June 25, 2015

The 2015 Sausalito Yacht Club Spring Sunset Series ended on Tuesday with a delightful romp from Pt. Knox to Blackaller Buoy (Fort Point) and back to a temporary leeward mark near Fort Reynolds on Angel Island before a short beat to the finish. Boats enjoyed winds ranging from below 10 knots near the start/finish line to 25 knots on the way to Fort Point.

With a southwest wind and the current changing from flood to ebb, the beat to Blackaller was tricky, with boats that initially tacked down to Yellow Bluff before diving off for the San Francisco side winning out. At Blackaller Buoy, the southwesterly was blocked by the land mass, which made roundings interesting, especially for boats arriving with company, but collisions were avoided and no one hit the buoy.

Spinnaker boats were able to set their chutes shortly after rounding the mark, and everyone chose to sail directly back to Pt. Knox against the growing ebb. The 25-knot wind in the middle moderated to less than 10 knots at the leeward mark, but most boats finished the 5.7-mile course in about an hour.

This was the final race in the five-race Spring Sunset Series, so following the race back at the SYC clubhouse awards for both the evening's race and series were awarded. Winners received a very nice, and practical, cooler bag for the series. Full results are at www.sausalitoyachtclub.org.

The five-race SYC Summer Sunset Tuesday evening series begins on July 21. Boats in the Richardson Bay/Tiburon area are encouraged to sign up.

— Pat Broderick