Upcoming SPSA Races Update and an inspiring King of the Bay Report 3 Dec 2020

Hey Sailor,


Here’s what we have in the works for this Saturday’s Fall Series Race and for the January 1st Pursuit Race.

  • December 5th Series Race.  No changes.  Weather looks really good: wind NNE at 10 to 15, high of 67, 15% chance of getting wet.  The getting wet part is if you are standing outside all day.  This is one of those days you will not want to miss.  Post race gathering under the tree.  Bring your own everything.  With the virus making a stand please respect the heath concerns of your fellow sailors.
  • January 1st, 2021 New Years Day Pursuit Race.  No change in plans for the race.  The post race gathering will be under the tree and a bring your own everything affair.  The traditional gift exchange party is taking this year off.
  • PS.  We still need RC for January 16th.

King of the Bay News

  • On the last day of November Mike Reed, aboard his Beneteau 235, Amber Looe, had one hell of a run, snatching away the November monthly King of the Bay award from Fritz Kloepfel and the crew of Libelula (spelling incorrect – I don’t know how to put the little accent above the e).  Amber Looe’s corrected time, of 50 minutes and 58 seconds is the fastest time so far in 2020-21 and second fastest corrected time for the King of the Bay.  Only Surge’s time of 48:55 from May of 2019 is better.  Here’s the amazing part, he was alone on Amber Looe.  See all the KoB results on the Regatta Page of your SPSA Web Page.  Read Mike’s recount of his historic run around the marks.

It was quite a run, and I knew it.  Winds were WNW, 14-17 kts gusting at times in the low 20’s.  Conditions were pretty ideal after the front passed over, as you had indicated in your email.  The water was relatively flat on our side of the bay.

I started at “S” and ran the course clockwise.  The key was that the winds were just enough North of West that I was able to lay the last leg.  So, it was a fast close-reach on the first leg, dead downwind on the 2nd and close-hauled for the home stretch.  The boat was powered nicely with one reef in the main, The big sail is new and I had a lot of bend in the mast so I was able to get it quite flat.  I would have loved to have poled out the jib, and I winced every time it “popped” full of wind when I stopped sailing angles and went wing-on-wing for a bit at the end, but I didn’t think it was safe to leave the cockpit alone in those conditions out in the bay.  There were a few optis and a chase boat inshore, but the bay was empty otherwise.

I had my GoPro recording during the run and made a video yesterday to share with friends.  I didn’t create it with general consumption in mind, but you are welcome to share the link if you think any members might get a kick out it.




Let’sGo Sailing!