Sunday’s starting line is Saturday’s finish line, with just as many boats jockeying for position in the narrow confines of Mare Island Strait for a reaching start. Lots of hailing and maneuvering take place at the line as boats search for a favored slot with clear air yet not so close to the pin that they risk being luffed over the pin (sometimes it pays to sneak down low where the breeze is usually stronger and an early ebb can provide dividends – but watch out for the shoaling too!). Since the homeward run is often a beat into the prevailing westerlies, it’s commonly more strenuous, and wet and cold, than Saturday’s downhill run. Add to this mix the hydrographics of Mare Island Strait, the fact that the wind in the strait is no indication of what will be encountered San Pablo Bay, and the peculiarities of the currents, there is plenty of room for a good tactician on any boat. (it usually pays to stay high as you pass the old Coast Guard dock and catch the early lift there – but don’t forget, you have to leave mark #1 to starboard!)
The race finishes near G-17, off the San Rafael Channel, just before the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. In all, the course is about 40 miles long, tests skippers and crew alike, and makes a grand, splashy start to the Bay’s racing season. Final results are posted on the YRA website within a few days.
Join the fun; don’t be left behind.