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Who's going? I'm considering taking the boys and making this a kids and friends cruise down the bay. What's the raft-up like at Sequoia - similar to Vallejo? Smaller? Convenient or a PITA?
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This is a fun race and I am glad it got added to the YRA schedule. In the past it was a short upwind leg from TI to one of the marks off Angel Island, around Alcatraz and down to RWC. Conditions are variable and parts of the course south of Candlestick can get pretty windy. Hint: windsurfers like it by the airport and the SM bridge. Generally a reach to the SM bridge then it squares away and you get to do at least a few gybes.
The first year it was a YRA race Sequoia YC put us in the brand new Westpoint harbor and bused us to the club which was less than ideal. Last couple of years they did an excellent job and last year most boats had a pre-assigned slip in the harbor with some of the smaller boats rafted in front of the club. They even took a request to put us near one of our buddy boats for party purposes. Food and drink wise they have generally done a good job with food and beer tents in the parking lot and another bar in the club. They had a band last year and like most YC parties if you like watching drunk middle aged white people sweating to the oldies you won't be disappointed.
I think they also do a breakfast on Sunday before your return trip but we have opted for food on the trip to get an early start and catch the tide.
Ahi will be there -
"They had a band last year and like most YC parties if you like watching drunk middle aged white people sweating to the oldies you won't be disappointed."
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I heard Snoop Dogg was the headliner this year. Apparently Rick Astley wasn't available.Comment
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"...drunk middle aged white people sweating..."
They see me rollin--they hatin.Comment
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We're signed up, and the kids are bringing some friends. Looks like I'm going to be Captain Chaos if the wind pipes up on a tight angle as we're passing the airport. We'll use an old kite, sheets and halyard just in case I need to get rid of it and go back for someone. Better practice our "quick stops" too.Comment
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Just checked on crew. Will probably go doublehanded.
Though of my three encounters with Westpoint Marina staff, two have been miserably awful, like to the point of wondering if the person I'm talking to has some sort of mental or personality disorder. I would never, never, ever berth my boat there. Ever. I'd sell the "big" boat and just sail <20 foot trailerables before I put a boat in WestPoint harbor.
The other experience started out very bizarrely, but finished up OK. They're just ridiculously overpriced for dry storage, for what they offer.Comment
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I have been checking the wind in the South Bay for the last few days and it looks like there is a big hole East of Bayview in the early afternoon. There is good wind on the Alameda side of the Bay and a little breeze close to the shore near Hunter's point which is blowing from the wrong (east) direction.
Is there any tribal wisdom about how to handle that in a flood? Options are to go the long way around to the East in decent breeze, but poor current, go to the West along the shore in what appears to be a very little Easterly eddy with little current, or try to tough it out through the middle of the hole in 2 kts of current going the way that you want to go, then hook up with the bigger breeze off Coyote point. Is there something that always seems to work out better than the other alternatives?
7 J105s going, so it should be a fun one-design start for my kids. I'm bringing my two boys and two non-sailing family friend kids so I strongly advise you all not to raft up anywhere near me if you want to get any sleep.Comment
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2017 Westpoint Marina Regatta: A Study In Contrasts
Saturdays 27 nm jaunt from the edge of the Berkeley Flats, up to Alcatraz and then south past
the Bay Bridge and all the way to Sequoia Yacht Club was a case study in Bay Area micro climates!
71 boats answered the call for the annual summer micro Transpac, with the uphill cold beat followed
by cracking off in fresh conditions followed by warmer and warmer temps, a wide open race track and then
the finishing stretch requiring smart navigation and precise boat handling at the finish!
The starting beat in 15 to 20 and a generous flood was anything but smooth. With a menacing cold gray curtain shrouding the Gate
and chilly finger stretching to Alcatraz, it was a bundle up and hike affair. Yes, it was 100 plus in the Central Valley, yet the impending
warm up had yet to find the Central Bay.
The vast majority of boats made a beeline on port to Point Blunt, seeking relief before crossing the river and giving crews plenty of time
to get their kites rigged a get a nice bear away set. The wind direction with its southwest component made the immediate set a rare commodity,
with most boats holding off until a couple hundred yards before the hoist.
The wind lightened dramatically for boats that chose to hug the City Front and for most everyone as they passed the Bay Bridge
Some boats saw the better breeze near Yerba Buena and rode that wind before catching a zephyr near Alameda. A great circle route, but an offshore
wind is more better than no wind! The flood in the South Bay provided all with a 2-3 knot boost in vmg, regardless of wind assist.
The lighter boats benefited 1st as they slipped through the anchorage, and sipped on cold ones and stripped off layers.
Kinda like sailing to Hawaii, and the former hurricane, Eugene sending up some tropical remnants made the ambiance even more Island like.
When you want light, think kids. Plus they keep you bar tab to a minimum!
Miraculously, about 2:00 PM, the much anticipated NW wind began to appear in pockets, 1st around the Dog Patch and then eventually the Gulf of Candlestick!
The right side gang, which had bobbed about for 2 hours along the western edge were rewarded 1st, 10-12 boats
were the recipients of the godsend winds and were thrusted back into the race, while in the center of the bay, the winds remained lacking,
a huge glassy pond separating the boats on the eastern shore, still riding the week zephyr, a mid bay inter convergence zone, if you would.
By 3:30 PM the NW's filled in across the board and the fleet rode the South Bay Trades to the awaiting Mai Tai's, flower leis, and ukulele music
emanating from the warm tropical confines of Redwood Slough and the Sequoia Yacht Club...
Results
Back soon with more pretty pics and erroneous commentary...Comment
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Another fun West Point. After a middling start, we fetched the first mark, headed up to angel for current relief, tacked around blunt and watched the rest of our fleet head straight to Alcatraz. We held on for a few minutes and tacked over, we wound up fetching the lay line while some of the competition had to tack in stronger current. I think we made out a bit there.
Rounded Alcatraz and put up the a2 in around 16 knots truefor a sweet reach to pier 39, then the wind died. We rode the current along, staying west, believing the new breeze would come from there first. But we watched with growing trepidation as most of our competish went wide east and kept moving. After a while we felt like we had gone from heros to zeros. But after an hour or so of super light wind drifting with either the a2 or #1 up, the wind did finally arrive. In hindsight I should have gone in even closer to shore--the j92 in our fleet did and made out like a bandit.
After the breeze came art and filled we went to the sym ap, and ran it all the way to the finish, lots of breeze and nice warm conditions. We made out on all the boats that went east early. Good party and mellow trip home. This race is becoming a fave. Good job SYC.Comment
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We did the same as everyone at the start and made it to Alcatraz without incident. Then we followed the crowd towards the beach and watched the parking lot develop in front of us. That didn't seem like a good idea so we jibed towards YB island and ended up following the East side of the bay past Alameda. We expected the stronger wind to show up on the West side South of Bayview, but every time we tried to cross the middle of the bay we ran into a wind hole and had to turn back East. Eventually we found a way across and into the 15kt launch pad off Coyote point and never looked back. The kids had a blast both on the water and at the party - they are already talking about next year.
PhotoBoy - the mom of the two non-sailing friends of my boys wants to buy a photo, so please post the shots when you can.Comment
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OK - so I have been trying to resist posting this, but I can't, so you guys will have to tolerate my proud dad braggy moment. Apologies in advance. From left to right we have my boys Caspian (13) and Lyndon (10), then two friends Nicole (13) and Lucas (10). They had a great weekend.
Westpoint kids prize giving.jpgComment
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Nice work!Comment
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Braggy moment well-earned WS!Comment
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Congrats!Comment
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