Yacht Racing Near and Far in July
They’re Off to Hawaii!
The Pacific Cup and the Vic-Maui Race both start during the first full week of July. The Pacific Cup will take 60+ boats from San Francisco to Kaneohe Bay, on the east side of Oahu, with starts on July 4, 5, 7 and 8. We preview the Pac Cup in the July issue of Latitude 38, coming out this Friday, July 1.
Twelve boats will set sail from Victoria, BC, to Lahaina in the Vic-Maui, starting on July 4 and 6. Among the boats that caught our eye on the entry list is Doug Baker’s Kernan 68 Peligroso, hailing from Long Beach.
Yacht Racing Association
Old salts will remember the days when the YRA took July off. Those days are long gone! The action continues to heat up all through the summer. Case in point:
After a two-year pause, the Westpoint Regatta is on for July 16. Organized by the YRA and supported by The Club at Westpoint, Treasure Island Yacht Club and Sequoia YC, the WPR starts at TI and finishes at Redwood Creek after a long downwind run. The Island Time Party follows, with a band, BBQ and awards. Previously hosted at Sequoia YC, this year it will be held at the Club at Westpoint. That club, in Westpoint Harbor, will offer a Sunday morning breakfast to eat in or take to go. This year, TIYC will host a pre-race reception on the Friday before the race, with appetizers and a no-host bar. TIYC doesn’t require an RSVP. Enter the race on Jibeset.
The last of this year’s YRA Weekend Regattas comes up just two weeks later, on July 30. The Encinal Regatta used to be called the 2nd Half Opener, but since the season doesn’t actually take a break anymore, that’s become a misnomer. The race sails from Berkeley to Point Bonita, then finishes with a long run through the Gate, the Bay and the Estuary to finish at Encinal YC, where crews can enjoy the party. Sign up on Jibeset.
The Estuary Extravaganza follows the Encinal Regatta on Sunday the 31st, with short-course racing.
Offshore Races
Although the YRA’s Summer Series and Sunday Shorthanded Series do take a break in July, the OYRA offshore series does not. On July 9, the OYRA fleets will race to Half Moon Bay, then on July 23 it’s the Jr. Waterhouse. Single-race entries are welcome, but save $10 by signing up at least five days in advance.
Slotted neatly between Pac Cup starts, the Singlehanded Sailing Society’s LongPac Race (200 miles out to Longitude 126º 40″ West and back) will start from San Francisco on July 6. The race is open to singlehanders and doublehanders, and serves as a qualifier for the Singlehanded Transpacific Race for the former. Registration is closed, with seven singlehanders and no doublehanders entered.
More San Francisco Bay Regattas
Boats will pursue one another from Raccoon Strait to Carquinez Strait and back in San Francisco YC’s Midnight Moonlight Maritime Marathon on July 9.
On July 23, Bay View Boat Club in San Francisco opens up the Plastic Classic to fiberglass sailboats of 1960s through 1997 vintage.
For the boardsailing crowd, St. Francis YC will host the SF Classic & UN Challenge on July 23-24.
Take to the Lakes
Tahoe YC’s Trans-Tahoe Regatta will offer buoy races on Friday, July 8, and a long-distance race on Saturday the 9th.
Fresno YC’s High Sierra Regatta includes two weekends of sailing on Huntington Lake. July 9-10 is for the centerboard crowd (register by July 1); keelboats will get their own weekend on July 16-17 (register by July 8).
Lake Merritt Sailing Club’s 60th annual City of Oakland Mayor’s Cup Regatta will sail on Lake Merritt on July 10. LMSC is celebrating their 85th birthday this year, and the club hopes to see lots of sails on the starting line. Usual fleets include El Toros and Sunfish. This year, the regatta will serve to kick off a new Summer/Fall Regatta Series. LMSC doesn’t have a website; for info contact the commodore, Denis Hazlewood, by email or at (707) 338-6955.
Monterey Bay
On July 21-24, Santa Cruz YC will host the ILCA (Laser) Masters North Americans.
Monterey Peninsula YC will take their turn hosting the Santana 22 Nationals on July 23-24.
Southern California
San Diego YC will host the Snipe Nationals on July 11-15. Four full days of racing will pair up with five days of on-land festivities.
California YC in Marina del Rey will run US Sailing’s Leiter Cup, the US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship for girls 13-18 years old, on July 20-24, using ILCA 6 dinghies (aka Laser Radials).
On July 22, San Diego YC will host the Dutch Shoe Marathon for Sabot sailors.
The Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing returns to Balboa YC in Newport Beach on July 25-30.
The Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race will be held on July 29-30. King Harbor is in Redondo Beach.
Pacific Corinthian YC in Oxnard will put on the McNish Classic on July 30.
As usual, this list is but a sampling of the regattas on offer up and down the West Coast. For many more, see our Calendar, coming out in the July issue of Latitude 38 this Friday.