The Encinal YC held their annual Gracie and George Regatta on Saturday (Gracie drives, George crews), with a South Bay course finishing down the Estuary in front of EYC.

After a week of foggy days the sun broke out early in the day for the Gracie and George fleet of eleven boats. Although lots of alternate boating events this same weekend brought numbers down a bit from previous years, everyone in attendance agreed that the weather was perfect for enjoying a day of sailing. Not too much wind so the Georges weren’t overworked with lots of sail changes and not too little wind either. 

Nina Balke and Mark Salmon on the Merit 25 Bewitched thought the winds were sweet! By the end of the first leg they had caught up to and stayed with the leader in the fleet ahead of them. Harp was first to finish, but Bewitched was only 2 minutes 31 seconds behind her, which put her in first overall as well as in fleet. Conditions favored the smaller boats in Division C which took all three of the top overall places: Bewitched, Merit 25 was first, No Moore, Moore 24 second and Arcadia, custom Santana 27 third. Harp, Catalina 38, was fourth overall but first in class A.

The overall win was perhaps a touch bittersweet for Laraine Salmon, veteran of many Gracie and George races, who watched from shore, recuperating from hip surgery while Nina was her stand-in Gracie. Laraine looks forward to being back on the boat before next year’s race.

- Margaret Fago, Gracie and George Race Chair, Encinal YC

Click here for results.

Tiburon YC’s Joan Storer Regatta (only one male crew allowed) was scheduled for the same day, but was canceled for lack of sign-ups. There’s talk of creating a more organized series of women skipper races, which will hopefully end these sorts of date conflicts. Sounds like a good idea!