Winter Solstice Sailing

About 20 sailboats and 65 sailors took the occasion of the winter solstice to mark the six-month countdown to Summer Sailstice with a winter picnic sail to Angel Island. Unusually pleasant mid-winter weather caused the guest slips at Ayala Cove to fill up as quickly as a mid-summer Saturday. And those who dressed for a cool, winter day were forced to strip down as they considered the brighter side of warmer winters.

Among the celebrants were Aaron Kennedy aboard his Beneteau 36.7 Ay Caliente, John Cabrall showing up with a couple of boatloads from OCSC Sailing, Drew Harper and his crew from Spinnaker Sailing, and Mary Swift and her Afterguard Sailing group.

The day started out cool, foggy and grey but everyone who crossed the glassy Bay that morning were rewarded with a sunny day at Angel. After a loud blast of a fog horn to signify the passing of solar noon at 12:07:35, barbecues were stoked and animals sacrificed to the pagan gods with ritual prayers for a bountiful sailing season ahead.

The gods must have been paying attention as, a short time later, a mild winter front rolled in from the north to generate a little ripple on the flat waters. With impatient seagulls waiting to clean up the picnic grounds, we all hurried to hoist sail for an afternoon romp on the Bay before the clouds opened up.