JENNIFER MCKENNA
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE —
Since the first Farallones race in
1907, sailing around the Southeast Farallon Island has been a popular goal for San Francisco Bay racers — that's 111 years! The 58-mile round trip provides challenges to seamanship, navigation and endurance, sometimes taking 12 hours or more to complete. The traditional OYRA 'full crew' race has been joined by the BAMA Doublehanded Farallones and the Singlehanded Sailing Society's Singlehanded Farallones, providing three opportunities each year to visit what many call the "Stinky Rock" (home to several hundred thousand sea birds, the island can be smelled several miles downwind). These challenging races through
SLACKWATER SF
Randy Miller's Open 8.5 'Mamma Tried' was the first boat back in the Gate.
Gary Troxel and Rune Storesund on the Beneteau 423 'Tiki Blue' and Val Sokolsky and Sergey Kurguzov on the C&C 41 'Nessie' round the turning mark of the Doublehanded Farallones on March 24.
the Gulf of the Farallones out to near the edge of the continental shelf have claimed multiple lives and test the sailing and navigational skills of each skipper who participates. Most Farallones Race skippers and crews are satisfied when they complete the race, no matter how well they end up in the standings. The Bay Area Multihull Association's 39th Doublehanded Farallones on March 24 provided an almost-perfect race for 69 entries, with moderate westerly wind, a 2-knot ebb at the start, and, for most boats finishing, a nice flood on the way back. However, most skippers who reported in commented on the lumpy seas between Lands End and the Lightbucket. Ludo Milin and Mark Scott, sailing the J/120 Saetta "managed to keep our breakfast down, although it was a bit iffy for the first couple hours." Jim Quanci, who has sailed numerous Hawaii races, estimated "8-ft swells and 5-ft wind waves" and was glad he "popped a Bonine early." Quanci, a veteran of several dozen Farallones races, sailing with his son Stephen, exited near Point Bonita to catch the ebb and the northwest wind lift,
and then, contrary to local knowledge, "stayed on starboard awaiting the promised wind swing from northwest to west." Ray Lotto, sailing his Express 27 El Raton with Steve Carroll, also "went south because the wind angle was 30 degrees off course instead of the 40-odd to 45 degrees going north." In the multihull fleet, Randy Miller's new-to-him Open 8.5 trimaran Mamma Tried took the southerly route of the Gate near Mile Rocks, then Miller said that he and crew Colin Dunphy wanted the left side. "We expected it to be strongly favored." As it turned out, most sailors decided that the unusual southerly course paid off handsomely, with boats following the local knowledge route sailing closehauled to get down to the Island. While they were doing that, Peter Schoen, sailing his Moore 24 Mooretician with boat partner Roe Patterson, "picked a layline that aimed toward the center of the rockpile, tacking about half a mile short to make sure we didn't overstand." Schoen also commented that it was his first Farallones Race on a Moore sailing the entire upwind leg with the #1 genoa up. Pat Broderick's Wyliecat 30 Nancy in the 'slow-boat' division was one of the northern-route boats. As he passed Middle Farallon Island on a close-hauled course, he watched anxiously as boats coming up from the south crossed, jibed, and disappeared behind the island. Boats going both directions enjoyed spectacular views of all three Farallon island groups. Schoen and Patterson commented on how clearly they could see the