Olivier invited me to go out with him on his Ericson 34, CORTO MALTESE, and I asked if it would be okay to invite Michael as well, and we all ended up heading out about 2:30 pm.
As we headed out into the central bay, other sailboats were already heading home toward the Bay Bridge.
As we headed west on the southwest breeze, this sailboat passed close to port, looking good on her downwind course.
A number of race boats were heading home under spinnaker after completing the race, like this one along the cityfront-- the city behind enjoying the brilliant afternoon sunshine....
... and this one with a colorful checkered kite...
... and this one that had to fall off a bit to give us right of way....
... and then passed astern, looking good!
Another race boat was heading for Sausalito under main only.
A couple of tacks took us out the GGB at about midspan...
.. and out on the ocean a kitesurfer was enjoying the great winds and substantial wind waves. Behind the kitesurfer was a coast guard motor lifeboat heading for home port.
ADVENTURE CAT 2 was heading back inside the bay after earlier shooting the gate with her passengers.
As we sailed toward the south, thsi lovely ketch passed to port, looking good and heading back from the ocean....
... as was this race boat, flying a colorful kite-- perhaps a straggler from the ocean race.
Along the shore, another race boat was heading for the gate under her colorful spinnaker.
With good winds outside the gate, we soon left the GGB far behind.
Eventually the wind softened on the course we were on, so we tacked and headed toward the Marin Headlands which were looking great in the midafternoon sun, eventually tacking to the southwast to head out further on the ocean.
We sailed out about a mile past Pt. Bonita, and then came about and headed back toward the point and the lovely lighthouse there, the ocean having 8-10 foot swells that made for exciting sailing, both outbound and inbound.
Approaching Pt. Bonita, we gybed and sailed over toward the light bucket on mile rock, then gybed again to head toward the gate, passing the lightbucket.
After clearing the lightbucket and the rocks there, we gybed again and heade down the shore, eventually passing the mansions of Seacliffe.
After passing SeaCliffe, we gybed again and headed for the gate, enjoying this view of the city through the gate....
.. .and eventually sailing to near the shore of the headlands just outside the north tower of the GGB, enjoying views of the rugged cliffs of the headlands.
Another gybed took us inside the gate, passing the light house just inside the north tower.
Inside the gate, several kitesurfers like this one were enjoying the strong spring winds that were more like summer winds.
Windsurfers were also out blasting over the bay waters like this woman, who flashed past the stern of Corto Maltese.
Way off to port, this race boat was crossing the gate, rail in the water in the strong winds.
Other windsurfers were also out there, like this one heading away..
.. and this one heading for us.
The city was looking great in the late afternoon sun as we sailed past Aquatic Park.
ADVENTURE CAT 2 was now headed out for her sunset sail.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse sail, and then motored around the pier toward the entrance to the marina, watching this sailboat with minimal sail timidly heading west toward the setting sun.
Later that evening, Olivier came over to ANTICIPATION and we had some wine and cheese and crackers before heading over to share a pizza at North Beach Pizza-- pleasures piled on top of each other! A great life!
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