Sailing Into the Sunset With Friday Night Beer Can Racing

If the Golden Gate Bridge hadn’t been clearly in view, you might have thought we were all sailing in the Oakland Estuary. Friday night’s pre-start for the Corinthian Beer Cans saw most sailors in short sleeves as the usual chill swooping down from the fog resting on top of Sausalito was absent on this warm, clear, fog-free evening.

With a light breeze, the race committee set a short course, giving a time limit of 15 minutes after the 8:15 sunset. It’s these late-sunset summer evenings that beer can racing is made for, and the fleet was once again rewarded for finishing the week with a sail on the Bay. Besides the Matthew Turner, those signed up for the Friday night races were just about the only boats out there enjoying the near-perfect evening.

Just about everywhere we looked it was short sleeves on deck before the start. There was just enough breeze to keep boats moving out to the ebb, which carried us all toward our weather marks.

Once out on the Bay there was a nice breeze that got crew moving from the leeward rail to the better views afforded from the windward rail. The combined ebb and breeze made for a few quick tacks before the windward mark was reached and everything and everyone eased up.

With the help of fleet leaders pointing out wind holes and adverse currents, we were able to find the right combo of better breeze and less current and pull a rabbit out of our hat to lead at the finish. As all racers know, “It ain’t over until it’s over,” and the intricate wind and current patterns on the Bay leave you with hope when there should be none, and fear when you might think of relaxing. Rarely is a lead safe, or being deep in the pack a lost cause when conditions vary wildly across a narrow course.

Regardless of finishes, there’s nowhere else we’d rather be than on the Bay, starting the weekend with a sail. The time limit for the course will allow more sailing every evening until Summer Sailstice weekend, when the sun sets on the Bay at 8:35 and the course time limit moves to 8:50 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you out there.

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