November and Midwinter Racing Preview
Celebrate Achievements in 2023
The Yacht Racing Association’s Trophy Party will return to Richmond YC on November 18, 3-5 p.m. Come pick up your prizes and cheer for the champions.
November Races in the Bay Area
Among races coming up next month are:
- Friday-Sunday, Nov. 3-5: A Grand Master Team Race regatta, to be sailed non-spinnaker in J/22s out of St. Francis YC.
- Wednesday, Nov. 15: The Big Sail, Cal vs. Stanford, in J/22s at StFYC, complete with shoreside pageantry.
- Friday, Nov. 24: Wild Turkey Race on Black Friday at Tiburon YC. “Pay the entry fee and you plus all of your crew will get a shot of Wild Turkey bourbon after the race.” Registration is open for this pursuit race on Jibeset.
- Saturday, Nov. 25: Thanksgiving Pursuit Race, presented by Corinthian YC.
Super Saturday Midwinter Series
The first Saturday of the month is a popular time slot for Bay Area midwinter series, including these that start on November 4:
- Encinal YC’s Jack Frost Series north of Treasure Island.
- Golden Gate YC’s Manuel Fagundes Seaweed Soup Regatta on the Cityfront.
- Sequoia YC’s Winter Series out of Redwood City on the South Bay.
- Continuing a 50-year tradition, Monterey Peninsula YC will host Mercurys in the Perry Cup series. Email Jack McAleer at [email protected] by 10/30 (hey! That’s today!) to notify him of your intent to race.
Find info and registration on all of the above on Jibeset.
More Midwinter Series in Northern California
Sausalito YC’s Chili Midwinter Regatta will begin on Sunday, November 5, in the Knox racing area.
Berkeley YC will host separate Saturday and Sunday Midwinter Series starting on the weekend of November 11-12. Their Chowder Series sails every Sunday through March except when it conflicts with the Midwinters, both with racing on the Berkeley Circle.
Generally sailing west of the BYC Midwinters, RegattaPRO’s Winter One Design Invitational will begin on November 11. J/105, J/100, J/88, J/24, J/70, Express 27, Melges 24 and Moore 24 are the invited classes.
Island YC’s Island Days will kick off on November 12, with racing out of Alameda on the Estuary.
Santa Cruz YC’s Midwinter Series will begin on November 18. Sequoia YC’s Redwood Cup pursuit race series will also start on November 18, as will South Beach YC’s Midwinter Series.
The YRA’s Doublehanded Midwinter Series will return starting on Sunday, November 19. “All our Doublehanded-Only Midwinter races will start and finish off the StFYC race deck this year, with one race scheduled per race day, and courses created with doublehanded crews in mind.” Registration is open on Jibeset.
Additional series will begin in December or January; more on those in a future post.
Southern California
San Diego YC’s Hot Rum Series will run November 4 and 18 and December 2.
Long Beach YC will host the Butler Cup, Open Grade 4 Match Racing, in Solings on November 4-5.
Cabrillo Beach YC will host a Fall One Design regatta in L.A. on November 11-12.
Pacific Northwest
The next Race to Alaska will start on June 9, but applications will open on November 15. Applications will also open that day for the Seventy 48, a human-powered race brought to you by the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, which also produces R2AK. The Seventy 48 will start on May 31 and cover 70 miles in 48 hours.
Many more stand-alone races and regattas and midwinter series pepper the fall and winter calendar. Look for a longer list in the Calendar section of the November issue of Latitude 38, coming out on Wednesday, November 1.