Looking Forward to Labor Day Weekend
Planning your adventures for Labor Day Weekend? The regatta calendar offers a veritable cornucopia of racing options on the West Coast.
One selection no longer on the table is the Windjammers. Santa Cruz Yacht Club canceled the race from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, traditionally held on the Friday before Labor Day, “due to declining participation.” Posts on social media speculate that the more stringent offshore safety rules of recent years have diminished the number of smaller boats that might enter and be capable of hauling out at SCYC post-race, making the trek back to the Bay Area at 55 mph rather than 5 knots.
Others speculate that the Jazz Cup has drawn participation away from the Windjammers. The Jazz Cup is a 26-mile mostly downwind race from San Francisco to Benicia on Saturday, August 31. South Beach YC will host a pre-regatta party on Friday evening, with live music and a buffet dinner. After the race, raft up in Benicia and stay for the party and awards at Benicia YC.
On August 31 and September 1, the Port Townsend Sailing Association will host the Thunderbird West Coast Championship on Port Townsend Bay in Washington.
The Veeder Cup on September 1 is a match-racing contest to crown a champion of Monterey Bay. Only Carmel and Monterey Bay yacht clubs are eligible to participate in this challenge cup. See www.mpyc.org.
Options abound for the trailer-sailer crowd.
- On August 30-September 2, Santa Rosa Sailing Club will hold their Labor Day Regatta out of Marshall Beach on Tomales Bay.
- Also on Tomales Bay, Inverness YC will host the Hog Island Invitational, which sails the majority of that long and beautiful bay.
- On the 31st through 1st, Humboldt YC will host the Redwood Regatta on Big Lagoon with camping and free boat launching.
- Treasure Island Sailing Club will host the youth crowd for Summer BAYS #4.
- San Francisco Pelican Fleet 1 will sail on Tomales Bay.
- On Labor Day, September 2, Half Moon Bay YC in Pillar Point Harbor will host a Laser and Opti Sail-Off.
Surely, within the above, there is something (and maybe more than one thing) for every sailor. Any others? Feel free to add your favorite in the comments section.
The sailing season doesn’t end with Labor Day; to find more racing all the way through December, check out our full 2019 Calendar here.