As we left port, this race boat was heading toward Treasure Island with a colorful kite flying. The tanks in the background are about 10 mile north in the Richmond hills though they look much closer here.
Boat neighbor Chris was out playing on his Laser as we headed west toward the gate.
We sailed out toward the west a ways and then tacked toward the lee of pier 45, passing the end of pier 39 where flags were fluttering strongly.
This canal boat out of pier 39 had to divert to give us right of way and passed astern of us.
We continued beating westward, actually shortening the jib further in the lee of the Fort Mason piers, and then finding lighter winds as we headed out into the bay further. In front of the St. Francis YC, some sailboarders were gathered for a race start, and I heard the countdown to the start over the loudspeaker.
Here's one of the sailboarders heading west away from the start line.
Here's one of the racers heading back toward the finish line...
... as is this one.
Some kiteboarders like this one were playing around on the bay as well, but were not part of the race.
With lighter winds, I pulled the jib out to full for more power and continued beating toward the gate as this sailboat headed back from the gate.
On one of our tacks toward the shore of the city, we watched as this sailboat tacked around and wondered why. Perhaps they were offering assistance to this down sailboarder.
A bit later, this Coast Guard partrol boat blasted out of their station in Horseshoe Cove and headed east.
We sailed across the gate toward Horseshoe Cove and then tacked to sail out the gate about mid-span, enjoying views of our spectacular bridge and the dramatic Marin Headlands.
Both ends of the bridge were enjoying the brilliant evening sunshine and clear skies.
We sailed out a short ways and then came about and headed back inside, heading north for a while and noticing that a fleet of sailboats was preparing for a beer can race off Belvedere.
Sometime later, we spotted some sailboats like theset two, sailing downwind behind their spinnakers.
We gybed toward the shore of San Francisco, and our old pal, ADVENTURE CAT passed us to starboard on her way to the gate.
Some time later, we spotted that Coast Guard patrol boat heading back toward her home port.
Later, two military jets flew overhead at fairly low altitude. I've seen solitary jets fly over the bay quite often, but this was the first time I've seen two in formation like this.
The wind had softened further, so I came up into the wind and shook the reef out of the main before heading off the wind again to head for home port, doing some gybing back and forth and also some wing and wing. As we sailed past the Fort Mason piers, the sun was brilliantly reflecting off one of the condo buildings on Russian Hill.
ADVENTURE CAT passed us as we sailed past the pier at Aquatic Park.
I pulled in the jib so we could sail direcdt downwind from Aquatic Park and not have to continue gybing back and forth, and as we sailed between piers 45 and 39, the city was enjoying the last rays of the setting sun.
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The pilot boat blasted past us heading for the gate.
The sun dropped behind the hills of the headlands leaving behind a marmalade sky.
Coit Tower and the buildings on Telegraph Hill took on sundown tints.
Flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering in a breeze of about 8 knots as we passed....
....and some of these visitors on the end of the pier may have taken a photo of us as we passed.
I was tempted to continue sailing around on the bay until the full moon came up, but decided against it. We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the main and then motored around the pier and into the marina, landing nicely despite the rather strong flood current flowing through the marina.
Later on that evening, the full moon rose large and golden over the Bay Bridge...a beautiful, hypnotic sight!
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