South Beach Island Fever

December 19, 2010

Max Crittenden reports on Saturday's Race aboard the Martin 32 Solar Wind:

The second race in South Beach YC’s Island Fever series, coming four weeks after the first, was obviously going to see the same big ebb in the afternoon. Aboard Solar Wind, with the rainy weather plus holiday travel and injuries, we were down to a skeleton crew of hardy souls that included two race rookies, Aldo from Italy and Luis from Colombia. But with Jennifer McKenna’s steady hand on foredeck and good humor all around, we stayed out of trouble and had a blast.

Island Fever’s Division Delta has a wild PHRF spread from the Kiernan 44 Wasabi at -54 to us at 126. After race 1, in which the finishing limit of one hour after the first finisher made us a DNF, Chris Joyce the race chair kindly deleted the differential limit. 

The South Beach YC on their harbor breakwater perch. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

The forecast – or maybe Christmas shopping – kept the number of starters in Delta down to nine, making the prestart in McCovey Cove a bit less stressful than usual. The weather was actually pleasant, warm with minimal rain and a light to moderate southwesterly. The race committee sent us off to the north around Treasure Island, tempting fate if the wind should die coming back against the ebb. 

Division 1 (Delta) start in McCovey Cove. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

We’re allowed to round islands in either direction, but everyone in Delta that I could see chose to go counterclockwise, carrying the spinnaker until a header behind Yerba Buena made us drop it in a hurry under the new bridge.  Naturally the likes of Wasabi and Jetstream, a JS9000, rocketed off into the distance and got home in a hurry. We on the other hand found ourselves approaching the western half of the bridge just about at max ebb. As the wind lightened, the GPS had us down to 0.2 knots momentarily, but at least there was enough west in it that we didn’t have to tack. As a little rain cell came over us, the wind came back and we got back to South Beach in plenty of time to enjoy the beer at the clubhouse.

Wasabi at the Bay Bridge on the way back from TI. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

Wasabi naturally finished first in division Delta, but Dan Alvarez and his Jetstream crew saved their time and earned the pink flamingo. In another four weeks, with another big ebb, we’ll give it another shot. Now I guess I’d better start my Christmas shopping.

- Max Crittenden, Solar Wind

Results can be found at www.southbeachyachtclub.org.