Racing Round-Up

Corinthian YC served up some excellent racing in the the YRA Season Closer over the weekend. On Saturday, most divisions were sent out to Point Bonita. The brisk breeze in the Slot petered out on the ocean, making for a light-air mark rounding, but no parking lots formed there or back in sheltered Belvedere Cove for the finish. On Sunday, all divisions were sent on a 10-mile dash across the Bay to the San Francisco Cityfront, again with a lively breeze in the Slot.

The Sequoia YC Summer Series ended on Saturday, September 26, with Race #5. Sailing started in a 10-knot breeze. "The water temperature in the South Bay in Redwood City was 71° with an air temperature of 72° — how often does that happen?" mused John Draeger, the race series captain. Gradually the northwest wind built to 21 and the ebb chop kicked in. "Although it was idyllic sailing, racers had their share of ‘the fly in the ointment’. For us it was a spinnaker wrap, hourglass and DNF, but still an enjoyable day," said Draeger, who sails the Jeanneau 40 Yellow Brick Road. Tim Anto’s Melges 24 Daredevil won the series.

John Demourkas was certainly ‘groovin’ on Sunday when his Santa Barbara-based Groovederci won the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship by one point over defending champion Alex Roepers on Plenty. Demourkas, the second-longest member of the class with 11 years of helming the Farr 40 under his belt, has never before finished on the podium at the world championship. Calling tactics on Groovederci was Bay Area-bred John Kostecki. Long Beach YC hosted the regatta on September 24-27.

SFYC is hosting the Audi Melges 20 Worlds this week, and 39 entries have come from 10 countries to play on San Francisco Bay. The class has enjoyed growing popularity, and about a half dozen teams are local.

The Bullitt GC32 Tour wraps up in Marseille, France, this week. Going into the last of five European regattas, the Sultanate of Oman was leading, with Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi team three points behind. Santa Cruzer Morgan Larson is Alinghi’s co-skipper. Besides big wind, adding interest and challenge to the duel is the Omani team’s fill-in crew, including gold medalists/America’s Cup sailors Nathan Outteridge and Iain Percy. Eight teams are competing in foiling 32-ft catamarans. After six races, Alinghi is leading by four points.

The early-entry deadline for January’s Quantum Key West Race Week is upon us. Entry fees will rise by $4 per foot after October 1. Nearly 80 teams from 10 countries are already signed up.