only one boat dropped out on Saturday; the rest rafted up in the VYC harbor. The singlehanders and their families, friends, and Sunday crews packed the dining room for a buffet banquet, where the race committee announced the day's top finishers and handed out Half Moon Bay Race 2009 hats (no one finished that race, so all the hats were left over).

On Sunday, the singlehanders were joined by one crew to race back to Richmond YC in the Vallejo 2. Despite the cold, drizzly weather, 61 boats started and 57 finished. A couple of boats dropped out after violating the strict restricted zone around the Richmond Long Wharf. One or two more may be protested on account of the same thing.

Bruce and Lina Nesbit on the Olson 34 Razzberries described their Sunday race: "We headed out the river in rain and good wind only to get stalled out near Point Pinole. The whole fleet was there spinning around in the current and rain. The wind finally filled in nicely from the northwest though, and the rain stopped for the finish. It was a great day after all."

Bill Gutoff, alone on the Laser 28 Stink Eye, said, "Since I was singlehanding back, I was keeping the tacks to a minimum. I saw Gordie Nash's Arcadia go to the east of the Brothers, but I didn't want to tack back and forth through there, so I kept going around to the west side. It turned out to be the better move as there was more wind and current and I passed a few boats, including Arcadia."

Bruce Blackie's 007, a J/105, was first to finish at 14:02:11. Bren Meyer and Steve Wonner on the latter's Wyliecat 30 Uno finished second and corrected out to first overall on Sunday. The Wyliecat 30 division had seven boats; the Vallejo 1-2 served as their pre-Intergalactics (the Wyliecat 30 championship is next weekend).

For the sake of awards, the two races will be combined into one regatta. Preliminary combined results are currently available at http://jibeset.net/racedoc/JACKY_T001039891fh.html. Once results are official they'll be posted at www.sfbaysss.org.

Awards for the Vallejo 1-2 and the entire Singlehanded Sailing Society 2010 series will be given out at Oakland YC in Alameda on Wednesday, October 27, at 1930. All are welcome to come and cheer for the winners and hear how they did it.