We headed out about 1:30 pm with a moderate westerly fluttering the flags on shore and Telegraph Hill.
Out on the central bay, ZEPHYR was sailing downwind, heading east.
We headed northeast, hoping to get over to the Berkeley Circle race course area where the Richmond Yacht Club was holding its Big Daddy Regatta, and off in the east we saw several sailboats enjoying the great sailing conditions.
The breeze freshened substantially and soon we were blasting along, as was this nice sailboat blasting eastward.
This nice little sailboat was blasting across the bay, looking great!
We sailed just to the west of the Harding Rock buoy serving as a resting spot for a solitary seagull.
Behind us, as we continued to the northeast, this lovely raceboat was blasting westward with her starboard rail in the water.
A bit later, in the distance, we could see part of the racing fleet approaching the windward mark.
Within a few more minutes, we were close enough to watch another part of the fleet rounding the mark...
...and then setting their colorful spinnakers.
Here are a couple of large race boats approaching the windward mark...
...and set their spinnakers...
...and begin blasting downwind in the 20-25 knot breeze.
This is one of the most beautiful sights on our beautiful bay...
...colorful spinnakers on beautiful race boats spread across the water.
A bit later, we began to spot the race boats heading back upwind toward the windward mark, like RACER X here....
...and BODACIOUS here...
...and SANDDOLLAR here...
...and this large crewed boat here.
Soon another part of the fleet was blasting downwind under spinnaker-- these boats being part of the J105 fleet.
QUEEN BEE was blasting downwind under a spinnaker matching her hull color.
Here's a trio of race boats flying symmetrical spinnakers.
A bit later, some of the fleet was blasting downwind toward the leeward mark, while others were beating upwind toward the windward mark.
JAM SESSION was taking some spray as she blasted upwind.
One boatwas blasting upwind toward us, crossing in front of another flying spinnaker downwind.
Bustin Loose was beating upwind and looking good.
A couple of other boats were dousing spinnakers at the finish line of the last race of the day.
We headed for Raccoon Straits and noticed that there was another fleet of race boats on a different course, further north, and here are a couple of the boats in that fleet headed for the finish line-- UTOPIA and CORSAIR by name.
The breeze started to soften in the lee of Angel Island as we sailed past the platform at Southhamption Shoal, making slow progress against the ebb current, the smell of cormorant guano greeting our nostrils.
As we continued westward toward the mouth of Raccoon Straits, hoping for enough wind to reach it and sail through with ebb current assist, we watched ast thi ssmal sailboat headed toward home port-- probably in Richmond.
LINE OF SIGHT appeared to be motorsailing toward her home port.
The crew on this catamaran was getting ready to set her spinnaker for her final run to home port.
We ran out of wind and decided ot motor a bit and see if we could find some breeze in the mouth of the straits, but found none, so we turned off th engine and began drifting with the current down the lee side of Angel Island, watching eventually as the yacht POTOMAC steamed toward the straits.
A nice Tartan motorsailed past.
We drifted past the old immigration building on the island.
Eventually, we picked up a southwesterly breeze and began sailing across the bay, enjoying light and shadow show put on by the sun and the cloud patterns in the west.
We sailed past Alcatraz and headed for the Bay Bridge, hoping to make it to the A-B span and then return to the central bay before sundown, but winds didn't cooperate so we headed back to watch the sundown.
The sun drops through some cloud layers above the horizon creating dramatic patterns in the sky.
Thick clouds on the horizon swallow the sun eventually, leaving some lovely sunset color for us to enjoy...
... a sunset with colored clouds and white clouds above the color.
As we eventually head for home port, the yacht POTOMAC steams past, heading east.
The sunset color continued to develop in the western sky.
We doused sail approaching pier 35 and then motored into port as dusk was falling and the lights were brightening on shore-- Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower lookign fine against the darkening sky.
1 comment:
Very nice pictures. I love sail boats.
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