Maybe only Anzu* knows what's going on, but this year’s Singlehanded Sailing Society’s Half Moon Bay Race sounded like a broken record (no records broken). The doublehanded and singlehanded fleets enjoyed a nice northwesterly all the way out the Gate until they realized it turned into a southerly past Seal Rocks. The boats that stayed inside on a shorter course won big time over the ones that went outside to find more breeze.

The talk at Half Moon Bay Yacht Club after the race was more about the disappointment of a beat than the anticipated fun reach to Pillar Point. John Lymberg on the Flying Tiger Savage Beauty summed it up: "Sportboats don't like going to weather. We had fun, but we are dreaming of ripping it up downwind down the coast some day. I even talked my crew into going by selling him on a great spinny run to paradise." Although the day started and ended in cold fog, the always-warm hospitality of the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club made up for it with a beach bonfire and plenty of alcohol.

The doublehanded entry Shamrock, a C&C 41, finished first just before 1500. The first singlehanded boat, the Baltic 42 DP True North, was less than a minute behind. Provisional results are posted at www.sfbaysss.org.

*www.windlegends.org/windgods.htm