Rites of Spring

March 23, 2012

Oakland YC's Rites of Spring race for double and singlehanders was full of surprises. In fact, it almost didn’t happen. The weather the preceding week was horrible, and the prediction for March 17 promised more of the same plus thunder and hail. The Rites race is supposed to be a fun race for the beginners as well as SSS veterans and this just didn’t fit. When the Friday forecast promised a break in the storm as a high passed over the bay, the race committee decided not to reschedule. Fortunately, the racers also believed the weatherman, and 50 boats showed up.

As with all storm back-ends, the winds were a little weird. The start off the Berkeley Pier (Mark E) began with beautiful 8-10 knot Estuary-like northerlies (the first northerly for this race in its long history). Then, as the boats set out for weather marks at either Southampton or Buoy 6 in the Southampton channel, the weather began to change.

On the “windward” leg, the ebb got big and the wind got small. So small that Mike Jackson (5.5 meter Wings) put out his anchor, along with some others. Thirty seconds later, a very strong northwest wind blasted in. Now his crewman had to rush forward to raise the anchor to prevent it following him to Richmond dragging on the bottom. On this same “windward” leg, he saw Dick Johnson (Cal 29 Nice Turn) and others raise spinnakers and quickly did the same. Of course this meant that the “downwind leg” was now going to be a beat.

Jackie Philpott, a singlehanded sailor on the Cal 20 Dura Mater, had her own special adventure. She made it to Southampton just when the big northwest wind hit. "After inching quietly forward toward Southampton waiting for the wind to come up, the wind DID come up!" said Jackie.

Jackie Philpott and Dura Mater wait for their start. ©2012 Slackwater SF/BAMA

"When I tacked around Southampton my jib sheet caught on one of Dura Mater's mast cleats, and the water came over the port side. I crawled up there (in 24 knots of wind), and while I was untangling that mess the boat jibed, the boom caught in the backstay, and the water came over the starboard side. By that time the mainsheet had wrapped itself around my motor twice. Oh, I was having such a good time. After untangling all that I hove to for a moment, had a sip of water and said to my boat, 'Honey, we'll just sit here a minute and catch our breath.' That's when I glanced behind me and saw the fuel tanker approaching from the south. Oh, boy, that was when I really started to have a good time. 'Sweetheart, we can't stay here,' I said to my trusty Dura Mater. And so we sailed back to Berkeley, because by then our time was about up."

Everyone was having wind adventures. Ralph Morgan (Alerion 28 Ditzy) had rounded YRA 24 heading south, wing and wing, only to see his Alerion competitor, Kirk Smith on Dream coming at him from the opposite direction, also wing and wing.

Andrew Scott, of the F-27 Papillion, reported: “I was pointing as high as I could for Mark 8 just four lengths to leeward of Ross Stein's F-24 Origami. Origami was also pointing as high as they could, and they were pointing right at the mark, a good 30 degrees above us! Ross shouts out, 'Drew, the mark is this way,' and I reply, 'I know, but MY wind won't let me go there.'"

Papillon, in the foreground, followed by Origami, approaching the finish east of Treasure Island. ©2012 Slackwater SF/BAMA

As the lead boats headed to the finish behind Treasure Island from the frozen north, they expected to be killed as they came out from the shelter of Angel Island. Surprise! Flat and soft. Then, true to the day’s form, Mr. Wind honked to 25 knots NW at around 1515 hours, and just bulleted the boats into the downwind finish line.

A helluva sailing day. We got the crazy winds, but the ocean racers got the thunder and the Cityfront racers got the hail. The wind gods must have had a special feeling for a race called the Rites of Spring.

- George Gurrola, Oakland YC

For complete results and a whole gallery of photos, see www.oaklandyachtclub.net.