THE RACING The SSS Vallejo 1-2 becomes the Vallejo One and None; RYC runs a COVID version of the Great Pumpkin and the Amazing Grace Cheney Cup; and Sequoia YC hosts the El Toro Corkscrew Slough Regatta. We visit CYC's Fall Series and check in on Midwinters in Sausalito and Berkeley. We hear from LAYC about the Fast Friday series and Breakout offshore series, and catch a glimpse of teenagers racing in the I240 PCCs. Box Scores include a variety of races, and we share a collection of news bytes in Race Notes.
eventual only finisher on Saturday — and overall winner — Scott Easom of the J/100 Eight Ball. "As I headed toward the Richmond breakwater, I realized that the restricted zone could be a problem in the flood, so I took early evasive action." Ah yes, the Richmond Long Wharf forbidden zone came into play early. A number of boats got swept into the abyss and had to quit. As the boats that were still alive and racing headed into San Pablo Bay, Scott kept moving. "I started with my big jib, which is on a furler, then I went to a small A-sail, but then I put up my new North 2A and started mowing people down. As I sailed up the Vallejo channel with the 2A, I had just enough speed to make headway against the 3-knot ebb." While Eight Ball was finishing just be-
LATITUDE / CHRIS
SSS Vallejo One and None The Singlehanded Sailing Society's final race of the 2020 season went out with a windless whimper. But that's not a bad thing, as you'll learn if you keep reading. The Vallejo 1-2 is a solo race to Vallejo Yacht Club on Saturday and a two-handed race back to Richmond Yacht Club on Sunday, with an overnight in Vallejo. This year, because of COVID restrictions, VYC was unavailable for the usual raftup, but the clever SSS board arranged to use the guest dock at Vallejo Marina as a replacement. After the SSS worked out the logistics of how to run the race and got VYC's permission to still use their race deck for Saturday's finish and Sunday's start, the race was a go. The start was off the Olympic Circle G buoy
Above: Singlehanded racing is followed by singlehanded kite packing for Scott Easom at Vallejo Marina's guest dock. Below: Sunday morning hospitality at Vallejo Marine Craft.
on October 17 in a building flood and dying northwesterly. Race chair Tom Boussie singlehanded the race committee boat (his Capo 30 JouJou), and 33 boats in seven divisions started on time in very little wind. As the first two fleets slowly crossed the line, the wind died and the flood pushed back. Tom kept the rolling starts going, as boats began dropping anchors just yards from the line. "I ended up doing a dip start after anchoring for 40 minutes," said the Page 72 •
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fore the 7 p.m. cutoff, the rest got stuck at the Mare Island Strait entrance or just shy of the finish. Rebecca Hinden on her Express 27 Bombora had made it really close to the finish line when the deadline came hammering down. "It was very frustrating, to put it mildly," she said. So, at the end of Day 1, only one boat finished: Scott Easom's Eight Ball. Due to the pandemic, there was no official party or dinner on Saturday night, though several racers ate out at picnic tables on the deck at the nearby Sardine Can restaurant. The warm temperatures that had stalled the breeze made for pleasant outdoor dining. While at the Sardine Can, Kerry Scott, whom we know from the Delta Doo Dah, chatted with SSS racers and cooked up a plan to offer hospitality at neighboring Vallejo Marine Craft. Kerry had purchased the boatyard earlier in the year. On Sunday morning, Kerry, his crew, and the shop dogs and cats welcomed the racers with free coffee, doughnuts and Bloody Marys — much appreciated by the sailors. Day 2's doublehanded race back to RYC again saw very little wind around the start line, and anchoring was the drill. But this time no one could finish, as the wind completely shut down before boats could even make it out into San Pablo Bay against the building flood. Although it was a disappointing weekend for most of the racers, the good news is that the SSS was able to hold all of their scheduled 2020 races (except for the Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii). And that was the fresh breeze everyone was looking for in a windless season of doubt. Congratulations to the SSS — and to the racers! — ncs RYC Great Pumpkin COVID Cup Richmond YC has been doing a bangup job getting races off while staying on