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January 20, 2025

CYC Midwinters Saturday Finish Line Looked Like a Starting Line

Saturday’s Corinthian Midwinters race felt backward, because the finish line was more congested than the usual start line.

It was light but a fine little breeze for the start.
It was light and tight at the starting line but with a fine little breeze. The finish was even tighter.
© 2025 Latitude 38 Media LLC / John

It all started with beautiful Bay Area winter weather, though while it was nice to be on the water, it’s nicer with wind. Fortunately, as the Saturday fog cleared and the sun shone through, the wind edged up just enough to end the postponement. All classes got off the line near the Knox buoy on an ambitious 11-mile course to Blackhaller, Phil Perkins buoy and a Harding/Knox zigzag before the intended finish. Mother Nature had other plans. Wind holes, current lines and the ongoing fickle breezes kept the fleet struggling to get to Blackhaller, with the Phil Perkins buoy still far away against a building ebb.

Kuda Wuda Craig Page SFYCSR33
The sailing looked pretty good as the fleet left the starting line headed for Blackhaller against a mild flood.
© 2025 Latitude 38 Media LLC / John

The race committee, recognizing all those marks beyond the Perkins buoy were never going to be rounded before the time limit was up, shortened the course and moved the finish to the Perkins buoy off Fort Mason. The announcement was made early enough for the first few finishers to cross the line about 10 minutes before 3 p.m., but it took another hour before the rest of the fleet reached the line where “congestion pricing” kicked in. It was Zhenya Kirueshkin-Stepanoff on his Viper 830 Greyhound who pulled off first to finish, closely followed by Craig Paige on his SR 33 Kuda Wuda and then Daniel Thielman on his Melges 32 Kuai.

We almost got a handshake from Richard Garman's J/124 Good Call.
We almost got a handshake from Richard Garman’s J/124 Good Call.
© 2025 Latitude 38 Media LLC /

Despite widely varying ratings, start times, strategies, sail selections and luck, almost all remaining competitors ended up converging on the finish line at about 4 p.m. Some boats were furiously jibing back and forth out toward the middle, trying to get enough apparent wind to steer down and gain some easterly toward the finish against the ebb. Others were trying to sneak east along the shoreline, ducking in between the Fort Mason piers. Regardless of choice, there was very little air and none of it was clear. The boats were everywhere, trying to find a lane and some breeze.

Everyone was bunching up for the grand finale finish.
Everyone was bunching up for the grand finale finish.
© 2025 Latitude 38 Media LLC / John

PRO Marcus Canestra, foreseeing finish line mayhem, cheekily requested on the radio, “Could all boats converging on the finish line spread out a little bit so we can get your finish times?”

Despite the close quarters, most people managed to avoid collisions most of the time.
© 2025 Latitude 38 Media LLC / John

The fleet didn’t listen and continued doing their best to create a simultaneous arrival. A few boats managed to finish 10-15 minutes before 4 p.m. but in the last minutes before and right after 4 p.m., close to 40 boats finished, causing the committee to just start sounding the finish horn and record it all on video to be sorted out later. The congestion was more amazing as the faster spinnaker classes started on the same course 25 minutes ahead of the slower, non-spin fleet, yet all arrived together.

The close-quarters downwind, zig-zag meant lots of hello's to temporary neighbors.
The close-quarters downwind zigzag meant lots of hellos to temporary neighbors. The Santa Cruz 40 Quiver was briefly next door.
© 2025 Latitude 38 Media LLC / John

As the committee was trying to finish the fleet that was heading down against an ebb at slow speed, the fleet was bunching up toward the committee. The result was a race raft-up of four to six boats rail-to-rail up against the inflatable committee boat, all with their sails mostly blocking the view to the pin end.

The committee had a hard time seeing past the front row mosh pit to finish others down the line.
The race committee (orange inflatable) had a hard time seeing past the front-row mosh pit to finish others down the line. Argo, Jeannette and a few other boats had to sail above and loop around to finish.
© 2025 Latitude 38 Media LLC / John

When all was said and done, most of the fleet managed to finish, with only nine of the 60-boat fleet retiring. Naturally, once the race was finished everyone jibed to port to sail back to the Corinthian and found a nice breeze for a long, pleasant, sunny reach home.

It was a weight-to-leeward, dry-decks kind of day.
It was a weight-to-leeward, dry-decks kind of day.
© 2025 Latitude 38 Media LLC / John

That left the race committee to spend the evening watching and rewatching the finish-line video to make their best guess at finishing times and award prizes for the day. Racers didn’t mind the wait for results as the steel band played during a first-rate dinner buffet before everyone went home to rest and return to do it all again on Sunday.

Kuda Wuda Craig Page SFYCSR33
“Really, just one more jibe and we’ll make the finish.” Not!
© 2025 Latitude 38 Media LLC / John

Sunday was a bust. The optimistic race committee and fleet headed out under gray skies, hoping the clouds would again part and the breeze return. It was not to be. Hopeful moments vanished on a glassy Bay. After about an hour-and-a-half of postponement, the committee pulled the plug, much to the relief of racers tending limp sails and idling engines. It was a race to the bar for the end of the Eagles vs. Rams game, with a commitment to pull off a two-race Saturday in February.

While people say watching sailing is like watching paint dry, everyone on board for the finish on Saturday would tell you there can be a lot of excitement in a fleet going just 1–2 knots.

 

SailGP Rolls Out New High-Speed Titanium ‘T-Foils’ for 2025 Season

As SailGP races into its fifth season, we’re wondering how fast is fast enough for these boats that on the surface appear to be sailboats, but are nothing like those frequented by the majority of sailors around the globe. A recent newsletter announced SailGP’s move to new high-speed titanium “T-fFoils,” which have undergone almost two years of “rigorous testing.”

The ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team shows the T-Foil out of the water during a practice session ahead of the New Zealand race event.
© 2025 SailGP/Bob Martin

The T-Foils will replace the existing L-Foils that have been used since SailGP’s inception in 2019. They’re constructed from machined titanium and carbon, have thinner sections than the current L-Foils, and reduce drag at high speeds. All 12 boats in SailGP’s F50 fleet are now using the T-Foils, with their first race performance this past weekend (Jan.18–19) in New Zealand. Aside from increased speed, the goal is closer competition among the international racing teams. This goal may play out over the course of the season, but after the second event on the calendar, the race leaders look very much like those of previous seasons, with Australia winning Event 2 this past weekend in New Zealand.

Current leaderboard standings are: first place Emirates GRB; in second place is New Zealand, now calling themselves the Black Foils; and in third place is Australia, still under the captaincy of Tom Slingsby. It’s interesting to note that GRB and NZ are even at 17 points each, while Australia and Spain are both fourth-place holders at 16 points.

The T-Foils now being used throughout the fleet have resulted in a recorded top speed of 101.98 km/h (during testing). The top speed recorded in race conditions was 99.94 km/h (achieved by the France SailGP Team in Saint-Tropez in Season 3). This equates to approximately 1.27 miles per hour increased speed. In our books, that’s not a big difference when you relate the speed increase to the hours and dollars spent creating that difference. Is it necessary, or even worth it?

SailGP crew need to be athletes.
© 2025 SailGP/Simon Bruty
And gymnasts.
© 2025 SAilGP/Ricardo Pinto

One of the concerns that comes to our minds is safety. In 2023, Team USA’s flight controller, Hans Henken, was knocked unconscious after the boat took a nosedive. He suffered two broken ribs, a broken sternum, a torn rotator cuff, and a concussion.

Crew fly though the air as USA SailGP capsizes in 2024.
© 2025 SailGP/Samo Vidic
If you consider that these boats are almost 29 feet across, that’s a long way to fall.
© 2025 SAilGP/Ricardo Pinto

The F50 crew are geared up with helmets and padding, but that’s clearly not going to protect them completely in the event of a crash. We can only hope that injuries are minimal in number and at best, minor. In the meantime, we, like everyone else who loves the thrill of high-speed action, are looking forward to seeing the big cats race around the Bay in March.

The next event will be held in Sydney on February 7–8. San Francisco fans will see the racing action on the Bay for Event 5 on March 22–23. The season final, Event 14, will be held in Abu Dhabi on November 29–30.

 

Two Evening Sailing Events We’re Definitely Not Going To Miss

We’re looking forward to attending two evening events this week. The first we won’t miss because we’re the speaker. Latitude 38 publisher John Arndt will be speaking at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon. He’ll be speaking on getting started in sailing, the story of Latitude 38, and some of the challenges and opportunities for Bay Area sailing. John started at Latitude in 1987 when it was already a well-established and revered publication. He’s been there as both the sailing and publishing world have seen incredible change and innovation. The stories of sailing and Latitude 38 continue to evolve while the joy and allure of sailing remain as powerful as ever.

The sailing world is full of great people and great adventures.
The sailing world is full of great people and great adventures.
© 2025 Nautical Quarterly

The next event on our radar this week is a premiere screening of Oleg Harencar’s new film on legendary naval architect Ron Holland, Ron Holland: The Voyage of Discovery.

Ron landed in the Bay Area aboard George Kiskadon Sr.’s Sparkman & Stephens 33 Spirit. He apprenticed with Gary Mull and went on to yacht racing fame by designing boats like Dave Allen’s breakthrough boat Imp. His portfolio grew to include numerous race winners and a stunning lineup of megayachts.

Oleg and Ron will both be on hand for the screening and conversation at the Sequoia Cinema, 25 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley this coming Saturday, January 25, starting at 7:30. (Immediately following the Three Bridge Fiasco!)

Ron Holland Coronado 25
Ron Holland’s Coronado 25 Kia Aura sailing his home waters of Vancouver, BC.
© 2025 Ron Holland

A description of the film reads, “The Voyage of Discovery explores the incredible life and career of [a] legendary sailor and boat designer. It takes viewers on a journey through Ron’s life, from his difficult childhood in New Zealand to his early days as a sailor and his groundbreaking work as a yacht designer. Ron’s love of sailing and his natural talent for understanding the forces of wind, water, and shape led him to create some of the most innovative and successful yachts in the world, designed boats that have changed the face of sailing and helped usher in a new era of yacht design. (US 2023) 85 min.”

We look forward to seeing you at both events, and on the Bay, soon!

 

 

A Ha-Ha Reprise Aboard the S&S 42 Yawl ‘Fairwyn’

The only thing more fun than doing a Baja Ha-Ha is doing it a second time. After enjoying my first Ha-Ha in 2021, and bashing back home, I was itching for another go. This time I had it all lined up: solid crew, my stupid freakin’ TIP, slip in San Diego, slip in Mazatlán, offshore connectivity (thank you, Starlink), weather forecasting, meal planning, Mexican insurance, warm clothes for night watches, fishing licenses — and new downwind sails ready for a workout.

The first of three crews joined me in Emeryville for a three-night run to San Diego in “delivery mode,” with no planned stops. Of course I had allowed time to make stops for weather or breakdowns, but everything ran smoothly and Fairwyn arrived in San Diego a week before the start of the Ha-Ha. San Diego marinas seem not to like wooden boats very much, so I was glad that C.F. at Koehler Kraft made room for Fairwyn.

Crew for the Ha-Ha itself was boat partner Sarah Dime and her friend Chelsea Greene. We were all pretty salty, but after some thought decided to use scopolamine patches anyway. Everyone gets seasick if the conditions are bad enough, or if you must change a fuel filter upside down in a seaway. With the patches we were bulletproof.

The trip down to Cabo was wonderful: calm seas, gentle winds, stunning sunsets and sunrises, and lots of fish on the line. In 2021, there were a few rough days out of San Diego, and the breakdown report during the first radio net in Turtle Bay went on for over an hour. This time there was very little damage other than one unfortunate boat that needed some help getting into Turtle Bay. Fairwyn suffered only a broken spinnaker halyard block from my misguided attempt to center the lifting point. Fortunately, I had a spare halyard rigged.

Rick and Gayle have owned Fairwyn since 2017. Prior to that, the boat had sailed for 15 years and 50,000 miles under Stephen and Nancy Carlman.
© 2025 Eric Mizrahi

The leg from Turtle Bay to Bahia Santa Maria allowed for some beautiful photos of one another’s boats. We coordinated with Eric Mizrahi of Bibi to get a good photo of our new sails. (That great picture above — showing off our two new spinnakers — is one of his.)

Things got exciting in Cabo. When the fleet arrived on Wednesday, the Poobah passed along the weather forecast for a big blow on Sunday.

Continue reading.

 

Trialing a New Protest Procedure
When Max Ebb embarks on a post-race protest, he becomes engaged in the experimental "Rolling Mediation Hearing."