Sunday, September 16, 2007
FRIDAY 14 SEPT. 07-- MORE ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES RACING
In the early afternoon, I walked out to the end of the pier to watch some of the boats racing upwind as part of the day's race1, and saw some of the Express 37 fleet, like 'escapade' here, hugging the cityfront to stay out of the stronger flood current.
Steve joined us a bit after 1 pm and we headed out to watch some more of the racing.
Winds were a bit fresher than they were on Thursday, but still moderate as we left port.
We headed across the bay to the north to watch some of the race boats heading downwind , like these three.
v
White Dove, one of the IRC fleet, was heading downwind, looking good...
... and the crew looked quite relaxed as they headed for the leeward mark or the finish line.
ALETA, another IRC fleet boat was also looking good as it sailed downwind.
VELOS, another IRC boat, and one of the largest in the fleet, was cruising downwind, probably heading for the finish line...
..as was KOKOPELLI, a Santa Cruz 52.
GOLDEN MOON, one of the Express 37 one design fleet was also looking good downwind under spinnaker.
Her crew also looked quite relaxed as they headed for the finish line.
A bit later, we were tacking back toward the cityfront and passed in front of pHAT JACK, whose crew was also looking very relaxed....
.....and she was looking good as she chased GOLDEN MOON downwind.
Sometime later, we caught sight of ASTRA cruising downwind under spinnaker.
When we arrived at the cityfront, we caught the 1D35 fleet heading upwind along the cityfront, and SWEET SENSATIONS seemed to be in the lead.
Several of the following boats in that fleet were quite close together.
ZSA ZSA, skippered by Stan, one of our neighbors here at pier 39, was looking good as she blasted upwind with Stan at the helm.
A bit later the J120 fleet was beating upwind with larger crews on the rail.
Quite a tacking duel seemed to be happening as the trailing boats searched for clear air.
HOWL and LOW SPEED CHASE, two in the Sydney 38 fleet, were now close together as the headed downwind.
As we continued beating toward the windward mark ourselves, this beautiful schooner passed, looking great!
A while later, the 1D35 fleet was headed downwind toward the leeward mark, having already rounded the windward mark.
We made it to the windward mark and were able to watch some of the fleets rounding the mark and heading for the finish line, like the J105s and 1D35s mixed in here.
A bunch of the J105 fleet was approaching the mark with just a few boat lengths separations-- exciting close quarters when rounding.
Soon the fleet was blasting downwind under colorful spinnakers, heading for the finiah line.
When all the racers had rounded the windward mark and headed for the finish, we headed for home port, pleased that we had seen some of the great racing on the bay that afternoon.
In the early afternoon, I walked out to the end of the pier to watch some of the boats racing upwind as part of the day's race1, and saw some of the Express 37 fleet, like 'escapade' here, hugging the cityfront to stay out of the stronger flood current.
Steve joined us a bit after 1 pm and we headed out to watch some more of the racing.
Winds were a bit fresher than they were on Thursday, but still moderate as we left port.
We headed across the bay to the north to watch some of the race boats heading downwind , like these three.
v
White Dove, one of the IRC fleet, was heading downwind, looking good...
... and the crew looked quite relaxed as they headed for the leeward mark or the finish line.
ALETA, another IRC fleet boat was also looking good as it sailed downwind.
VELOS, another IRC boat, and one of the largest in the fleet, was cruising downwind, probably heading for the finish line...
..as was KOKOPELLI, a Santa Cruz 52.
GOLDEN MOON, one of the Express 37 one design fleet was also looking good downwind under spinnaker.
Her crew also looked quite relaxed as they headed for the finish line.
A bit later, we were tacking back toward the cityfront and passed in front of pHAT JACK, whose crew was also looking very relaxed....
.....and she was looking good as she chased GOLDEN MOON downwind.
Sometime later, we caught sight of ASTRA cruising downwind under spinnaker.
When we arrived at the cityfront, we caught the 1D35 fleet heading upwind along the cityfront, and SWEET SENSATIONS seemed to be in the lead.
Several of the following boats in that fleet were quite close together.
ZSA ZSA, skippered by Stan, one of our neighbors here at pier 39, was looking good as she blasted upwind with Stan at the helm.
A bit later the J120 fleet was beating upwind with larger crews on the rail.
Quite a tacking duel seemed to be happening as the trailing boats searched for clear air.
HOWL and LOW SPEED CHASE, two in the Sydney 38 fleet, were now close together as the headed downwind.
As we continued beating toward the windward mark ourselves, this beautiful schooner passed, looking great!
A while later, the 1D35 fleet was headed downwind toward the leeward mark, having already rounded the windward mark.
We made it to the windward mark and were able to watch some of the fleets rounding the mark and heading for the finish line, like the J105s and 1D35s mixed in here.
A bunch of the J105 fleet was approaching the mark with just a few boat lengths separations-- exciting close quarters when rounding.
Soon the fleet was blasting downwind under colorful spinnakers, heading for the finiah line.
When all the racers had rounded the windward mark and headed for the finish, we headed for home port, pleased that we had seen some of the great racing on the bay that afternoon.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 11:52 PM 
