A fleet of ocean racers was hanging out in front of the yacht club, including boat neighbor Stan on his 1D35 named ZSA ZSA.
A fleet of J boats was docked behind the yacht club, preparing for the J Fest regatta hosted by the St. Francis.
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Stanford's dingy racers were there in the parking lot, here taking one of their dingys off the trailer as they start to get ready for a dingy regatta.
As I waited for the ocean race to start, hoping a breeze would soon some up so they could start the race, I watched as this group of three outrigger canoes paddles past.
A very buff young man rowed past on a surfboard.
Eventually, the race committee shot the gun three times, meaning 'race cancelled' and the race boats all headed away from the start line, and we headed back home.
The dingies were now packed like sardines in the water and on the dock next to where the J boat fleet was preparing for racing.
At noon, Diana and her daughter Jade joined us for the second time, and brought with them, Valerie and her husband Dan. Valerie is Jade's French teacher at the French-American school. We headed out of port at around 12:15 pm, in time to avoid dragging the keel in the mud during the coming low tide. A very light breeze of just a few knots was blowing, so we raised full main just outside the marina, pulled out full jib and headed out into the central bay, sailing to the northeast while we ate some lunch that Diana and Valerie had brought.
This nice Ericson 38 was heading across the bay and looking good.
After finishing our lunch, we started beating westward in the freshening breeze to head for where the J Fest racing was taking place, and watched as CAN DO headed west in front of us.
Far off in the west, a lovely sailboat flying a colorful kite was sailing downwind and looking good, but was not part of the regatta.
J boats were hanging out to the south of Alcatraz, waiting for the start for their fleet.
We watched as this lovely race boat headed toward the race start line area...
... but then gybed and headed our way. My friend, Olivier was aboard and shouted to us as RHUM BOOGIE passed us, looking good. She was going to to the ocean race that was cancelled, so they were out practicing on the bay.
We sailed past Alcatraz and, behind us, some of the J boat fleets were still waiting for their start.
Way off in the distance, in the south, we saw the J120 fleet already heading upwind toward the windward mark, two of them just about neck and neck here.
We continued beating westward under full canvas and passed this interesting looking double master heading downwind.
A short time later, we spotted the J120 fleet heading our way, flying their large asymmetrical spinnakers downwind in the moderate breeze after rounding the windward mark which was in an unusual position right in the middle of the bay. Usually it is near the shore of the city.
One of the J120s named Grace Dances, on which my friend Michael crews, was headed our way on starboard tack and looking good.
The lead boat, Desdemona was heading downwind on starboard tack and we were well out of her way, heading north....
... but then she unexpectedly gybed onto port tack and passed uncomfortable close to us.
We came about and headed back toward shore to stay out of the way of the rest of the J120 fleet and Grace Dances had also gybed and now passed well behind us heading toward the leeward mark near Alcatraz.
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This J120 was lagging well behind the rest of the fleet and was blasting downwind on starboard tack, looking good but clearly not competitive with the rest of the boats. She was flying one of the more colorful spinnakers in the fleet-- a red, white and blue one.
A short time later, we spotted the leaders of the J105 fleet rounding the windward mark, setting spinnakers and heading our way. Lots of plain white kites in this group.
Soon a second wave of J105s rounded the mark and headed our way with more colorful spinnakers flying.
The fleet was looking very beautiful as they approaced us with the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge in the background-- a very thrilling sight!
The crew of the lead J105, LuLu was very focused as they blasted past us.
A bit later, the lead boats of the much smaller, in number and size, J24 fleet were headed our way, flying their symmetrical kites that use a spinnaker pole.
This year the J Fest also had a fleet of miscellaneous J boats in the regatta-- first time I've seen this, and here is a large J133 blasting upwind with rail in the water.....
... and later, heading downwind behind a symmetrical kite.
We continued beating westward until we were around the windward mark, but being careful to stay well out of the way of the racers, and here comes a J120 heading for the mark with crew on the rail to level the boat.
Chance was now the lead boat rounding the mark, here with her spinnaker set and jib doused as she blasts downwind toward the finish line of the first race.
Desdemona was second around the mark and here the crew had raised the spinnaker and was in process of dousing the jib onto the foredeck.
Grace Dances rounded the mark next and here was finishing her jib douse. Though in third place here, my friend Michael later informed me that they crossed the finish line in second place so managed to pass one competitor on the final downwind leg-- good for them!
Here it looks as if Grace Dances may have been blocking some of 2nd place Desdemona's wind and thus slowing her down so they could shoot past.
Here's the crew of the J120 named DAYENU preparing to round the mark and set her spinnaker-- the mast man waiting for the call to do the hoist.
She was followed by Twist, here also approaching the mark.
We watched all the J120s rounding the mark and then headed for the gate and shot the gate at about midspan of the GGB.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside, watching as, in the distance, the J105 fleet rounded the mark and headed downwind toward the finish line.
Here is one of the J24 fleet heading upwind toward the windward mark.
We stayed around the windward mark and watched as the J24 fleet rounded the mark and set their spinnakers.
We tacked back and forth around the windward mark, waiting for the next race to begin and the fleets to arrive. Here, Grace Dances is heading for the windward mark with her crew on the rail.
This time, Mr Magoo was first around the mark and blasting downwind well ahead of her competitors.
Then came Desdemona, Chance and Grace Dances as second, third and fourth around the mark.
An inbound freighter forced the J120 fleet to gybe earlier than they would have otherwise and here Grace Dances is in the process of gybing.
A bit later, we spotted the J105 fleet heading for the windward mark.
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Here the crews of two of the J105s are leaning over the rail to level the boat as they blast toward us.
Suddenly, we begin to spot kiteboarders playing around on the bay and shooting through the race course with this kiteboarder blasting past us within about 10 yards.
We hung around the windward mark just tacking back and forth, watching the race boats and soon spotted the J120 fleet heading for the windward mark again on their last upwind leg. Here the lead boat Mr. Magoo is blasting toward the windward mark with her crew on the rail and happy to be leading.
Here, Grace Dances is looking good as she blasts upwind on starboard tack. Michael later told me they again passed some boats on the way to finish second again in the second race to be tied for first place in the regatta.
The J120s had lapped the J24 fleet which is also heading for the windward mark.
Next came the J105 fleet with LuLu here heading for the mark on port tack.
We didn't stick around for the mark roundings and spinnaker runs, but headed for home port as the city basked in sunshine.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse sails and I then let Jade who is 9 steer ANTICIPATION as we motored around pier 35 and headed toward the marina entrance. I took over the helm then and motored into the marina and landed fine in the now flooding current. It was a great day on the bay and captain and crew enjoyed it thoroughly!
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