California Racing Round-Up
Last weekend’s Butler Cup, the third regatta in the California Dreamin’ match race series, got blown out. With a severe storm watch in effect and high winds, host Long Beach YC was not able to run any races. Boats stayed in their slips on Saturday, and though everyone headed out to the race course on Sunday, the winds were even stronger than the day before, with gusts over 30 knots. The Catalina 37s used in the Butler Cup were designed for normal, moderate Long Beach conditions, without reefing mainsails. All of which left the series leader, Nicole Breault of St. Francis YC, with the series win and a place in this week’s Ficker Cup, a qualifier for the Congressional Cup.
"My expectations for how well I will do came up a bit this weekend," said Nicole. "What time we had in the boats was valuable, and I will have Bill Durant of LBYC calling tactics, a tremendous advantage for us." Other California skippers competing in the event include Bill’s son, Dustin Durant, of LBYC, Nevin Snow of SDYC, and Nicholas Dugdale of SFYC. The Ficker Cup started yesterday and continues through Sunday. See www.lbyc.org for more.
The storm system which hammered SoCal made last weekend’s racing on San Francisco Bay iffy as well. "The Rites of Spring for double and singlehanders was full of surprises," reports George Gurrola of Oakland YC. "In fact, it almost didn’t happen. The weather the preceding week was horrible and the prediction for March 17 promised more of the same plus thunder and hail. The Rites race is supposed to be a fun race for the beginners as well as SSS veterans, and this just didn’t fit." When Friday’s forecast promised a break in the storm as a high passed over the Bay, the race committee decided to go ahead, and 50 boats showed up.
"The winds were a little weird," said Gurrola. "The start off the Berkeley Pier began with beautiful 8- to 10-knot Estuary-like northerlies. Then, as the boats set out for weather marks at either Southampton or Buoy 6 in the Southampton channel, the weather began to change. At first, it got so light that some boats anchored. Then a big northwesterly banged in, turning a light-wind beat into a heavy-wind spinnaker run. Needless to say, the downwind leg became an upwind sail." For results of the Rites of Spring, see www.oaklandyachtclub.net.
The events that will have to contend with another strong storm system in the Bay Area tomorrow include Island YC’s Doublehanded Lightship (at least the ocean swell has flattened out), the NorCal High School Championship hosted by St. Francis YC, and Encinal YC’s final Jack Frost races.