Monday, March 12, 2007
SUNDAY 11 MARCH 07-- WARM SAILING TO GGB-- DINGY RACING
The day started out sunny with no wind all morning, temperatures rising dramatically toward midday and finally a breeze starting about 2:30 so we called Michael and he hustled over to head out for an afternoon sail.
As we left port, the breeze was a moderate westerly and Michael was in shorts and T-shirt as temperatures were near 80 degrees.
We put up full main, pulled out full jib and headed out into the central bay, watching some sailboats like this one heading east toward home port, presumably.
As we were raising sails outside the marina, PRIVATEER was motoring out for a charter sail, and raised sails out in the central bay and then headed north toward the lee side of Angel Island.as we headed west.
The city was enjoying brilliant warm sunshine, clear skies and clear air as we sailed west against a very light flood current.
A beautiful Beneteau passed in front of us as we sailed westward and many sailboats in the distance were also headed west.
A nice Catalina, headed east on broad reach, passed to port, looking good!
We tacked toward the Ft. Mason piers and as we approached the dingy regatta race course, we fell off and pulled in the jib to sail main only near the course and watched as some dingys approached the leeward mark on the sparkling bay waters.
After rounding the mark, six of the dingys looked a bit like a flook of birds in a V-formation.
We continued tacking to the west and eventually reached the starting line at a time that this same class of dingys was starting the next race. We took a somewhat jittery video of the the start-- the jockeying around before the start and then the actual start at the gun, and you can find that at this youtube url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEN57oy_avA
As we sailed away from the start line, these two 29ers were racing downwind under spinnaker and virtually side by side.
A bit later, 29ers and Laser dingys were just sailing around waiting for the next race start.
ADVENTURE CAT sailed past looking great and heading for home port after shooting the gate with paying passengers aboard. It's great to have the CATS back on the bay after the winter haitus.
We pulled out the jib again to full and headed for the gate, watching this lovely ketch approaching and passing astern, looking great!
We sailed westward until we were just inside the north tower of the GGB, watching as we sailed along a car carrier out of the north bay steaming toward the gate. We tacked to the southeast just as the car carrier was steaming past and we tacked to the west to sail out as the carrier was steaming out to sea.
Another sailboat was heading back inside the bay as we were sailing out.
We sailed out a short ways just inside the north tower and then tacked to sail parallel to the GGB and watched as a Catalina was sailing out further to the southeast of us.
After sailing to about midspan and then tacking to the west for a while, we came about and headed back inside, enjoying our view of our beautiful bridge as we headed inside.
As we headed toward home port on broad reach starboard tack, several other sailboats were sailing across the gate, including this lovely Catalina with the greening Marin Headlands as a backdrop.
This lovely J-boat passed in front of us as we sailed east, gybing to the north for a while due to a shift in the wind to the west, and then gybing back to the east toward home port.
The city was still enjoying brilliant sunshine as we sailed toward home with softening breezes.
We pulled in the jib while passing pier 39, put on fenders as we passed the marina, and then sailed toward pier 35 as we watched the charter sailboat RUBY heading for its home port.
We came into the wind and doused the main, and then motored into the marina in the warmth of the late afternoon. Once again filled with the pleasure of several hours of sailing on our magnificent bay.
The day started out sunny with no wind all morning, temperatures rising dramatically toward midday and finally a breeze starting about 2:30 so we called Michael and he hustled over to head out for an afternoon sail.
As we left port, the breeze was a moderate westerly and Michael was in shorts and T-shirt as temperatures were near 80 degrees.
We put up full main, pulled out full jib and headed out into the central bay, watching some sailboats like this one heading east toward home port, presumably.
As we were raising sails outside the marina, PRIVATEER was motoring out for a charter sail, and raised sails out in the central bay and then headed north toward the lee side of Angel Island.as we headed west.
The city was enjoying brilliant warm sunshine, clear skies and clear air as we sailed west against a very light flood current.
A beautiful Beneteau passed in front of us as we sailed westward and many sailboats in the distance were also headed west.
A nice Catalina, headed east on broad reach, passed to port, looking good!
We tacked toward the Ft. Mason piers and as we approached the dingy regatta race course, we fell off and pulled in the jib to sail main only near the course and watched as some dingys approached the leeward mark on the sparkling bay waters.
After rounding the mark, six of the dingys looked a bit like a flook of birds in a V-formation.
We continued tacking to the west and eventually reached the starting line at a time that this same class of dingys was starting the next race. We took a somewhat jittery video of the the start-- the jockeying around before the start and then the actual start at the gun, and you can find that at this youtube url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEN57oy_avA
As we sailed away from the start line, these two 29ers were racing downwind under spinnaker and virtually side by side.
A bit later, 29ers and Laser dingys were just sailing around waiting for the next race start.
ADVENTURE CAT sailed past looking great and heading for home port after shooting the gate with paying passengers aboard. It's great to have the CATS back on the bay after the winter haitus.
We pulled out the jib again to full and headed for the gate, watching this lovely ketch approaching and passing astern, looking great!
We sailed westward until we were just inside the north tower of the GGB, watching as we sailed along a car carrier out of the north bay steaming toward the gate. We tacked to the southeast just as the car carrier was steaming past and we tacked to the west to sail out as the carrier was steaming out to sea.
Another sailboat was heading back inside the bay as we were sailing out.
We sailed out a short ways just inside the north tower and then tacked to sail parallel to the GGB and watched as a Catalina was sailing out further to the southeast of us.
After sailing to about midspan and then tacking to the west for a while, we came about and headed back inside, enjoying our view of our beautiful bridge as we headed inside.
As we headed toward home port on broad reach starboard tack, several other sailboats were sailing across the gate, including this lovely Catalina with the greening Marin Headlands as a backdrop.
This lovely J-boat passed in front of us as we sailed east, gybing to the north for a while due to a shift in the wind to the west, and then gybing back to the east toward home port.
The city was still enjoying brilliant sunshine as we sailed toward home with softening breezes.
We pulled in the jib while passing pier 39, put on fenders as we passed the marina, and then sailed toward pier 35 as we watched the charter sailboat RUBY heading for its home port.
We came into the wind and doused the main, and then motored into the marina in the warmth of the late afternoon. Once again filled with the pleasure of several hours of sailing on our magnificent bay.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 1:05 PM 
