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One last squall just before the Seaweed Soup starting sequence on December 1 brought out a rainbow to send Division A on their way. GGYC's X buoy was missing; an inflatable tetrahedron took its place.
were disappointed, they communicated a chorus of thank-yous to the frustrated race committee via VHF. The next race is scheduled for January 6. There's still time to sign up at www.sausalitoyachtclub.org. — pat broderick Better Luck in Richmond While the keelboats attempting to race in Sausalito were out of luck, the dinghies and small boats found success in Richmond. RYC's Small Boat Midwinters kicked off on Sunday, December 2, with racing on three courses. An El Toro fleet of 15 Seniors and 9 Juniors enjoyed five races off 'Parents Point' in the Potrero Reach. These waters are relatively protected and easy to get to in the 8-ft prams, but have the drawback of being transited by commercial traffic. Indeed, one of the races had to be abandoned and the little boats herded out of the way of an outbound tug-and-barge combo. The conditions were just about ideal, with a gently building westerly and
sunny skies. "That was civilized — for a change," commented one of the Seniors while he was putting his boat away. Mike Quinn is leading the Seniors and Jack Holden the Juniors. Meanwhile, out around the corner on the Keller Cove course, Snipes, Bytes, CFJs and an Open Class were tucked away in shallow water with no shipping worries, but they found themselves in totally different wind. A chilly though still-civilized northerly fueled four races (Snipes got in five). With seven boats racing, the Bytes were the biggest class on this course; Michele Logan leads the fleet. The Southampton course race committee called a half-hour shoreside postponement to await the breeze, which filled in at 5-8 knots. The diverse crowd of 'big' small boats on the open waters included International 110s, Mercurys, Thistles, 29er skiffs, Wylie Wabbits, Ultimate 20s and another Open Class. A whopping 28-boat Laser fleet, including a mixture of youth and old-guard sailors, had challenging starts, including a gen-
eral recall in the second race. After three races, Roger Herbst leads the standardrig Lasers and Will Glasson the Radials. This series will resume on January 6. See www.richmondyc.org to sign up or check standings. — latitude/chris Backward in Berkeley The rains held off for the second edition of the BYC Midwinter races held on December 8-9. On Saturday, 43 yachts
For more racing news, subscribe to 'Lectronic Latitude online at www.latitude38.com December's racing stories included: • News of the 36th America's Cup, 50th Transpac and The Ocean Race • Golden Globe Race Updates • Rolex Sydney Hobart • Extreme Sailing Series • Etchells on Biscayne Bay • 2019 YRA Calendar • Star Sailors League • More Midwinters • January Racing Preview, and more. January, 2019 •
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