“Best Seat in the House”
"Returning back to Sausalito on our 36-ft Cherubini Hunter Wildaire from a sail out to Pt. Bonita on the evening of August 25, three friends and I found ourselves caught in the cross hairs of the frenetic start of the Ronstan Bridge to Bridge Race," writes Richard Jardine. "This annual event pits international-level competitors on kite boards, windsurfers and the sleek 18-ft Aussie skiffs against each other in an all-out, high-speed dash from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge. Latitude‘s October article on the event sent me on a very rewarding Google/Bing search for extra detail.
"The pre-race chaos was happening mostly at the North Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge as we neared the area from outside the Gate. We entered into the Bay close to the South Tower before turning north toward Richardson Bay. Other than the racers and support craft, we were the only other boat around. We had no idea what the event was — it could have been an ad hoc assembly of various clubs out for a good time, for all we knew — when it would start, or the course direction. The gun sounded when we were just inside the Gate about mid-span. Almost in unison, the chaotic swarm altered course — directly at us! We watched in amazement and with some trepidation as the 40 or so craft covered the 1/2-mile distance to our position in probably under a minute. At our lumbering six knots, there was no chance of our getting out of the way. The convergence of so many craft right on our spot was an absolute adrenaline rush. Maybe because our relatively motionless vessel was an object against which to feel their speed, several racers passed by hair-raisingly close — behind our stern, along our port side and across our bow. Then they were gone. I’ve been on the Bay about 250 times in the four years since I bought my boat and nothing I’ve encountered compared to this.
"My Google search revealed that one of the competitors, David Wells, recorded the race directly from his windsurfer. He was one of those who darted past within yards of our stern. Being part the show, I obviously have some biases, but this footage really is a splendid several minutes that showcases the excitement we get sailing the Bay with its varied weather and conditions and events.
"The first minute or so is recorded from inside the Bridge near the South Tower looking west. Wildaire shows up briefly on the right of the screen at 34 seconds into the video. Then camera’s perspective shifts to outside the Bridge looking toward the City. We show up again after the race begins, first as a smudge in the fog at about 2:25 and up until the point of maximum convergence at 3:01. The only detail not recorded in the pass-by is the helmsman’s mouth — that would be mine — hanging open. Look at the kite surfer darting along our port side then around the bow! To experience the race from the cockpit of our keelboat was a real rush. Best seat in the house. Thank you Mr. Wells for the video!"
Sailing San Francisco Bay can be really exciting, and no more so when you find yourself being set upon by a throng of speed demons. But such events don’t have to come as a surprise — keep a copy of the Northern California Sailing Calendar and YRA Master Schedule aboard your boat, or just take a quick peek in Latitude‘s Calendar section, to see what events are happening on the Bay on any given day. Who knows, you just might want to join in!