Sausalito Yacht Club Hosts Summer Invitational Regatta
Sausalito Yacht Club’s 2026 Summer Invitational regatta drew 22 boats across two fleets — 18 J/105s and four J/88s — to the starting line last weekend, and wound up being the first regatta win of the season for Tim Russell and his team aboard Ne*Ne (SFYC).
A longtime dominant force in San Francisco Bay’s J/105 fleet, the Ne*Ne crew had been in the top five of the previous four events; Russell and his crew were consistently dominant on the weekend of July 11 and 12. The team didn’t finish outside the top three until the final race of the regatta, a fifth-place finish.
Conditions on day one of the regatta were breezy and choppy, with a building ebb and breeze consistently in the 20s making for some wet and wild racing. A two-three-two on the first day of racing had Ne*Ne tied with Ryan Simmons and his team aboard Blackhawk (SFYC) at seven points, and one point ahead of Randy Hecht’s team aboard Niuhi (SFYC).
“So far this season, racing on the Circle has generally rewarded boats that headed left to take advantage of the left shifts while sailing with the AP jib,” Russell tells Latitude. “This weekend was a welcome change of pace. The breeze was up, heavy jibs were the right choice, and the right side of the course consistently paid.”
Russell and team put the pedal to the metal at the start of the day on Sunday, winning races four and five of the regatta. Niuhi finished second in both races, while Blackhawk recorded a fifth and a third.
Simmons and his team won the final race while Hecht and his team finished in fourth, one point ahead of Ne*Ne, sealing the win for Russell and team. Conditions on Sunday were similar, though slightly less breezy.
“Our game plan never changes,” Russell says of the Ne*Ne team’s approach. “We focus on getting off the starting line in a position that lets us reach the side of the course we want to sail, minimize risk, and stay out of traffic. We weren’t looking for hero moves, just clean starts, smart decisions and consistent execution. That approach paid off, but it certainly wasn’t easy. The battle for the top three positions was incredibly close, making it the tightest podium finish we’ve had all season. Every race mattered, and there was very little room for error.”
The four-boat J/88 fleet was won by Tom Thayer, Robert Milligan and their team aboard Speedwell (RYC). The Richmond boat won three out of six races for a total of 10 points, five ahead of second-place Butcher (SBYC), helmed by Dave Corbin.
“A big thank-you to Jeff Zarwell, who did an outstanding job as race officer,” Russell says in closing. “The course lengths were just right, and the turnaround between races kept the event moving at an ideal pace.”
Both fleets now look ahead to San Francisco Yacht Club’s Summer Keelboat Regatta in early August.
You can find the full scores from Sausalito Yacht Club’s J/105 and J/88 Summer Invitational here.