Photo of the Day: Freedom

This weekend’s sublime conditions made for idyllic daysailing weather. Light breezes coupled with warm daytime temps lured scores of sailors from whatever chores awaited them ashore.

The docks at Ayala Cove were buzzing with activity and good humor. The young people on Dark Star were particularly cheerful as this was their first outing to Angel Island aboard their new-to-them Edson B. Schock-designed 1939 woodie. "We just bought her on Wednesday," said beaming co-owner Omar Elafifi, 29. In fact, Omar is the oldest of the four boat partners — the others are Scott ‘Gundo’ Gundersen, 27, Nick Niedospial, 26, and Alex Kleeman, 26.

The gang — who’ve owned three other boats together — plan to sail and work on the 40-ft Dark Star with the ultimate goal of entering her in the 2012 Pacific Cup. From there, Kleeman has set his sights farther afield: "Maybe a circumnavigation," he hedged. Now that’s the kind of freedom we all yearn for.