Red Bra Action

Frances Larose reports:

On Saturday, October 20, the seventh annual Red Bra Regatta — sponsored for the first time by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau — was a celebration of women’s sailing on San Francisco Bay. It was a sunny October day on the Bay, with crisp weather and sparkling water, as 14 boats headed out of South Beach Yacht Club onto the South Bay race course. The wind was too light at noon to start the first race, so it was abandoned. The teams waited eagerly for a breeze to come and fill their sails. At 2 p.m., a light breeze came up, and the boats started the race. It was worth the wait; all boats, skippered and crewed exclusively by women, participated in an invigorating competition.

More than 100 women raced in this incredible event, with 60+ people spectating and supporting. After the race, a jubilant group of women piled into SBYC to hear the results. Fernanda Castelo, president of the California Inclusive Sailing organization for sailors of all abilities, brought together a powerful group of women on the Wyliecat 30 Iseult to win the Non-Spinnaker Division. Joan Byrne borrowed Squirrel, an Olson 911S, to fly the Taiwan spinnaker and support a stellar crew who won the Spinnaker Division.

After the race, participants enjoyed refreshments and a short presentation about sailing and touring in Taiwan by Frances Larose of PR Magic and representatives of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. Each person received a T-shirt, a raffle ticket and a goodie bag with special Taiwanese trinkets and snacks. Prizes, including stadium blankets and zodiac figurines, were given to raffle winners. The celebration continued late into the evening as everyone shared stories, discussed the race, and talked about sailing in Taiwan and other destinations worldwide.

This year’s Red Bra Regatta was chaired by sailors Joan Byrne of Los Altos and Winnie Kelley of Santa Rosa. This beloved event began several years ago when a group of women competed against each other in the Jazz Cup. One of the women skippers jokingly decided to make a protest, and, not having a red flag handy, whipped off her red bra and flew it from the backstay. The protest was registered and inspired a free-standing all-women’s race — a regatta in which only women could compete, elevate their skills, and have unsurpassed fun.

For more, see Racing Sheet in the next issue of Latitude 38, coming out next Thursday, November 1. Details of the 2019 race will be available soon at www.redbraregatta.com.