Another Perspective on the YRA Half Moon Bay Race

Last week we published a recap of the YRA’s 2026 Half Moon Bay Race, written by Brandon Mercer. This week we have another perspective, as shared by Andy Newell.

On Saturday, June 20, 17 monohulls and three multihulls with 114 eager sailors aboard
started the YRA race to Half Moon Bay. Winds were light but better than the dreaded
forecast of “variable to five.” Due to the lighter wind the race committee gave us one of
the shorter courses (26.5 miles) around the #8 (inside) ship channel marker and down to
Half Moon Bay.

A healthy ebb current helped get the fleet out of the Bay and around the channel marker.
As we rounded, spinnakers went up but things slowed down since we no longer had ebb
to help us. The fleet stayed mostly as a pack for most of the day, spreading out slowly
as the faster boats stretched. Boats with asymmetric spinnakers, now a majority, loved
the beam-reach angle, and those of us with symmetric kites spent the day with the pole
on the headstay. Everyone had to sail high just to keep moving.

While on the course the whale-watching was the best I can remember in years. We saw
several groups of whales blowing and showing their tails as they dove. A few even
breached and did tail slaps. At one point we came upon a raft of over a dozen sea lions
with humpbacks around them. They were so close we had to alter course around them.
It was an incredible sight.

Conditions stayed consistent, with most of the boats making less than 5 knots with kites
up. The first multihulls finished at about 1440, with the first monohulls finishing within a
minute of each other just after 1500. The rest of the fleet trickled in with the last boat
finishing just after 1830.

Since this race is also part of the YRA Destination Races, there was a party at Half
Moon Bay Yacht Club with paella served to racers and lots of HMBYC members
enjoying the party and the band.

Our trip home early on Sunday was even lighter than Saturday, so we made the whole
trip with diesel instead of Kevlar and never hoisted a sail.