January 5, 2015

The second Sunday of the Richmond Yacht Club Small Boat Midwinters saw steel-gray sunshine and bipolar wind conditions for the three courses set out in the Richmond Riviera. Two of the three courses are in the Point Potrero Reach alongside the breakwater, with the third outside near Southhampton Shoals.

Keala and sisters. The 24-ft Wylie Wabbits are the biggest small boats at the Small Boat Midwinters. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

The RYC Midwinters attract a variety of boats, and while there are several one design classes such as Ultimate 20s, Lasers and El Toros, boats that can't find friends to race against get thrown into Portsmith-rated fleets and duke it out on Breakwater and Southhampton courses.

An El Toro Seniors start. Note that newbie Deb Fehr in #11805 is getting a stellar start. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

The series also attracts a lot of out of towners who drive in from Sacramento, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa to enjoy some bigger winter fleet racing than they might get back home.

Buzz Ballenger comes from Santa Cruz to race his Flying Dutchman. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

In the morning while racers were setting up their boats, a very light northerly breeze made it easy to hoist the sails and get ready to race. But just as it was time to leave the dock for the first start, the wind kicked up a notch scooting everyone off to their respective start lines. On the courses the wind was up and down and very shifty, clocking to the west as the afternoon wore on. Along with the challenging wind shifts and puffs the racers also had to contend with a fast ebb current at the peak of the racing.

Snipes, FJs and Bytes were among the classes sailing the breakwater course. ©2015 norcalsailing.com

Small boat sailing is alive and well in Richmond, so if your ride is sitting under a tarp for the winter, drag her out and go racing. The next installment will be on February 1. See www.richmondyc.org.

Aboard Phil Kanegsberg and Denise Hammond's Ultimate 20 U Decide, from Tahoe YC. ©2015 norcalsailing.com