Elkhorn Yacht Club Hosts Dia de los Dinghies Regatta

The day dawned foggy and still at Moss Landing as Lasers, Lido 14s, Walker Bays, El Toros, and a Jester readied themselves for the annual Dia de los Dinghies, hosted by Elkhorn Yacht Club. Monterey Bay locals and a Laser sailor from “over the hill” (i.e., Silicon Valley) donned costumes, and the sun just began to peek through the fog in time for the 11:00 a.m. skippers’ meeting.

Racers were reminded that this was going to be a fun regatta, as Notice of Race Section 8.2 noted that, “Verbal protests will fall upon the deaf ears of the PRO. Visual protests will be likewise ignored.”

By race time the fog had lifted and the under-five-knot breeze was just enough to fill small sails as the diminutive dinghies jockeyed for starting position. Starts were sometimes all-fleet and sometimes staggered into three divisions (Lidos, Lasers, and “the stubbies”), entirely at the whim of the PRO (see “fun regatta” above).

The course was one or two laps from the north end of the marina in Moss Landing North Harbor, around the last outbound channel marker and back, with a turn buoy when needed, mostly a beam reach both ways. Racers were obliged to navigate around novice kayakers heading up the popular Elkhorn Slough, SUPs, sportfishing boats coming and going from three ramps, and active dredging operations in the channel. And of course, each other, as Lasers and Lidos lapped the eight-ft-and-under division despite the staggered starts.

After four races (and dwindling wind), the ties in divisions and for overall winner of the perpetual trophy could be decided only one way: pumpkin chucking. For the fifth and final race, the safety boat lobbed a variety of pumpkins into the path of the by-now sloth-like sailors. The PRO bellowed through his nearly battery-dead megaphone, “Ties will be broken by the most pumpkins retrieved, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO SAIL THE COURSE!”

Aquatic chaos and hilarity ensued, and sure enough, some divisions were in fact, “won by a pumpkin or two.” While the 14-footers started to clean up for the awards ceremony, three intrepid rowing dinghies down-rigged for the semiannual bragging-rights “Row Your Boat” perpetual trophy race. It was clear, blue skies and warm on the patio as winners were announced, prizes awarded (for a variety of non-racing achievements as well), burgers grilled, and plans made for the Totally Dinghy fun regatta in early May!