News from the Singlehanded Sailing Society and Yacht Racing Association

Three Bridge Fiasco This Saturday

The skippers’ meeting for the Three Bridge Fiasco will be held via Zoom tonight at 7:30 p.m. “Since 1984 the Three Bridge Fiasco has given a rewarding challenge and experience to many sailors,” writes the Singlehanded Sailing Society. “Join us at the skippers’ meeting and hear from Ants Uiga, the race chair who gave birth to it.” To get the Zoom invitation, sign up for the race on Jibeset. If you’re a doublehander, be sure to share it with your crew! As of this morning, 280 boats had signed up. Today is the last day to register for the pursuit race, a true head-scratcher. Which way will you go?

The current will be flooding in the morning, with boats fighting the incoming tide to get to the starting line at Golden Gate Yacht Club, then a huge ebb will dominate the bulk of the day. Will there be enough wind to avoid getting swept out the Gate? (You can link to various weather forecasts here.) And how are your anchoring skills?

While the Three Bridge Fiasco is by far the most popular race put on by the SSS, it also kicks off a series of shorthanded inshore and offshore events that doesn’t end until the Vallejo 1-2 in mid-October.

We’ll see you out there, and we’ll cover the TBF in the March issue of Latitude 38.

Updates from the YRA

The Yacht Racing Association has announced that they’ve opened registration for their inaugural Blue Water Bash, a 150-mile-long distance ocean race. They’re dedicating this first edition to the Bay Area’s own Jocelyn Nash, a pioneer in women’s sailing. The race will start off the San Francisco Cityfront on Friday, May 6, and will take boats out to a specific longitude before they turn and head back to the Cityfront. This race is an excellent opportunity for Pacific Cup competitors to get their qualifying sail checked off their to-do list before this year’s race to Hawaii. The Notice of Race is posted at Jibeset.net.

T-shirts commemorating the inaugural race, in Jocelyn Nash’s memory, will be available soon, with 100% of the proceeds from T-shirt sales going to a favorite charity of Jocelyn’s.

The YRA also reminds us of the dates for the 2022 Great Vallejo Race: April 30-May 1. “After having to cancel the 2020 Great Vallejo Race, and having to scale back and move the 2021 race to late summer, we are so excited to see this Bay Area tradition return to its regular spot in the calendar,” writes the YRA. “We expect this year’s race, the 122nd running of the GVR, to have record numbers of entries.” Vallejo YC puts on a fun party on the Saturday night of the regatta. Registration will open on February 1.

We’ll have info on races coming in February in a ‘Lectronic Latitude post next week. Also be sure to check out the 2022 Northern California Sailing Calendar & YRA Schedule, and the monthly Calendar in Latitude 38.