Island Fever Flooded Out

December 18, 2011

Winter-time sailing can be like this. Boats creep through the water on a mere breath of wind, but travel backward over the planet if the current is going the wrong way. Meanwhile crews with the right attitude bask in the sun, crack open cold ones and crank up the tunes.

The Islander 36 Luna Sea's spinnaker appeared translucent in the winter sunlight. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

Saturday's Island Fever race, one of South Beach YC's winter series, started out with a 45-minute postponement. "We're delaying the race," announced the Race Committee over the VHF. Mike Finn took his J/109 Queen Bee out to the Bay Bridge to scout for wind and found a tiny northerly. The Race Committee decided to try some short courses and hope for the best.

Joan Byrne's Olson 911s Heart of Gold and Tim McDonald's Tartan Ten Lazy Lightning did okay on a spinnaker reach from McCovey Cove to their first mark. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

The mast and foredeck crew of Luna Sea work calmly at a mark rounding made chaotic by too much flood and too little wind. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

The super-light breeze couldn't overcome the building flood, and forward progress was hard to come by. After 1500, when it became clear that no one was going to make it back to McCovey Cove without firing up the iron genny, the RC blew three horns over the radio to end the day's racing.

Sorting out the pointy end. ©2011 norcalsailing.com

"Hey Jennifer, can you hold the spinnaker up out of the water?" ©2011 norcalsailing.com

The series continues on January 21. See more at www.southbeachyachtclub.org.