October 28, 2013

This year's Great Pumpkin Regatta had a decidedly split personality. Saturday's conditions were about as ideal as you can get on San Francisco Bay. Day 1 at Richmond Yacht Club's biggest keelboat regatta of the year featured three races on each of three race courses: east Southampton Shoals, the Olympic Circle, and Deep Water for the draftier boats.

Another angle on the 5.70s. This is Ben and CJ Anderson's Boaty. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

A light northerly teased race volunteers and sailors alike, until a pleasant northwesterly filled in from the direction of Marin and Angel Island. The wind shifted during the afternoon to the more standard westerly, coming in from the Golden Gate untouched by land. The sun was shining, the water was flat, and the breeze was sufficient to overcome the ebb tide. By the third race, it was time to put jackets back on and move the crew weight onto the windward rail.

A well-mannered start of the Ultimate 20 class. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

And a different angle on the Ultimate 20 Too Tuff. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

Twenty-one divisions for 144 boats kept dozens of volunteers and at least a dozen committee boats busy. The biggest fleet, the Express 27s had 17 boats. Another fleet of note, the Cal 20s had a revival, with their own class of seven boats.

Trig Liljestrand's J/90 Ragtime sailed in the Planing Hull division on the Deep Water course. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

Light air prompted leeward side hiking. Four J/111s raced on the Deep Water course. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

Rob Theis's J/111 Aeolus. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

A stately set on the Wylie Wabbit Furrari on the Olympic Circle. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

Heart of Gold and Tartanic sailed in the SF Bay 30 class on the Circle. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

Phil Kanegsberg's Ultimate 20 U Decide on a downwind leg on the windward-leeward-windward course. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

The race committee handed the big crowd of sailors over to the RYC shoreside staff and volunteers around 1600 hours for a rollicking party, featuring excellent costumes in the Steampunk theme. We'd have to go back many years to recall a Great Pumpkin party with better attendance. The sailors packed the dance floor until the very last song. The bar kept serving, and an hour or so later, commodore Gary Troxel had to remind the partiers of Sunday morning's gin fizzes to get them to move along.

The Iolani crew only raced on Sunday, but they were not about to miss Saturday's party! ©2013 norcalsailing.com

We'll have a report about Sunday's pursuit race, a Pumpkin of a different stripe indeed, in our next report. See photo galleries from both days – and Saturday night – here. You can find results at www.richmondyc.org, but be advised that Sunday's results are still a work in progress.