Slow-Go-Slow at Great Pumpkin

October 30, 2011

Mother Nature handed out another sunny mild day for the Great Pumpkin pursuit race on Sunday, which got underway on time at high noon with Bryon Jonk's Cal 20 Invader. A lot of the early starters with big PHRF numbers chose to go counter-clockwise around Angel Island and Alcatraz; only a few hours of racing would tell if they'd made the right choice. A flood current dominated the conditions, overriding the wind except right in the Slot. A breath of fog wreathed the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco headlands, putting some force into the westerly.

Tom Lueck of the Stockton Sailing Club Hunter 40 Sir Leansalot said, "Patches are fast!" ©2011 norcalsailing.com

For those going clockwise, that meant that once they'd passed the lee of Angel Island, they enjoyed an uncannily steady building breeze. After an adrenaline-filled rounding of Alcatraz, the sailors felt the breeze drop again once in the lee of Sausalito and Belvedere. The flood carried them through Raccoon Strait and across the North Bay toward the finish off the Richmond breakwater.

A port-starboard confrontation between Team Premier and Elan left Elan in irons right next to Alcatraz. They didn't protest. Both photos ©2011 norcalsailing.com

Pediatrician and conehead James Sears of SoCal used to sail a Laser, but he wanted a boat that his fiancee and friend could sail on too, so he bought this Viper. Besides being a real doctor, he plays one on TV's The Doctors. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

The girls on the Moore 24 Paramour included one-year old Lucy. ©2011 Rich Hudnut, Jr.

With wind dead aft, asymmetrical sailors found themselves on jibes almost parallel to the finish line in the lightest air of the day. Distractions on Sunday included pumpkin fishing and the Donald Crowhurst Memorial Trivia Contest, perhaps making the last leg of the race a little more fun. Finding themselves once again back host club Richmond YC, they enjoyed more sunshine, barbecued oysters, and a somewhat confusing awards ceremony.

"How come we can't understand what he's saying?" ©2011 Stephen Buckingham

"We went the wrong way," said half the people we talked to. That turned out to be counter-clockwise. The winning boats went clockwise, leaving Raccoon Strait for the end. The big fast multihulls crowded the podium, with 1-2-3-5 finishes. The top five were Beowulf V, Alan O'Driscoll, D Class catamaran at 14:26:40; Adrenaline, Bill Erkelens, D Class cat; Tuki, Roger Barnett, Pro Sail 40 cat; Team Premier; Dee Smith, Farr 400 (not a cat); and Rocket 88, Ian Klitza, Spruitt D Class cat.

Out of 219 starters, 186 finished. The last boat to finish, Michelle Diaz's Ranger 33 Rigel, crossed the line at 16:11:55. Results from both days are available at www.richmondyc.org. Also see our report on Saturday's events.

Nathalie Criou of the Express 27 Elise went for a swim on the way back to the City from RYC. "I don't particularly like cold water, but we don't have much of a choice here do we?" For more photos from Elise, see Nat's blog. ©2011 Nathan Bossett

For a video from the Flying Tiger Centomiglia (complete with Italian rap music!), see www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0z5LNMh0uc.