SSS Vallejo 1

October 15, 2011

The Singlehanded Sailing Society's Vallejo 1 race was so fast this year, the race committee didn't even have time to eat lunch between the start (on the Berkeley Circle) and finish. It was all they could do to zip up I-80 and set up the race deck at Vallejo YC.

Ronnie Simpson bought Rudy Salazar's old Moore 24, US 101, just 10 days ago. He plans to take it on the 2012 Singlehanded TransPac. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

The first boat in was one of the first to start. Like most SSS races, this one started the 'slower' boats first, so Non-Spinnaker was the first division to start, at 10:05. Bruce Blackie sailed his J/105 007 non-spinnaker, but he wasn't slow. His closest competition were Jeff Dunnavant, on his Baltic 42 True North, also sailing non-spinnaker, and Greg Nelsen's speedy Azzura 310 Outsider, sailing in the Sportboat division. The J/105 and Baltic were neck and neck coming off the line. True North passed 007, and then got behind again and went closer to the Pinole Channel to look for flood. "I don't think it was there," said Jeff. "I never was able to get him back." 007 stayed right and got out in front. Greg on Outsider would have been a threat, but he ran out of racetrack.

Jeff on True North finished off his banana before the race started to avoid bad luck. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

The first leg, to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, was mostly a one-tack beat in a northwesterly. Greg set the spinnaker on Outsider halfway between the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and the Brothers, and looked back to see chutes going up at the bridge. In a 20-nm race with a lot of spinnaker sailing, it's surprising that a non-spinnaker boat finished first.

Jennifer McKenna on the Santana 22 Zingaro corrected out into first place in the Non-Spinnaker division. "This was my first singlehanded race on my own boat - and with no electricity! And the first one I finished."

Jennifer McKenna and her Santana 22 Zingaro won their first singlehanded race together - sans autopilot. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

Richard vonEhrenkrook on the Cal 20 Can O'Whoopass corrected out into first place overall. "I set at the Richmond Bridge just under the east tower in its lee. The wind was 20 degrees foreward of the beam, and I thought I might have to douse, but then the wind backed." He followed the rhumbline course (more to the east). He liked the pressure better there. "I was sailing boat for boat with 40-footers."

Richard vonErhrenkrook on the Can O'Whoopass, without his usual sidekick Paul. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

The last boat to finish was also a Cal 20, Jackie Philpott's Dura Mater. Even that one crossed the line by 13:55, so the whole race was wrapped up before two o'clock. Jackie, Jennifer, and Synthia Petroka on her Hawkfarm 28 Eyrie were the only female skippers out of 63 boats.

Starbuck likes to sail heeled over on her chine. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

Oh, did we mention that all 63 skippers sailed to Vallejo singlehanded? And all that started finished. One sailor notified the Race Committee that he violated the Pinole Shipping Channel restricted zone, and therefore was scored RAF (Retired After Finishing). The fleet will return to Richmond YC tomorrow doublehanded - that's why it's called the Vallejo 1-2. Preliminary results were posted quickly. See www.sfbaysss.org. Our report on the Vallejo 2 is now posted too.