Sunday, March 11, 2007
SATURDAY 10 MARCH 07-- NICE WINDS TO GGB AND BACK -- DINGY RACES
A beautiful warm sunny day in San Francisco today with a great breeze coming up around 1:30 pm. Michael, just home from a business trip to Europe, joined us along with first-timer, Josh, who just completed his basic keelboat course at OCSC a couple of weeks ago.
We left port about 2:30 pm, raised full main and put out reefed jib and headed out into the central bay where a number of sailboats were heading home already, like this Islander.
The pier 39 flags were fluttering in a breeze of about 10 knots and a moderate flood current was resisting us as we sailed westward on a close reach port tack.
This racing catamaran blasted past us to port, probably doing 15 knots or more, flying jib and asymmetrical spinnaker.
This lovely J105 racing boat blasted across our bow as we sailed toward the south side of Alcatraz.
A cruising catamaran also passed to port, struggling to fly its cruising spinnaker for a while and then getting it trimmed quite nicely.
Adventure Cat2 was heading out for an afternoon cruise behind us.
A lovely baby-blue hulled sailboat was passing the south shore of Alcatraz as we approached and looking good.
We tacked back toward the cityfront and enjoyed great views of the city bathed in brilliant sunshine and clear skies and air.
Approaching Aquatic Park, we fell off to dead downwind to reef the jib more, as the wind had intensifed to over 15 knots-- much stronger than forecasted, and then a couple more tacks took us to just east of the leeward mark of the Spring Dingy Regatta course-- a Regatta hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club, and involving several classes of dingy race boats-- the boats apporaching here being V15 class.
A lot of yelling could be heard as the racers approached the mark on different tacks, the starboard tack boats demanding right of way around the mark-- always an exciting time when the racers are in close quarters.
This 505-- one of the class of dingys-- was blasting downwind under spinnaker, planning with its bow out of the water.
This small sailboat passed to port on the sparking bay waters, with a dingy racer behind-- perhaps a 29er or a 49er-- two of the other dingy classes.
After sailing out to the west for a while after pasing the first group of racers, we tacked to the south again to head for the shore just west of the St. Francis Y.C. and then tacked away again and soon had some dingy racers in another class heading our way. These are in the FINN class.
Another class was off to port and heading downwind. These are the LASER class.
A bit later a windsurfer blasted past to port, flying quite a large sail and looking great!
Ahead of us, the GGB was partially obscurred by a finger of fog and a bank of fog could be seen way out on the ocean and over land in the south.
As we headed west, we were hailed by a small sailboat off to port, that turned out to be neighbor boat, GO DOG GO, looking good with full canvas flying, but as you can see in this photo, even with reefed jib, we easily passed them and started putting distance between us and them.
As we approached the gate, this sailboat crossed in front of us on the sun-drenched bay waters.
Off to starboard, a lovely Catalina was heading toward the gate, tugging a dingy behind.
A bit later, we spotted this kite surfer blasting across the gate on the sparkling waters.
The kite surfer turned around a bit later and was blasting toward shore with the beautiful GGB behind.
We saw Adventure Cat2 head out the gate ahead of us, near the north tower, and as we approached the gate, she was returning to the bay with a good complement of passengers on the foredeck-- great to have the CATS back prowling the bay again!
As we sailed out between midspan and the north tower, this smaller sailboat was motorsailing back toward the bay along the rugged rocky shore of the Marin Headlands.
Josh was at the helm as we sailed out the gate-- his first time of sailing under the GGB-- and he seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit.
It' sgreat to see the Marin Headlands taking on some color, even some mossy colors like on this outcroppoing of rock.
We tacked a couple of times, pulling out the jib to full on one tack as the winds outside the gate were much softer, with Michael at the helm with his jet-lagged visage.
We sailed out past Kirby Cove, and this large sailboat named GALE, passed to starboard, motorsailing with only the main up.
We decided to head back inside in case the wind died altogether, so came about and headed back toward the gate on broad reach starboard tack with some flood current assist-- but the flood was very light all afternoon-- and a number of sailboats were motorsailing on their return from the ocean, like this one ahead of us.
Once inside the gate, we watched this other sailboat shooting the gate with well-reefed canvas.
We were making good headway eastward with stronger winds inside the gate, but ahead of us a couple of windsurfers seemed almost stalled out in an area of less breeze, but they soon took off as they arrived in an area of stronger breeze.
The Dawn Princess, a cruise ship that had been tied up at pier 35, was now headed out to sea.
As we passed Ft. Mason piers, this nice smaller Catalina blasted past our bow, looking great!
Way off to port a lovely blue-hulled sailboat with either a red stripe at the waterline or red bottom paint was blasting westward with only modestly reefed canvas and looking good!
The city was enjoying late afternoon sunshine as we sailed past Aquatic Park.
The breeze then started to soften and this lovely Tartan 34 passed to port, flying full canvas and looking great!
A Catalina named AQUAVITE motorsailed past to starboard, apparently in a hurry to get back to home port.
We pulled in the jib approaching pier 39, then readied lines and fenders while passing the end of the pier and the east marina, then turned toward the entrance to head up and douse the main, motoring toward the entrance as we tied up the main. Some substantial surge knoced us about as we were entering the slip and banged us against the dock fingers-- not a happy landing, but overall we were all happy to have had a great outing with good winds and brilliant sunshine.
A beautiful warm sunny day in San Francisco today with a great breeze coming up around 1:30 pm. Michael, just home from a business trip to Europe, joined us along with first-timer, Josh, who just completed his basic keelboat course at OCSC a couple of weeks ago.
We left port about 2:30 pm, raised full main and put out reefed jib and headed out into the central bay where a number of sailboats were heading home already, like this Islander.
The pier 39 flags were fluttering in a breeze of about 10 knots and a moderate flood current was resisting us as we sailed westward on a close reach port tack.
This racing catamaran blasted past us to port, probably doing 15 knots or more, flying jib and asymmetrical spinnaker.
This lovely J105 racing boat blasted across our bow as we sailed toward the south side of Alcatraz.
A cruising catamaran also passed to port, struggling to fly its cruising spinnaker for a while and then getting it trimmed quite nicely.
Adventure Cat2 was heading out for an afternoon cruise behind us.
A lovely baby-blue hulled sailboat was passing the south shore of Alcatraz as we approached and looking good.
We tacked back toward the cityfront and enjoyed great views of the city bathed in brilliant sunshine and clear skies and air.
Approaching Aquatic Park, we fell off to dead downwind to reef the jib more, as the wind had intensifed to over 15 knots-- much stronger than forecasted, and then a couple more tacks took us to just east of the leeward mark of the Spring Dingy Regatta course-- a Regatta hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club, and involving several classes of dingy race boats-- the boats apporaching here being V15 class.
A lot of yelling could be heard as the racers approached the mark on different tacks, the starboard tack boats demanding right of way around the mark-- always an exciting time when the racers are in close quarters.
This 505-- one of the class of dingys-- was blasting downwind under spinnaker, planning with its bow out of the water.
This small sailboat passed to port on the sparking bay waters, with a dingy racer behind-- perhaps a 29er or a 49er-- two of the other dingy classes.
After sailing out to the west for a while after pasing the first group of racers, we tacked to the south again to head for the shore just west of the St. Francis Y.C. and then tacked away again and soon had some dingy racers in another class heading our way. These are in the FINN class.
Another class was off to port and heading downwind. These are the LASER class.
A bit later a windsurfer blasted past to port, flying quite a large sail and looking great!
Ahead of us, the GGB was partially obscurred by a finger of fog and a bank of fog could be seen way out on the ocean and over land in the south.
As we headed west, we were hailed by a small sailboat off to port, that turned out to be neighbor boat, GO DOG GO, looking good with full canvas flying, but as you can see in this photo, even with reefed jib, we easily passed them and started putting distance between us and them.
As we approached the gate, this sailboat crossed in front of us on the sun-drenched bay waters.
Off to starboard, a lovely Catalina was heading toward the gate, tugging a dingy behind.
A bit later, we spotted this kite surfer blasting across the gate on the sparkling waters.
The kite surfer turned around a bit later and was blasting toward shore with the beautiful GGB behind.
We saw Adventure Cat2 head out the gate ahead of us, near the north tower, and as we approached the gate, she was returning to the bay with a good complement of passengers on the foredeck-- great to have the CATS back prowling the bay again!
As we sailed out between midspan and the north tower, this smaller sailboat was motorsailing back toward the bay along the rugged rocky shore of the Marin Headlands.
Josh was at the helm as we sailed out the gate-- his first time of sailing under the GGB-- and he seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit.
It' sgreat to see the Marin Headlands taking on some color, even some mossy colors like on this outcroppoing of rock.
We tacked a couple of times, pulling out the jib to full on one tack as the winds outside the gate were much softer, with Michael at the helm with his jet-lagged visage.
We sailed out past Kirby Cove, and this large sailboat named GALE, passed to starboard, motorsailing with only the main up.
We decided to head back inside in case the wind died altogether, so came about and headed back toward the gate on broad reach starboard tack with some flood current assist-- but the flood was very light all afternoon-- and a number of sailboats were motorsailing on their return from the ocean, like this one ahead of us.
Once inside the gate, we watched this other sailboat shooting the gate with well-reefed canvas.
We were making good headway eastward with stronger winds inside the gate, but ahead of us a couple of windsurfers seemed almost stalled out in an area of less breeze, but they soon took off as they arrived in an area of stronger breeze.
The Dawn Princess, a cruise ship that had been tied up at pier 35, was now headed out to sea.
As we passed Ft. Mason piers, this nice smaller Catalina blasted past our bow, looking great!
Way off to port a lovely blue-hulled sailboat with either a red stripe at the waterline or red bottom paint was blasting westward with only modestly reefed canvas and looking good!
The city was enjoying late afternoon sunshine as we sailed past Aquatic Park.
The breeze then started to soften and this lovely Tartan 34 passed to port, flying full canvas and looking great!
A Catalina named AQUAVITE motorsailed past to starboard, apparently in a hurry to get back to home port.
We pulled in the jib approaching pier 39, then readied lines and fenders while passing the end of the pier and the east marina, then turned toward the entrance to head up and douse the main, motoring toward the entrance as we tied up the main. Some substantial surge knoced us about as we were entering the slip and banged us against the dock fingers-- not a happy landing, but overall we were all happy to have had a great outing with good winds and brilliant sunshine.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 11:33 AM 
