January 24, 2019

With the Three Bridge Fiasco coming up this Saturday, the Singlehanded Sailing Society held an optional skippers' meeting last night at Oakland Yacht Club. In case you missed it, or just want a refresher, here are the tips we could decipher from our scribbled notes.

The new SSS commodore, Don Martin, urged the first-timers to be extra careful and keep a good watch. Sound advice, as 334 boats have registered, and 44 of them will be sailed singlehanded. (Registration is now closed.)

PRO Jim Vickers, who agreed to stick around for another year as SSS race chair, said, "Don't push the rules. Be chill. People have their hands full out there. Look up your start time, and start anytime between your start time and before the time limit, 7 p.m." (The deadline to start rule was changed for this race only.)

Check in via VHF so the race committee knows your radio works. Channel 72 is the race channel. Check in on 72 if you have an even sail number, but check in on 71 if your sail number ends in an odd numeral. Then switch back to 72 after you get an acknowledgment. The race deck will not monitor 71 after the check-ins are complete. Check in by 10 minutes before your assigned start time.

SSS treasurer Kristen Soetebier reminded everyone that VHF signals work by line of sight. If you're in the Estuary your handheld isn't going to reach the race committee at Golden Gate Yacht Club, and you'll just clog up the airwaves trying to check in. If you try to check in and get no response, check your squelch and volume.

If you don't finish, check out by radio (if you're close enough to GGYC) or leave a voicemail at (866) 724-5777. "Last year, I was on the phone until 11 p.m. trying to track down the last three boats," said Jim. The Coast Guard requires that all boats be accounted for. Don suggested putting the voicemail number in your phone right now.

From the first warning at 8:50 until 5 minutes before your start, don't get within 50 yards of the start-finish line. "If you do, we may assign you a 20-minute penalty." The start line is restricted and you can't unwind if you cross it, so don't go through it except to start and finish. (If you're drifting and can't help it, they'll cut you some slack.) After you start, only the line itself is restricted, not the 50 yard zone.

If you're over early within your 5 minutes, keep going, don't restart; they'll penalize you 20 minutes. The pin end of the start line, GGYC's X buoy, has been off station for the past couple of months. "It's in process," we were told.

You can't unwind from restricted zones, such as Anita Rock and the H-beam along Crissy Field. Check the chartlets in the Sailing Instructions for the zones around the Richmond Long Wharf and the Yerba Buena Coast Guard station. "Don't hit anything that says USCG."

The race committee will use their atomic clock for time; that should match GPS time.

Kame Richards, who races the Express 37 Golden Moon, who has owned Pineapple Sails for more than 40 years, and who gives regular tide talks, shared advice about strategy. "This race has been going on a really long time. There are people in this room who've done the race. If you haven't done it, this talk is for you.

"Turn on your lights at sunset." NOAA says sunset will be at 5:27 p.m. (1727 hours).

"If it's dark when you approach the finish, call the race committee to let them know you're coming," added Jim.

"Start a countdown timer 20 minutes before your start time," said Kame. "The race is a lot of fun, but it's kind of nice to start when you're supposed to start."

Kame pointed out that at the first warning, the ebb will be starting to slow down on the edges but still be strong in the middle. An hour later, at 9:49, the current flow will be slowing down everywhere. He predicts that at 10:49, there'll be flood on the beach. "Maybe only two feet wide. By noon there'll be flood everywhere."

He showed slides of a weather forecast that was predicting a light northeasterly. "Same damn thing all day. So, which way do you go? That's a good question I don't have the answer to. Jim Corenman says never bet against the westerly. Look at the Golden Gate Bridge. Look for spinnakers. In the last 5 minutes before my start, I'm going to look at Crissy and at YBI. Don't get your brain so twisted up that you don't start for an hour. Go somewhere. Don't just sit there.

"I'm predisposed to going clockwise… At 4:18, by two hours after max flood, you'll be short-tacking up the beach in an ebb along the shore. You'll want someone bigger than you to grind the winches."

Rebecca Hinden of the Express 27 Bombora allowed as how she might go counterclockwise to get clear air. "Don't come with me!"

"She's got a bright red boat," said Kame. "Easy to follow."

Another Kame tip: "If there's enough breeze and you're sailing to Crissy, and you see a lot of boats anchored, don't go there." A final suggestion: "Start the race in the direction of your homeport."

Don closed the meeting with a postscript that the SSS board is looking for help with their website.

The 2019 Three Bridge Fiasco will appear live on Jibeset Race TV, to allow friends and family to watch. If you would like to see your own track, register your Spot, Delorme, smartphone, etc., with Jibeset. Go to www.jibeset.net/gpsspot0200.php. The lowest cost of these devices is your smartphone with the Tracar app and the phone set to hit accuracyGPS (see the instructions). You can review 2018 Fiasco tracks here.

One final tip from us: Read the Notice of Race/Standing Sailing Instructions for the SSS season. Then read the SIs for the Three Bridge. If you're doublehanded, make sure both of you read them. If you're singlehanded, commit them to memory. And remember to bring them to the boat!

Have a great race; we'll see you out there.