Tuesday, December 12, 2006
SUNDAY 10 DEC. 06-- LIGHT WINDS-- ORACLE BMW MATCH RACING
Another break in the rainy weather gave us an opportunity to enjoy some more great sailing on the bay. We headed out with reefed main in case of storm winds coming in, but pulled out full jib since the winds were currently quite light.
We sailed out to the northwest with light flood current resisting westward progress, and then tacked to the southwest to sail toward the end of pier 39 where the flags were fluttering lightly.
We had to tack away and for a time the breeze softened and we were being driven back to the east by the flood current. A while later a nice westerly asserted and we were able to make progress sailing toward the northwest, and watched marina neighbor, Andrew, on his ketch, THAI SAPPHIRE, come motoring up.
While they headed up into the wind to raise sails, we headed off for a rendezvous with another marina neighbor, Chris, on his charter sailboat LOLA flying a full main and a cruising spinnaker.
Meanwhile, THAI SAPPHIRE had finished raising main and putting out jib and was sailing toward the gate on close reach starboard tack.
We hung around LOLA for a bit to take some more photos, and let Chris take some of ANTICIPATION, figuring that we could readily catch up with THAI SAPPHIRE.
She was about a quarter mile ahead of us when we headed out after her.
We started catching up with her as we passed the Golden Gate Yacht Club, in front of which some Star dingies were either racing or practicing.
For a while after that, we were not making any progress catching THAI SAPPHIRE because we were hindered by the dirty air coming from her sails, so we fell off a bit and moved away from her, and then gradually started to catch up.
A short time later, we had passed her.
Andrew called out to say that he was going to fall off and watch the Oracle-BMW match racing that was taking place in front of the St. Francis Yacht Club, so we decided to do the same and fell off the wind to head over to watch the racing.
The two boats were maneuvering for the anticipated start of the next race as we approached-- tacking around in behind the start line.
They approached the start line....
... then they were off and racing!
The boat on the right was in the dirty air of the other, so tacked away into clear air.
As they passed us to port, they were in the process of tacking again onto port tack.
The two boats were closing with one on starboard tack and the other on port tack.
The boat on the left tacked again to cover the other one, or so it seems from the photo....
..but both rounded the mark and headed downwind under spinnaker looking to be neck and neck.
After rounding the leeward mark, both tacked upwind again and the lead boat was approaching the mark several boat lengths ahead of the other on starboard tack...
...tacked onto port tack to lay the mark while readying the spinnaker pole for the spinnaker set...
....and did its spinnaker set while still on port tack, as the trailing boat approached the mark.
The lead boat was off on its spinnaker run...
.. while the trailing boat was rounding the mark and preparing for spinnaker set....
....then did a gybe set while rounding the mark, as the lead boat gybed onto starboard tack also...
.. and both were now sailing parallel and looking to be neck and neck.
The formerly trailing boat now took the lead, perhaps getting some better wind or covering the lead boat and blocking its wind, so the boat on the left headed up to cover and slow down the other boat by taking its wind...
...and soon was behind the lead boat in a cover position.
The lead boat gybed to get away, but the trailing boat gybed to maintain cover....
... and it looked as if that tactic worked and the inside boat would win the race.
After watching this, we decided to head for the gate, trying to match speed with THAI SAPPHIRE.
Another large sailboat a ways off to starboard was also heading for the gate.
The GGB was enjoying nice sunshine as we ghosted toward her in softening winds.
The city was gleaming in the afternoon sunshine.
We shook the reef out of the main for more power, and we were making some slow progress toward the gate, but it was nearing current turn to ebb, so we decided to come about and head back toward home port.
We made slow but steady progress back to the area in front of the St. Francis Yacht Club, where the two boats were still match racing...\
...but a short time later, the wind softened and we were making little to no progress toward home port for a half hour or so, so we started motoring toward home port as the sun went down behind the Presidio hills.
As we passed the marina, we noticed that the two race boats were being towed down the cityfront at high speed. Perhaps they were docking at the South Beach marina.
The motoring was frustrating, but overall we had a very nice outing.
Another break in the rainy weather gave us an opportunity to enjoy some more great sailing on the bay. We headed out with reefed main in case of storm winds coming in, but pulled out full jib since the winds were currently quite light.
We sailed out to the northwest with light flood current resisting westward progress, and then tacked to the southwest to sail toward the end of pier 39 where the flags were fluttering lightly.
We had to tack away and for a time the breeze softened and we were being driven back to the east by the flood current. A while later a nice westerly asserted and we were able to make progress sailing toward the northwest, and watched marina neighbor, Andrew, on his ketch, THAI SAPPHIRE, come motoring up.
While they headed up into the wind to raise sails, we headed off for a rendezvous with another marina neighbor, Chris, on his charter sailboat LOLA flying a full main and a cruising spinnaker.
Meanwhile, THAI SAPPHIRE had finished raising main and putting out jib and was sailing toward the gate on close reach starboard tack.
We hung around LOLA for a bit to take some more photos, and let Chris take some of ANTICIPATION, figuring that we could readily catch up with THAI SAPPHIRE.
She was about a quarter mile ahead of us when we headed out after her.
We started catching up with her as we passed the Golden Gate Yacht Club, in front of which some Star dingies were either racing or practicing.
For a while after that, we were not making any progress catching THAI SAPPHIRE because we were hindered by the dirty air coming from her sails, so we fell off a bit and moved away from her, and then gradually started to catch up.
A short time later, we had passed her.
Andrew called out to say that he was going to fall off and watch the Oracle-BMW match racing that was taking place in front of the St. Francis Yacht Club, so we decided to do the same and fell off the wind to head over to watch the racing.
The two boats were maneuvering for the anticipated start of the next race as we approached-- tacking around in behind the start line.
They approached the start line....
... then they were off and racing!
The boat on the right was in the dirty air of the other, so tacked away into clear air.
As they passed us to port, they were in the process of tacking again onto port tack.
The two boats were closing with one on starboard tack and the other on port tack.
The boat on the left tacked again to cover the other one, or so it seems from the photo....
..but both rounded the mark and headed downwind under spinnaker looking to be neck and neck.
After rounding the leeward mark, both tacked upwind again and the lead boat was approaching the mark several boat lengths ahead of the other on starboard tack...
...tacked onto port tack to lay the mark while readying the spinnaker pole for the spinnaker set...
....and did its spinnaker set while still on port tack, as the trailing boat approached the mark.
The lead boat was off on its spinnaker run...
.. while the trailing boat was rounding the mark and preparing for spinnaker set....
....then did a gybe set while rounding the mark, as the lead boat gybed onto starboard tack also...
.. and both were now sailing parallel and looking to be neck and neck.
The formerly trailing boat now took the lead, perhaps getting some better wind or covering the lead boat and blocking its wind, so the boat on the left headed up to cover and slow down the other boat by taking its wind...
...and soon was behind the lead boat in a cover position.
The lead boat gybed to get away, but the trailing boat gybed to maintain cover....
... and it looked as if that tactic worked and the inside boat would win the race.
After watching this, we decided to head for the gate, trying to match speed with THAI SAPPHIRE.
Another large sailboat a ways off to starboard was also heading for the gate.
The GGB was enjoying nice sunshine as we ghosted toward her in softening winds.
The city was gleaming in the afternoon sunshine.
We shook the reef out of the main for more power, and we were making some slow progress toward the gate, but it was nearing current turn to ebb, so we decided to come about and head back toward home port.
We made slow but steady progress back to the area in front of the St. Francis Yacht Club, where the two boats were still match racing...\
...but a short time later, the wind softened and we were making little to no progress toward home port for a half hour or so, so we started motoring toward home port as the sun went down behind the Presidio hills.
As we passed the marina, we noticed that the two race boats were being towed down the cityfront at high speed. Perhaps they were docking at the South Beach marina.
The motoring was frustrating, but overall we had a very nice outing.
Labels: ORACLE-BMW racing, sailboat racing, sailboats, sailing, san francisco, san francisco bay
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 1:28 PM 
