As we headed out into the central bay, heading west against a waning flood current, this nice large sailboat passed to port, looking good as she sailed downwind.
Some of her crew were in sun and some in the shade of the bimini covering much of the cockpit and the helm.
We sailed out a ways and then tacked into the lee of pier 45, watching as the Rocket Boat stormed out of the west marina. Note the flags on the end of the pier were fluttering moderately.
As we headed west after tacking away from the lee of pier 45, with Adrian at the helm, we fell off to give right of way to this small race boat heading for the cityfront and looking good! Not many boats were out there-- perhaps Easter had something to do with that.
Behind us, this ketch with tanbark sails was also heading west with full canvas flying.
We were approaching this trimaran and initially she was flogging her sails, but got them trimmed a bit better as she crossed in front of us.
This Ranger sailboat was looking good as she sailed downwind and passed us to port.
Closer to the cityfront, this small race boat was quite heeled over despite her downwind course.
As we continued westward, after another beat toward the cityfront where some dingy racers were doing their regatta, we watched as this lovely dark-hulled sailboat passed astern of us....
.... as did Tenacity, with Alcatraz in the background and drenched in mid-afternoon sunshine.
ROXANNE also passed astern of us, heading downwind and looking good with a nice crew complement aboard.
We eventually arrived in lighter air in the north half of the bay and let the jib out to full for more power, continuing to beat toward the gate and eventually watching as this very foolish person was sailing this small dingy with two kids in it toward the likely to be much rougher waters at and outside the gate.
We were soon in much stronger winds ourselves as we headed toward the gate on starboard tack and eventually the winds overpowered us and forced us to retreat away from the gate and reef the jib again down to a small hankie size.
We then sailed across the gate a bit off the wind as our old pal, ADVENTURE CAT, stormed past us, heading for the gate with a relatively small passenger load on the foredeck.
As we sailed past center span of the bridge, we spotted a center-cockpit sailboat headed out the gate with full canvas flying --- probably a heavy displacement boat since she was not heeled over with rail in the water. Behind her, ADVENTURE CAT was returning to the bay.
That center-cockpit sloop looked good as she sailed out the gate into the ocean swells
We tacked to head out the gate as we approached the south tower of the bridge and watched as ADVENTURE CAT passed astern of us.
We sailed out about midspan and enjoyed our views of the bridge and the headlands.
We sailed out just a short ways and then came about and headed back in, following Olivier on Corto Maltese that we had seen over by the south tower of the bridge, while that other sailboat continued out toward the ocean against the backdrop of the beautiful hills of the headlands.
Now that we were sailing downwind, we pulled the jib out to full again to try to keep up with and parhaps catch up with Olivier on Corto Maltese as she sailed beautifully past the entrance to Horseshoe Cove inside the gate. The headlands are still quite green but will turn brown and golden in a few weeks if we don't receive more rain in the meanwhile.
ANTICIPATION was also looking good and sailing beautifully--- this photo courtesy of Olivier.
Olivier's colleague, Larson, was at the helm as we began to catch up with Corto Maltese-- we are usually a bit faster than she is in a good breeze.
We were almost even with her eventually and her crew was enjoying the sunshine of the afternoon.
ANTICIPATION was looking good as we started to slide past them.
Our crew was enjoying the comfortable downwind sailing and warm sunshine.
As we and Corto Maltese headed toward Raccoon Straits in softening breezes, this center-cockpit sloop passed us to port, motorsailing toward the gate and gagging us momentarily with her horrible exhaust fumes.
This lovely dark-hulled sailboat was heading out toward the central bay and looking very beautiful
This well-reefed small Catalina named Lely passed us to port heading toward the gate.
With the wind continuing to soften, we gave up on heading for Raccoon Straits and gybed to head back toward home port, planning possibly to head for the Bay Bridge if the wind freshened in the central bay. Looking behind us, we could see that Olivier had followed suit and was following us with his asymmetrical spinnaker now flying nicely. She was not as close to us as this photo suggests, but I expected her to close the gap in the light breeze yet she didn't because we ghosted out of the light air into a strong breeze about half way to Alcatraz and were thereafter making great headway in 15+ knots of wind. Corto Maltese had to fall off the wind after arriving in the strong breeze and she sailed past the north side of Alcatraz toward Treasure Island.
We were soon blazing our way down the cityfront toward the A-B span of the Bay Bridge, watching the Ferry Building loom closer and the financial district of the city begin to slide by.
A Coast Guard patrol boat steamed past us to port as we headed for the bridge, eventually sailing under the A-B span, reefing the jib again and then first heading toward the shore and then tacking to head back toward home port.
We eventually passed boat neighbor Tim on his Golden Gate sailboat named CHEWINK as she headed toward the Bay Bridge.
We eventually tacked into the lee of pier 35 to find calm air for dousing sails and then motored around the pier and into the marina, landing fine in the light ebb current flowing at that time. After my crewmates departed, I walked over to Olvier's boat and enjoyed some wine and goodies with him and his crewmates in the cockpit of Corto Maltese. Another great time on the bay was had by all!!! And, after three days in a row of great sailing, my pleasure receptors were overflowing!
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