Outstanding weather, the wind was fair, a great albeit delayed start, and five boats racing; yup!  It was just another perfect day in Paradise!  In addition to the usual suspects we had two new racers.  Lee Hornbrook on Serendipity with first mate Alex and crew Joe Harris and Jeanne Cole feasted their way around the course to establish their handicap.  Also joining us, Vernon Kleist on Via Mar with first mate Terri, and son Matthew gave Dave Baer on Casamar with crew Mike Sampsel and Mike Fontaine some stiff competition.  At our 1210 start horn Casamar, Via Mar, Marilee and Serendipity crossed the G17 end of the start line and were in close company approaching the first mark, G15.  But Marilee quickly overtook Via Mar and overtook Casamar at the next mark, R14. The ten plus knots of wind at the start of the race gave Mike Collins on Marilee and crew the opportunity to recover from their slow start. Marilee's crew included Gordon Froehlich, Tactician/Trainer,  Bob Chapman on Helm/Main, Kent Hildreth, Glenn Winder and Doran Milne on Grinders/Genoa,  Diane Winder as Genoa Cutter/and on Main, Doran and his son Tyler on fore-deck.  Marilee then closed on Don Litzenberg on Jandon with crew Gene King and Thom McCune, who were sailing short-handed but still had a comfortable lead from the start.  Marilee, on a beam reach, continued to close on Jandon as they raced down the North Island side of the bay keeping channel markers R16, R18, and R20 to port.  As the course took them back across the bay to FM19 the Marilee crew thought they were close enough to call for room at the mark.  What nerve!  Jandon jibed around FM19 out of Marilee's way and held her lead as the course led on to G23 near Seaport Village.  In the meantime Via Mar overtook the venerable Casamar in the downwind legs and rounded FM19 in the lead of the pack of 30-footers.  Serendipity trailed leisurely behind while her crew were enjoying lunch.  As the race neared the bottom of the course, at G23, Casamar and Via Mar gained on Marilee as she struggled during a lull in the wind. At R24, near Peohe's, Jandon rounded several boat lengths ahead of Marilee and started the long upwind tacks to R22, G21, and back over to FM19, on to G1 and the finish.  Via Mar lost her lead on Casamar after R24.  Via Mar's crew blamed Casamar's spiffy new see-through jib which enable her to point higher going upwind; but Via Mar gamely sailed on close behind. Marilee pinched up to make the G21 mark near the aircraft carriers but fell short, lost way and time rounding the mark.  Jandon gained a good two plus minute lead on Marilee by FM19 but couldn't increase her lead (kelp again!) on the way to the finish.   Casamar made an incredible job of pointing all the way to G-1, trading Marilee a short courtesy tack for her full tack to make the mark, lee-bowing and passing Marilee. By the G1 rounding, Casamar seemed to have at least 5 boat lengths on Marilee, but moments later Casamar stalled, and Marilee found herself on a crash course for their transom and no where to go (Mike remembered thinking thank goodness they removed the anchor before the race).  Apparently, a Casamar crew member pulled the wrong genoa lead (Casamar sails with inside and outside genoa leads.) Marilee found room to leeward and sailed wide of Casamar looking for better air, and luckily the course to finish did not require extreme pointing, and good wind 13 - 15 knots,  allowed her to pull ahead to finish second before handicap.  Via Mar was still close on Casamar's stern at the finish and Serendipity trailed.

 

So, who won the race on handicap?  Well, Jandon's two minute lead on Marilee and four minute lead on Casamar was not enough to take first place on handicap.  First place congratulations again to Dave Baer and crew on Casamar, now with a comfortable lead in cumulative points.  Mike Collins on Marilee took second; and Jandon followed.

 

Vernon Kleist on Via Mar and Lee Hornbrook on Serendipity have established a rather arbitrary handicap that will adjust to more realistic numbers over the next three races.  Good luck Vernon and Lee!  Speaking of handicaps, everyone did so well that the handicap was adjusted downward for all three of the usual suspects. 

 

We would like to see more boats in the SDSPS Sail Fleet at next race.  More boats mean more fun and sharing of stories at the end of the race.  Please mark your calendar for the next race on the 8th of August.  The August race is out to TG1 and spinnakers are optional!  Won't you join us?  It's fun and a great excuse to get out on the bay.

 

For those unable to open the attached Race Results they made be viewed below.

 

Don Litzenberg,

SDSPS Sail Fleet chair

57789

10.03

14:12:55

2:02:55

785

0.00

1

.75

7

766

0

10.03

14:15:20

2:05:20

est

est

0

3

19

938

0

10.03

14:45:30

2:35:30

est

est

0

3

19

983

0

0.00

0:00:00

dns

1203

dns

0

3

19

1203

7266

10.03

14:08:10

1:58:10

692

-15.83

3

3

12.75

685

7473

10.03

14:10:48

2:00:48

747

-6.38

2

2

13.75

732

0

0.00

0:00:00

dns

1053

dns

0

3

19

1053

0

0.00

0:00:00

dns

1089

dns

0

3

19

1089