Stan joined us at 1:30 pm for our afternoon outing and we headed out shortly thereafter. As we headed out of port, we spotted boat neighbor Chris with his Laser. He was either preparing to head out or just coming in, probably the former.
Winds were moderate, so we raised full main just outside the marina and pulled out small jib as we headed out into the central bay where a lovely Knarr race boat was sailing downwind to the east.
Ahead of us was a large tanker that had just completed a pilot change or was preparing to do one, not sure which.
We headed west on the southwest breeze, sailing against a flood current and soon passed this nice sailboat sailing downwind. Her main was not properly trimmed for downwind sailing but the jib looked in pretty good trim.
We sailed out a ways and then tacked back toward the shore. The flagss on the end of pier 39 were fluttering in a breeze of 10-15 knots.
As we tacked away to the west again, this large race boat passed us, motorsailing-- in a hurry to get upwind and too lazy to beat, I guess.
Ahead of us, Peg was also heading upwind and well heeled over with full canvas flying.
We beat upwind along the shore to eventually arrive where some dingy racing was happening, and as we did so, this nice sailboat towing a dingy headed out of Aquatic Park and was crossing the bay.
A small sailboat passed us to port looking good...
... as did Sea Biscuit, blasting downwind under full canvas with flood assist.
Further out on the bay, our old pal, ADVENTURE CAT, was heading downwind, returning from the gate with just a few passengers aboard.
After a few beats, were among the dingy racers, some of whom seemed to be waiting for a start, like these boats, and some seemed already to be racing.
This dingy seemed to be just hanging out and not racing at this time.
These, however, were racing and heading upwind toward the windward mark.
We interrupted our watching of the dingies racing to watch this large trimaran named DEFIANCE blasting downwind. We've seen this tri out there a few times before.
Then it was back to watching the dingy racing with this dingy heading straight for us while beating upwind.
I furled in the jib so we could just tack around and watch the racing, and also interruped that to watch this lone rower heading east with the current.
Here four dingies are heading upwind toward the windward mark. Did I mention that thjs was a regatta for high school kids with teams from high schools and yacht clubs in the area.
Here on of the two kid crew is hiked out to keep the dingy as level as possible for more upwind speed and higher pointing.
We spotted one dingy overturned with the crew just preparing to right the boat again.
Here a couple of boats are rounding the windward mark and preparing to head downwind toward the leeward mark.
Here a large group of dingies are beating upwind en mass.
Some of the two person teams were boys, some both girls like here...
....and some seemed to be boy-girl teams, like here.
Here four dingies are rounding the windward mark in close quarters. You can see many more shots of the dingy racing at my photo album website:
http://cbergstedt.myphotoalbum.com
As the race was drawing to a close, we headed for the gate, pulling out a small jib for a bit more power for upwind beating. This cutter rigged sailboat with tanbark sails was slowing crawling upwind. She was carrying quite a bit of canvas but not very heeled over, so she is probably a heavy displacement, full-keel boat.
Further north, this small Cal sailboat was headed toward the gate and seemed to have lighter winds than we did.
I thought we'd see quite a few windsurfers out in the good winds, but only saw a few, like this one tentatively heading for shore after falling a short time before this shot was taken. He seemed to be rather new at sailboarding and lacked confidence in his skills.
Not so for this sailboarder who was blasting across the water...
... or for this kiteboarder who was doing the same...
... and looking good doing it!
This kiteboarder was heading for shore and also looking good!
As we continued beating westward, we spotted this lovely schooner heading back from the gate just inside the south tower of the GGB.
A race boat named KNOTS passed us to starboard as we beat toward the gate.
Further out on the bay, this lovely Knarr race boat was also heading for the gate.
Way in the distance, in the northeast, we could see the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain sailing around each other and firing canon blasts that we could hear from time to time.
That lovely schooner eventually gybed and passed astern of us, head north toward Angel Island.
Off to port, a Tartan sailboat was returning from the ocean.
We sailed close to the shore of the city inside the south tower before tacking to head out the gate on port tack close reach, watching as this lovely center-cockpit sloop headed for the gate on close reach starboard tack and far less heeled over that we were.
Our iconic bridge and the Marin Headlands looked especially beautiful in the brilliant afternoon sunshine.
As we shot the gate, we tacked to sail parallel to that center-cockpit sloop as we owed her right of way. She looked lovely with the headlands as a backdrop.
Most of her crew were sitting in the sunshine on the starboard side of the boat.
We sailed out a short ways, fell off and then came about to head back inside on board reach port tack.
As we sailed back into the bay, KRAKEN here, that lovely Knarr race boat, was heading for the gate on starboard tack close reach.
The slow cutter with tanbark sails was finally approaching the gate on port tack.
Ahead of us, in the distance, the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain were still circling each other and firing canon blasts, and we hoped to be able to close in on them and watch some of the action.
Meanwhile, this lovely traditional ketch, perhaps a woodie, was heading west and looking good!
Winds were much lighter in the north half of the central bay so we were making slow progress to the northeast, gybing back and forth, and as I feared, the two tall ships had broken off their mock sea battle and were heading for home port, the Lady Washington dousing sails as she motored westward.
The Chieftain kept most of her canvas flying as she motorsailed toward Sausalito.
That lovely schooner was also sailing back toward Sausalito now.
PRIVATEER was motorsailing, apparently chasing the Chieftain, hoping for a good look for her passengers, or perhaps just motorsaiing because the winds were too light to make good headway.
We headed for home port afer the Chieftain passed us, sailing to the southeast on broad reach starboard tack.. The jib was backwinding due ot the northwesterly direction of the light breeze, so I furled her in ghosted toward home port under main only for a while as this nice small sailboat headed south with full canvas flying.
After passing Alcatraz, we picked up a stronger southwesterly breeze and pulled the jib out to full to sail toward the lee of pier 35 on beam reach starboard tack as the flags on the end of pier 39 fluttered in a breeze of 8-10 knots or so.
As we headed for the lee of pier 35, a sailboat of similar size was behind us and also sailing downwind.
I had a bit of trouble starting the engine so sailed around pier 35 toward the marina entrance, then back out toward the bay, and finally got the engine started, so doused sail and motored into the marina and landed fine in the then-ebbing current. We had a delightful 4 hours or so on the bay and had quite nicely filled up our pleasure recepticles!
