Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race Starts a Day Late
Friday at RYC
The 10 remaining solo sailors registered for the Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race gathered, along with almost as many volunteers and a few spouses and friends, on Friday afternoon at Richmond Yacht Club for their mandatory skippers’ meeting. (An 11th entry canceled mid-June; he was the only Canadian skipper.) The race was scheduled to start off Golden Gate Yacht Club on the San Francisco Cityfront at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Friday’s activities started with a deli lunch, followed by a prize-giving for May 31’s Singlehanded Farallones Race. Jim Quanci, commodore of the Singlehanded Sailing Society, encouraged the SHF sailors to stick around for the SHTP skippers’ meeting. After all, they’re possible prospects for the Pacific crossing race. We’ll have more on the SHF in Racing Sheet in the July issue of Latitude 38, coming out on Tuesday, July 1.
Friday’s Weather Briefing
Jim then gave the offshore weather briefing for the next few days. The images projected on the big screen were a source of concern. “It’s looking a little interesting,” he commented. “I’d recommend taking seasickness pills starting now.” The weather models for Saturday showed wide swaths of red just off the coast, with sustained winds of 35 knots in the late afternoon.
“By mid-afternoon Monday, it’s a downright pleasant 14-16. In my humble opinion, you shouldn’t start tomorrow. Delay one day; there’ll still be mid- to high 20s, still rough, you only have one day of it.” Jim asked for a show of hands: “Who wants to start Sunday?” At least eight hands went up.
Race chair David Herrigel pointed out that the YRA would be starting their Sunday Doublehanded race (also from the race deck at GGYC) at 11:30, and the Summer Wingding would kick off from neighboring St. Francis YC at 12:30. Dave later updated the Sailing Instructions for an 11 a.m. start on Sunday.
Saturday
On Saturday evening, Jim ran a second weather briefing, which showed an elongated high pressure system forming mid-Pacific, and perhaps encouraging a small southward dip below the Great Circle route mid-course. From the weather forecasts Jim presented, there appeared to be a good lane with no big wind holes on the way to Hawaii.
Sunday
The starts went off like clockwork Sunday morning in bright sunshine, milder than normal wind, warm temperatures and nary a breath of fog to be seen anywhere. But there was enough breeze to get the boats out the Gate in a reasonable manner. The timing called for a flood going to slack, but we could see the new ebb building out from the San Francisco shoreline.
The water was flat, and port tack was heavily favored for exiting the Bay. On starboard tack, boats were pretty much paralleling the Golden Gate Bridge. Weather on the walkway of the bridge was sunny, mild and not particularly windy. This photographer overdressed based on previous experience.
Monday
As of this morning, the fleet was heading southwest, with some, including the planing-hull B-25 Akumu and the catamaran Rainbow, heading due south (Akumu has recently turned to the west.) All entries have AIS. Follow the fleet on Jibeset. Click on “Track Display” under “Display Options” to see the tracks in progress. Ping times vary, so we’re not really comparing positions in real time, but the 49-ft catamaran Starship appears to be out ahead, while the Westsail 32 InnFall is bringing up the rear. You can also check the SSS Facebook and Instagram for updates.
Because of the postponement, the deadline for finishing the race is now July 13. Next stop for the racers will be Hanalei Bay on the north shore of Kauai. SSS volunteers and yours truly will be there to greet them in early July. Kauai Sailing Association will host the awards party in Nawiliwili (date unchanged) on July 12.