Results: overall race results
Photos: more photos here
Day 1 -The St Francis Yacht club is such a prestigious venue that I always enjoy going there.
Beside the Yacht Club, sailing by the Golden Gate Bridge is also spectacular.
The weather is always a challenge there and this year was no exception.
At 1.30 pm, the wind was still fairly gentle but by the start of the first race at 2.45 the wind had really picked up.
The tide was ebbing against the wind, lifting the voodoo chop that San Francisco Bay is famous for.
The tide was forcing the committee boat to face downwind.
You had to be careful with the wind shadown projected by the tall committee boat.
I got stuck once and managed to back out of the wind shadow without getting sucked under the boat by the tide.
Beside the Yacht Club, sailing by the Golden Gate Bridge is also spectacular.
The weather is always a challenge there and this year was no exception.
At 1.30 pm, the wind was still fairly gentle but by the start of the first race at 2.45 the wind had really picked up.
The tide was ebbing against the wind, lifting the voodoo chop that San Francisco Bay is famous for.
The tide was forcing the committee boat to face downwind.
You had to be careful with the wind shadown projected by the tall committee boat.
I got stuck once and managed to back out of the wind shadow without getting sucked under the boat by the tide.
The first race got under way and I was quite comfortable on a small sail.
I got to the windward mark first and started going downwind towards Crissy Fields.
The wind hadn't quite filled in yet though and I lost a bit of ground to Tom Purcell who had gybed earlier.
I managed to regain the lead and things were looking good in that first race.
I had some brain fade though as I headed towards the committee boat to finish.
I had forgotten that the finish line was downwind of the committee this year.
I had to turn back and finished 3rd instead of 1st.
I got to the windward mark first and started going downwind towards Crissy Fields.
The wind hadn't quite filled in yet though and I lost a bit of ground to Tom Purcell who had gybed earlier.
I managed to regain the lead and things were looking good in that first race.
I had some brain fade though as I headed towards the committee boat to finish.
I had forgotten that the finish line was downwind of the committee this year.
I had to turn back and finished 3rd instead of 1st.
The second race started ok.
I rounded the first mark towards the front of the fleet and gybed early as this was the best option 20 minutes earlier.
This time, a few guys got a big gust heading to the beach near Crissy and got ahead.
I was trying to catch up a bit too hard though, got catapulted and broke the boom front end.
I rounded the first mark towards the front of the fleet and gybed early as this was the best option 20 minutes earlier.
This time, a few guys got a big gust heading to the beach near Crissy and got ahead.
I was trying to catch up a bit too hard though, got catapulted and broke the boom front end.
A rescue boat of the St Francis Yacht Club picked me up pretty quickly and brought me back to the shore so I was able to change boom and head back out for the last race of the day. The wind dropped a bit for the last race of day 1.
This time I headed to the beach downwind but he wind was too light there so I lost ground and finished 3rd.
Day 2 - started much like day 1 as the wind picked up thirty minutes before the start around 1.45 pm.
I headed out to check the conditions. Unfortunately after sailing for about 10 minutes, the mast broke.
Another rescue boat from the St Francis Yacht club picked me up quite quickly but the first race of the day started while we were heading back to the beach.
I got some new kit and headed back out for race 2 of the day.
I opened a good lead in that race and won easily.
I'm not sure if it was frustration of breaking stuff for two races in the same regatta or the set up!
I opened a good lead in that race and won easily.
I'm not sure if it was frustration of breaking stuff for two races in the same regatta or the set up!
Race 3 was one lap only.
I tacked quite early but got a good lift just before the buoy to make it in one.
The rest of the fleet was just behind me.
The wind looked light near the beach so I gybed early but he rest of the fleet carried on.
We met again further down the run so the two options were quite even.
I managed to stay just ahead at the leeward gate and opened a small gap in the final upwind to the finish.
I tacked quite early but got a good lift just before the buoy to make it in one.
The rest of the fleet was just behind me.
The wind looked light near the beach so I gybed early but he rest of the fleet carried on.
We met again further down the run so the two options were quite even.
I managed to stay just ahead at the leeward gate and opened a small gap in the final upwind to the finish.
Despite the two retirements, the Yacht Club software had me in second place behind Eric Christianson who had sailed well all weekend.
It was a three way tie on points between second, third and fourth place.
It appeared that the tie break hadn't been resolved properly though by the software.
We swapped trophies as I got third place in the end.
It was a three way tie on points between second, third and fourth place.
It appeared that the tie break hadn't been resolved properly though by the software.
We swapped trophies as I got third place in the end.
Well, the 2015 edition of the Elvstrom Zellerbach Regatta will be one to remember with some much drama!