Tuesday, December 12, 2006
SATURDAY 9 DEC 06-- 2 BRIDGE KISS & SAILBOAT RACING
We went out sailing on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, but winds were too light and current too strong to do much good sailing, though it is is good to get out there for a while. On Saturday, we were treated to a nice break in the rainy weather and had a great outing!
Skies were threatening as we left port, but we were all set with our foulies if needed, and with strong winds expected, we had a single reef in the main as we headed out into the central bay to experience the declining flood current and the southeast breeze.
Once out in the central bay, we let out the jib to full and began beating against the wind toward the Bay Bridge, and the beautiful center-cockpit ketch GLORY DAYS motored past us.
The air was especially clean, lending an unusual vivid quality to the scenes on shore, with Telegraph Hill experiencing some hazy sunshine.
The Ferry Building and the other financial district buildings were also
starkly visible.
Eventually some strong sunshine peeked through the clouds and gave strong illumination to the financial district buildings.
As we continued tacking toward the A-B span of the Bay Bridge, we noticed behind us a patch of rainbow in the sky.
After sailing under the A-B span, we fell off to sail to the northeast, parallel with the Bay Bridge toward the south end of Yerba Buena, enjoying views of the city through the bridge.
As we passed the southeast end of Yerba Buena, our favorite little lighthouse was gleaming!
As we sailed up the eastern shore of Yerba Buena, we passed this Coast Guard buoy tender. She is only in port infrequently, and otherwise is occupied in tending the off-shore navigation buoys.
We sailed up the east shore of Treasure Island, and across the bay toward Berkeley Circle where we could see fleets of sailboats racing, and enjoyed the view of Angel Island and the cloud patterns over the bay as we sailed along.
A sistership named CAPPUCCINO was rounding the leeward mark of one of the two race courses as we approached.
A short time later, a group of race boats approached-- headed for their leeward mark.
We had doused the jib for easier maneuverability and watched OUTLAW headed for its leeward mark, well-heeled over with the foredeck guy already having the spinnaker pole readied for the spinnaker hoist and trim.
Mr. MAGOO also passed on her way to the mark, but had not yet readied the spinnaker pole.
CHANCE was approaching the mark, while behind her you can see OUTLAW and MR. MAGGO blasting downwind under spinnaker.
Several J120s were approaching and rounding the mark as we sailed past.
Soon we were treated to the lovely sight of colorful spinnakers on boats blasting toward the windward mark.
Other races like ALCHEMY were still headed for the leeward mark and looking good!
These two race boats with rail in the water are engaging in a tacking duel as they head for the leeward mark.
One of the stragglers in the fleet was heading for us with an unusual and colorful spinnaker design, and you can see the J105 fleet in the background, heading our way under spinnaker.
Soon the J105s were passing us, blasting downwind in the strong breeeze.
BLACKHAWK was looking good as she passed us, but was the straggler in that fleet. [Many more photos of the race will eventually be posted on the sfsailing.com web site, I hope-- or I may put all of the best ones into a separate photo blog.]
With the finishing of the race, we pulled out the jib and headed toward Raccoon Straits, finding enough wind there to make headway against the declining flood current, and passing Ayala Cove with just a couple of boats there.
Mt. Tam was towering over Tiburon and Belvedere as usual!
This J-boat was blasting downwind in the straits as we were about to exit them.
A single port tack had taken us all the way from Berkeley Circle through the straits and now it appeared that we could stay on that same tack all the way out the gate as we headed toward it on the gleaming bay waters.
As we sailed along, we watched interesting cloud patterns scudding over the central bay and the city.
In the west, storm clouds were gathering and it was just a matter of time before more rain hit, but we hoped it would hold off until we reached home port.
Our hope of sailing out the gate on that single port tack was dashed as the wind shifted more into the south, forcing us to beat against it and deal with gusty, shifty winds, but enjoying views of the GGB as we approached Yellow Bluff.
Behind us, more beautiful cloud patterns looking back at Angel Island.
The gate was overcast as we approached...
... and finally, after several tacks, we managed to sail past the lighthouse just inside the north tower of the bridge and out the gate on port tack.
We just ducked out and then tacked and fell off toward home port, letting out the jib to full and soon regretting it as we got into shifty, gusty winds that forced us to fall off to dead downwind and reef the jib again before resuming our course toward home port.
As we blasted toward home port in strong winds, GLORY DAYS-- now with almost full canvas-- passed astern of us.
We assumed she was headed for the gate, but a short time later, she was chasing us as we sailed eastward toward home port....
...and soon was passing us,as one would expect from her size and sail plan, and looking good!
The city was mostly overcast as we sailed past pier 45 with the breeze now declining to almost a whisper.
An E-dock boat neighbor PENRYN passed us a short time later-- first time we have encountered her out on the bay.
Just past the west marina entrance a couple of swimmers, guarded by rowboats, were stroking to the west along the cityfront.
A light rain was starting to fall after we doused the jib and main, so we put on the sail cover after tying up up the main on the boom, and then headed into port, well-pleasurized by our delightful outing!
We went out sailing on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, but winds were too light and current too strong to do much good sailing, though it is is good to get out there for a while. On Saturday, we were treated to a nice break in the rainy weather and had a great outing!
Skies were threatening as we left port, but we were all set with our foulies if needed, and with strong winds expected, we had a single reef in the main as we headed out into the central bay to experience the declining flood current and the southeast breeze.
Once out in the central bay, we let out the jib to full and began beating against the wind toward the Bay Bridge, and the beautiful center-cockpit ketch GLORY DAYS motored past us.
The air was especially clean, lending an unusual vivid quality to the scenes on shore, with Telegraph Hill experiencing some hazy sunshine.
The Ferry Building and the other financial district buildings were also
starkly visible.
Eventually some strong sunshine peeked through the clouds and gave strong illumination to the financial district buildings.
As we continued tacking toward the A-B span of the Bay Bridge, we noticed behind us a patch of rainbow in the sky.
After sailing under the A-B span, we fell off to sail to the northeast, parallel with the Bay Bridge toward the south end of Yerba Buena, enjoying views of the city through the bridge.
As we passed the southeast end of Yerba Buena, our favorite little lighthouse was gleaming!
As we sailed up the eastern shore of Yerba Buena, we passed this Coast Guard buoy tender. She is only in port infrequently, and otherwise is occupied in tending the off-shore navigation buoys.
We sailed up the east shore of Treasure Island, and across the bay toward Berkeley Circle where we could see fleets of sailboats racing, and enjoyed the view of Angel Island and the cloud patterns over the bay as we sailed along.
A sistership named CAPPUCCINO was rounding the leeward mark of one of the two race courses as we approached.
A short time later, a group of race boats approached-- headed for their leeward mark.
We had doused the jib for easier maneuverability and watched OUTLAW headed for its leeward mark, well-heeled over with the foredeck guy already having the spinnaker pole readied for the spinnaker hoist and trim.
Mr. MAGOO also passed on her way to the mark, but had not yet readied the spinnaker pole.
CHANCE was approaching the mark, while behind her you can see OUTLAW and MR. MAGGO blasting downwind under spinnaker.
Several J120s were approaching and rounding the mark as we sailed past.
Soon we were treated to the lovely sight of colorful spinnakers on boats blasting toward the windward mark.
Other races like ALCHEMY were still headed for the leeward mark and looking good!
These two race boats with rail in the water are engaging in a tacking duel as they head for the leeward mark.
One of the stragglers in the fleet was heading for us with an unusual and colorful spinnaker design, and you can see the J105 fleet in the background, heading our way under spinnaker.
Soon the J105s were passing us, blasting downwind in the strong breeeze.
BLACKHAWK was looking good as she passed us, but was the straggler in that fleet. [Many more photos of the race will eventually be posted on the sfsailing.com web site, I hope-- or I may put all of the best ones into a separate photo blog.]
With the finishing of the race, we pulled out the jib and headed toward Raccoon Straits, finding enough wind there to make headway against the declining flood current, and passing Ayala Cove with just a couple of boats there.
Mt. Tam was towering over Tiburon and Belvedere as usual!
This J-boat was blasting downwind in the straits as we were about to exit them.
A single port tack had taken us all the way from Berkeley Circle through the straits and now it appeared that we could stay on that same tack all the way out the gate as we headed toward it on the gleaming bay waters.
As we sailed along, we watched interesting cloud patterns scudding over the central bay and the city.
In the west, storm clouds were gathering and it was just a matter of time before more rain hit, but we hoped it would hold off until we reached home port.
Our hope of sailing out the gate on that single port tack was dashed as the wind shifted more into the south, forcing us to beat against it and deal with gusty, shifty winds, but enjoying views of the GGB as we approached Yellow Bluff.
Behind us, more beautiful cloud patterns looking back at Angel Island.
The gate was overcast as we approached...
... and finally, after several tacks, we managed to sail past the lighthouse just inside the north tower of the bridge and out the gate on port tack.
We just ducked out and then tacked and fell off toward home port, letting out the jib to full and soon regretting it as we got into shifty, gusty winds that forced us to fall off to dead downwind and reef the jib again before resuming our course toward home port.
As we blasted toward home port in strong winds, GLORY DAYS-- now with almost full canvas-- passed astern of us.
We assumed she was headed for the gate, but a short time later, she was chasing us as we sailed eastward toward home port....
...and soon was passing us,as one would expect from her size and sail plan, and looking good!
The city was mostly overcast as we sailed past pier 45 with the breeze now declining to almost a whisper.
An E-dock boat neighbor PENRYN passed us a short time later-- first time we have encountered her out on the bay.
Just past the west marina entrance a couple of swimmers, guarded by rowboats, were stroking to the west along the cityfront.
A light rain was starting to fall after we doused the jib and main, so we put on the sail cover after tying up up the main on the boom, and then headed into port, well-pleasurized by our delightful outing!
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 1:00 AM 
