Radios Buzzing on the Bay

With winds reportedly gusting into the low 30s this weekend, San Francisco Bay was indeed an exciting place to be sailing. A little too exciting for some.

Much of the day Sunday, VHFs were buzzing with announcements of one minor calamity after another, which kept the Coast Guard’s Search and Rescue units and other resources hoppin’. Among them, a powerboat drifted up on the rocks at Ballena Bay; a kayak was found adrift without any paddlers, which triggered a search for stranded swimmers; and, as reported above, several 505s capsized and/or were dismasted.

But the most dramatic story heard was that of a Viper crew racing in the Sarcoma Cup, which capsized while beating to windward near Alcatraz in a roaring flood. Despite the strong winds, the two-man, one-woman crew were able to right their boat, but as soon as the sails loaded up, it took off sailing on its own. In no time the flood pushed the soggy crew to Alcatraz, where one of the men was able to safely scale the seawall. The others were soon rescued by the Protector Escapade, whose crew then chased down the Viper, which was eventually towed in safely. (The full report is well worth reading.)

We’re happy to report that despite all the mayhem all mariners returned home safely Sunday. Just another day on the Bay.