It’s Almost Time for the Belvedere Classic and Great Schooner Race
The Belvedere Classic Regatta and the Great San Francisco Schooner Race are coming up fast. The event will be a three-day affair, with the race taking place on Saturday, August 23, and boats being on display on both days either side of the race, Friday, August 22, and Sunday, August 24. If the weather gods permit, the boats will sail amid outstanding Bay Area sailing conditions. “We had lots of wind, swirling fog and even some sun here and there … perfect summer day!” John “Woody” Skoriak commented following last year’s race.
The Belvedere Classic Regatta is open to two types of yachts:
“Classic” — Yachts of classic design, built in wood or metal, and GRP boats (glass reinforced plastic) designed over 50 years ago. 30-ft minimum length overall.
“Spirit of Tradition” (SOT) — Yachts designed on or after January 1, 1975, whose rudders are separated from the trailing edge of the keel, and whose design embodies an appreciation of classic yacht or traditional workboat shapes and aesthetics. There are no restrictions on rigging, equipment, or construction materials and methods. 30-ft minimum length overall.
The Great S.F. Schooner Race is open to all sailing vessels with two or more masts, with the foremast equal to or smaller than the mainmast.
The racing area will be in the vicinity of Point Knox, west of Angel Island. The warning for the first Belvedere Classic Regatta division is scheduled at 1215. Schooners will start at posted start times after the Belvedere Classic Regatta starts.
If this appeals to you as a sailor, and you have the right type of boat, you can still register for the race here. Entries close at 1800 on August 20.
If you don’t want to race but still want to enjoy being in the presence of these classic beauties, head over to the San Francisco Yacht Club at 98 Beach Road, Belvedere, on August 22 and 24.
Learn more here: SFYC Belvedere Classic
Good Jibes #204: John Hamilton on the Resilience of California Yacht Club
In this week’s episode we chat with California Yacht Club (CalYC) Vice Commodore John Hamilton about the club’s resilience and revival following the devastating fire in December 2023. The fire destroyed CalYC’s historic clubhouse, along with decades on decades of sailing trophies and memorabilia.
Tune in as John chats with Good Jibes host Ryan Foland about the unique nature and offerings of CalYC, the things John wishes he’d known before the fire, and how to move your yacht club forward. John also shares the story of almost being stranded as a teenage windsurfer, and talks about why it’s OK to love both racing AND cruising.
Here’s a sample of what you’ll hear in this episode:
- The first rule of sailing
- Lessons out of devastation
- How the fire changed California Yacht Club
- John’s plans for when he’s commodore
- How CalYC plans to rebuild
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!
Learn more about John at CalYachtClub.com and Ryan at Ryan.Online.
Learn More About the Smarter Way to Own a Boat With Club Nautique
Local Youth Sailors Shine in Benicia Thursday Night Race
Twenty-three young sailors joined Benicia Yacht Club‘s Thursday evening race on August 7. About 50 Sea Scouts went to the club, with almost half of them crewing aboard 10 boats, thanks to the Nautica Group’s organization and the generosity of local skippers. “The evening began with a warm welcome and a volunteer-grilled dinner from the Benicia YC crew, setting the stage for a night of fun and teamwork,” reports Stephen Dale.
David Stellato, whose crew included Scouts Eva and Aanya, said, “We really enjoyed racing with our Scouts! They were totally engaged and helped us win our race. They also were very grateful and appreciative of the welcome and dinner they received from the group of volunteers from Benicia YC.”
The event wrapped up with smiles all around. Mark Campbell called it “so cool and so much fun.” Racing chair Steve Corwin thanked everyone who made the evening possible.
Thursday night races on the Carquinez Strait continue weekly through September 19. Sailors can sign up on Jibeset. Check out the first half (spring series) results here. The club is preparing to welcome a raft (and a raft-up) of sailors from all over the region for the Jazz Cup on August 30, the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend.
Bay Area Knarr Fleet Takes on the East Bay Sunshine
Light-wind Knarr sailing while wearing shorts is normally reserved for whenever the International Knarr Championship (IKC) takes place in Denmark or Norway, but that wasn’t the case on August 9 and 10. The Knarr fleet made the tow (or in some cases sail) down past the Bay Bridge to Ballena Bay Yacht Club (BBYC) for the two-day Ballena Bay Knarr Regatta, featuring five races.
Saturday saw three races sailed. In the warm Alameda sun, the big breeze took much longer to arrive than in other parts of the Bay, meaning that the first two races were sailed in a very light four to six knots. The breeze came up for the final race of the day, delivering champagne conditions of flat water and 12 to 15 knots.
The early edge went to 20-year-old Tor Svendsen, filling in for his father Sean on Svenkist (StFYC). The younger Svendsen, a rising junior on the Boston College sailing team, was skippering his first full Knarr event. He wasted no time getting off to a strong start, winning the first race and finishing second in the second. The final race of the day saw a shakeup in standings as Three Boys & a Girl (Chris Perkins and Hans Baldauf, StFYC) took the bullet in race three. The standings going into Sunday were as tight as could be, with Don Jesberg’s VIVA (SFYC) and Svendsen tied in first with nine points. Jon Perkins and Kurt Hemmingsen’s Kulani (StFYC) were in third with 10 points, and Three Boys & a Girl were in fourth with 11.
Sunday saw similar timing with the breeze. The first race was even lighter than at any point on Saturday. The race committee decided to shorten the course to just one lap as teams battled a strong flood and breeze in the range of one knot with gusts of three. As on Saturday, the wind filled in early in the afternoon, again leading to champagne conditions for the final race of the day and the regatta.
It was an abnormally hectic Knarr event in terms of boat-to-boat action. For a fleet that races in very close quarters, the Knarrs usually avoid some of the major collisions often seen in other fleets, but this past weekend was an exception. Several collisions, both pre-start and during the race, sent wood chips flying at various points. Results from the weekend may not be entirely finalized yet, with several protests still waiting to be heard this Thursday.
When the dust settled, Jesberg won the event with 12 points from the five races, and only one finish outside the top three. Randy Hecht’s Niuhi (StFYC) was second with 19 points, and Kulani finished third with 20 points to round out the podium.
Up next for many of the San Francisco Bay Knarr teams is the 2025 IKC, which will be hosted in Copenhagen, Denmark, between August 23 and 30.
Paris Olympic Balloon Meets Sailing
Richmond sailor Jeff Cook was recently in Paris and noted that the Olympic balloon that was lit at the opening ceremonies had tapped rigging expertise from the world of sailing. He says, “The Olympic balloon is still going up in the evenings in Paris. Ten lines control its movement. Now there may be an assisted method, but look what is ready for action: a self-tailing, two-speed Harken!”
Jeff, who sails his custom 33-ft cutter Annie out of Richmond Yacht Club, walked by the control lines and noticed the rigging set up by sailors. While the actual sailing competition was held in Marseille, sailors still made things work in Paris.
The opening-night display was designed by Mathieu Lehanneur, who was says he was inspired by the ancient Greek Olympic flame ceremony; it was to represent freedom — one of the three words in the French national motto: “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.” The ring is seven meters in diameter (about 23 feet), and the balloon is 30 meters (about 100 feet) tall and 22 meters (about 72 feet) wide.
Apparently the Olympic-sized balloon continues to rise over the Jardin des Tuileries near the Louvre in Paris. Many Parisian locals want to see the display continue to be lit, like the “temporary” lighting on the Bay Bridge, .
Dreaming of Your Next Boat? Start With Cruising Yachts
