Be careful what you wish for. Last year there was talk that the Singlehanded Sailing Society’s first race of the season might break the mark of 300 entries, and it almost made it. This year it grew so much that it zoomed right past the 300 mark to settle in at 366. Only 18 boats that entered didn’t make the start line at Golden Gate Yacht Club. This race has become one of the biggest on the West Coast.

One of the ‘fiasco’ features of this race is that boats can cross the start line in either direction, and round the three marks in any order. The light easterly and the flooding current made it a drifter for the first boats to start the reverse-handicap race, the Cal 20s Can O’Whoopass and Black Feathers, at 9:30. Fortunately, as the starts really got rolling and things got busy, the breeze picked up enough to allow for more controlled crossings. Clockwise seemed to be the favored direction, but plenty of boats went the other way too.

By the time the last (fastest) boats started, it was a drift-fest again. Adrenaline, Bill Erkelens’ D-Class catamaran, started at least a half hour late, and drifted backward across the line before finally getting out of the starting area to head off toward Raccoon Strait and one of the three marks, Red Rock near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The second-to--last starter, the TransPac 52 Flash, started with the current and sailed toward Treasure Island, the Bay Bridge mark. (Flash was actually scheduled to start after Adrenaline, but both missed their start times.)

Before Flash and Adrenaline had even started, boats were already calling in to drop out. Three dropped out before noon.

About the time Adrenaline was trying to start, the Hawkfarm Coyote tried to check in (an hour late), and then tried to start, but were unable to make it across against the flood in their attempted east to west direction. We found out later that Coyote had suffered engine failure, followed by a grounding “in the muddy clutches of the Richmond lee shore” on the way to the line, but made it to two out of the three marks - Red Rock and TI -anyway.

With boats calling in on the radio to check in while other boats are starting, you can imagine what a fiasco this could be on the race deck. A good hour is spent cross-checking the check-ins and starters after the starts are over. A crew of volunteers with good attention to detail and good concentration is a must. The RC volunteers for this race have paid their dues many times over. Complete accuracy actually takes days to accomplish, for our nine or so hours of fun on the course.

To continue on to Part 2, click here, or the ‘next’ button below/right.