Vallejo Race Change-Up

Subscribers to the YRA of S.F. Bay newsletter learned of changes to the organization’s biggest race of the year, the Great Vallejo Race, earlier this week. The only change that affects the race itself is the intention to use downwind ratings for PHRF divisions in Saturday’s race to Vallejo Yacht Club on April 30. The subject line of the email reads, "You asked… we listenend!" Other than the PHRF committee, we’re not sure who asked for downwind ratings.

After a short beat to a weather mark off the starting line north of Treasure Island, most of the next leg is usually a combination of spinnaker reaching and running. But sometimes the wind comes too far forward in the middle of San Pablo Bay and kites come down. The final leg, from the Carquinez Strait to VYC, is almost always a white-sail reach. So the race is never purely downwind.

"What if there’s a northerly?" asked one skipper. "Will they still use downwind ratings?" We invite further comment here. To see how your boat stacks up with a downwind rating, see www.yra.org/PHRF/ncphrf_base_rates.html.

Other changes will be less controversial. "We’ll be scoring overall winners for each fleet, based on their Saturday and Sunday placings under regular PHRF," writes the YRA. "Many of you have asked for overall trophies, and this year we are giving them to you!" More trophies equals more happy sailors, for sure.

Unlike donkeys, racers prefer drinks to carrots. So the ‘carrot’ the YRA is using to encourage early sign-ups is drink tickets rather than root vegetables. The Express 27 fleet was the first one design to get five entries; PHRF also has five, but drink tickets are still up for grabs for the first five boats to sign up for the Sport Boat Division, the Non-Spinnaker Division, the Short-Handed Division and the Multihull Division. But wait, there’s more: "Be the first one-design fleet to get 10 boats to sign up and we’ll give you 10 T-shirt vouchers, one for each of the first 10 boats that sign up. Become the largest fleet to sign up, and we’ll have a special prize for each skipper in your fleet!" 

The structure of Saturday’s shoreside activities changes from year to year but it’s always a big party, worth sailing to and staying for. Food vendors will return after a hiatus last year. Food will be available from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m. Fish & chips, prawns, calamari, oysters, and BBQ ribs, chicken, pulled pork sandwiches or mushroom burgers, plus sides, will be available. Entertainment will start by 4 p.m. and the headlining band will take the stage at 7 p.m. 

A (usually upwind) race from Vallejo to San Rafael using regular PHRF ratings will round out the weekend on Sunday, May 1. Registration is open on Jibeset.