Santana 22 Pre-season warm up races 2013

This weekend past the Santana Association around the San Francisco Bay had their pre season tune-up for racing.  I did this last year and really enjoyed it.  It was one of the truths I learned from racing bicycles that holds true for racing boats:  I enjoy racing against my friends more than I enjoy racing against strangers.

We were in Clipper Cove again this year and the weather was pretty initially pretty bleak.  My friend Steve and I motored out the estuary in the drizzle of a typical Sf BAY fog.  It was wet, it was cold..... (if you don't get the Wes Harrison reference, now you know), but we made it over in plenty of time for the start of the first race.  Super Light.  Meaning almost no wind.  Ghosting around in my yellow boat we were clearly out classed by many of the other boats.  It also took me a moment to get my bearings in terms of trim for the conditions.

I was more than a little concerned to see a fine matt of green growing on my rudder two weeks after my last hull cleaning.  It confirms my worst fears and I only wish I could have scheduled my haul out sooner.  Oh well.

We broke away after a great lunch, but we still didn't get back to San Jose till 6pm, about 2 hours later than the latest I thought I'd be.  So, in the dog house again, dammit.

Here is the NorCal sailing article about the day.  Rob Macfarlane gets photo credit for the images of Dayspring on this post.