Sailboat Racing in August? Yes, Please

San Francisco Bay Area

Sequoia Yacht Club’s six-event Quarantine Cup Series will continue racing on August 1 and 22 on the waters of the South Bay.

The Singlehanded Sailing Society’s Round the Rocks Race is a go for August 8. As of this morning, 63 boats had signed up, 19 singlehanded and 44 doublehanded. It’s no surprise that a bunch of Doublehanded Express 27s have signed up, but a five-boat Doublehanded Alerion Express 28 fleet has also formed. Sign up by August 5, when there will also be an online skippers’ meeting, starting at 7:30 p.m.

For the first time, the SSS will use two Bay Tour courses of 19 to 21 miles. The two courses will help separate the doublehanders from the singlehanders and avoid smushed fiberglass at the rounding marks.

In question as of this writing was the SSS participation in the Drake’s Bay Race on August 22-23. The OYRA has canceled Drake’s Bay, as they have every other offshore race in their series so far this year. (Among them, the Jr. Waterhouse had been scheduled for August 8). A few years ago, the SSS joined the OYRA’s long-standing two-race weekend. An overnight on the hook in Drake’s Bay makes this a unique regatta.

Sausalito YC has canceled all their races through September. “The Sausalito Yacht Club Race Council has revisited the club’s racing situation and decided to continue the cancellation of all SYC club sponsored racing until further notice,” states the racing page on their website. “This decision was made to help control the spread of COVID-19 and to recognize the inability to insure a ‘level playing field’ for all racing crews. The SYC Race Council thoroughly examined every aspect of the situation before making their decision and felt this is the best course of action for our racing sailors and the entire Marin County community. While the summer seems to be slipping away, we are hopeful that at the least we’ll see all the fleets out racing for the Midwinters.”

Encinal YC plans to run their doublehanded Gracie and George Regatta on August 16. In this coed race, Gracie takes the helm.

Moore 24 sailors are looking forward to their Nationals at Richmond YC on August 21-23.

St. Francis YC has canceled the Aldo Alessio (August 21) and Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta (August 22-23). The Ronstan Bridge to Bridge, in which kiteboarders and windsurfers dash from the Golden Gate to the Bay Bridge, is “TBD.” StFYC has the  B2B on the calendar for Thursday evening, August 27. As noted on Monday, the club called off September’s Rolex Big Boat Series.

Racing on Monterey Bay

Although StFYC canceled the Laser North Americans, Santa Cruz YC is going ahead with the Laser Masters NAs, on August 14-16 and the Laser NorCal Championships on August 15-16.

Southern California

San Diego YC will limit their Olympic Classes Regatta on August 8-9 to singlehanded classes only: Finns, Lasers and Laser Radials.

Cabrillo Beach YC in San Pedro will host the 2020 Mercury National Championship on August 20-22.

Pacific Northwest

“Although the San Juan Island YC has postponed the 50th Shaw Island Classic Sailboat Race until 2021 (let future club historians figure out why it took us 51 years to celebrate the 50th), we invite you to participate in the special and unique 49½ Un-Shaw Island Sailboat Race to be held Saturday, August 8, 2020.” See www.sjiyc.com for more about this event in Washington’s beautiful San Juan Islands.

For much more, see the Calendar in the August issue of Latitude 38, out today. Check for updates here.