The forecasted 30-knot winds didn’t materialize, but wind instruments clocked gusts in the high twenties in Golden Gate Yacht Club’s first race in their Seaweed Soup midwinter series on Saturday, November 1. Even more notable in the weather department was the driving rain which soaked crews, limited visibility, and made it hard for the pointy end of the boat to hear the cockpit and vice-versa.

Understandably, several crewmembers cancelled at the last minute, and about half the boats entered failed to show. The J/120 Mr. Magoo came to the club’s guest dock but didn’t race, and Ed Durbin’s Beneteau First 36.7 Mistral started, then turned on the engine and headed back home to Richmond. By doing so, they earned a DNF instead of a DNC, and two fewer points in the low-point scoring system. The only other DNF in the race, the J/24 Mr. Toad, had to drop out when their rudder broke. The fleet with the highest percentage of show-ups was the Catalina 34 one design division, with 7 out of 9 racing.

The four PHRF fleets were given rather a long course considering the miserable conditions - 10.6 nm. The race committee showed more mercy on the three one design fleets. The Catalina 34s, Knarrs and Folkboats all had a 5.5 nm course.

The bright red Farr 36 Wicked placed second in PHRF 1. © 2008 norcalsailing.com

The efficient Golden Gate race committee had already posted results on their website before the soggy racers had finished chowing down on post-race grub in the clubhouse. See them at www.ggyc.com/raceresults.php. The next installment in the series will be raced on December 6. You can still sign up - see www.ggyc.com/racenotices.php.