Wild Wet Wednesday in Santa Cruz

The Wednesday night beer can race in Santa Cruz this week coincided with a windy-gusty-puffy weather pattern and wild conditions on the ocean. From a vantage point high above the water, the whitecaps looked gnarly out on Monterey Bay. Close to shore on the actual racecourse, the water was a little tamer. But conditions prompted some crews to reef; others stuck with white sails, and one even had to retrieve a person overboard. The MOB hung onto a sheet and quickly climbed back aboard; we’ve been sworn to secrecy as to the identity of the boat.

Not coincidentally — conditions were rough on San Francisco Bay too — in Richmond Yacht Club’s Wednesday Night Beer Can someone fell off a Moore 24 and was picked up by a bigger boat. The forecast for the South Bay troubled Sequoia YC so much that they moved their Sunset Race indoors. “With winds predicted gusting over 35 knots, the decision has been taken to cancel today’s beer can,” wrote Hans Spanjaart. Hans suggested the clubhouse’s fireplace as a rounding mark — to be taken in either direction!

The Santa Cruz race is super-casual. The Sydney 38 Animal serves as the rabbit boat for a DIY start. There’s no scoreboard, no entry form, no sailing instructions, and no organizing authority.

Although they don’t run the race, Santa Cruz YC does host a post-race BBQ. (Santa Cruz County is in the orange tier for COVID rules.)

Santa Cruz also has a newer Tuesday night race for cruisier boats, sailing with main and jib only. Both run weekly through Daylight Saving Time. For more about Tuesday night races, you can read Barry Keeler’s blog, Sailing Pair-a-Dice. Geronimo, sporting their #1, won this week’s race.