Encinal Yacht Club Hosts Gracie & George Regatta

This year’s Gracie & George Regatta, hosted by Encinal Yacht Club (EYC), saw an impressive 17 boats on the start line in champagne racing conditions of 8–10 knots of breeze, a small ebb current and glorious sunshine.

The Gracie & George requires each boat to have a female skipper and male crew in a doublehanded race around the South Bay and back down the Alameda/Oakland Estuary. It’s broken into two fleets: spin and non-spin.

The racing started off the south side of Alameda, heading across the Bay toward Oracle Park and down the Bay toward the Chase Center before a tight reach back across the Bay, then down the Estuary to end right outside EYC.

With fierce competition, including a photo finish for the two Express 27s in the spinnaker class, the Santana 22 Anemone, skippered by Shelli Bohrer and crew Hank Lindemann, won the class. In the non-spinnaker class, the Harbor 20s took top honors in first and second place, with Gemma Hansen and crew John Hansen coming in ahead on Scout. Honorable mention went to another Santana 22, Bonito, with the youngest team at a combined age of just 24: sister and brother pair Isolde and Wilfred Bodiley.

After racing, the teams enjoyed champagne and canapés put on by EYC, followed by the awards. Anemone continued the great run for Santana 22s in this event to make it five years in a row for the class, and getting their name on the celebrated Gracie & George Trophy once again. A great day of racing! EYC is looking forward to hosting even more competitors in next year’s event.