Regatta recap courtesy of Jason Woodley:

"We were pretty excited to participate in this year’s NOOD after being absent in San Francisco for several years. The St. Francis Yacht Club and Kristen Lane put on an unbelievable regatta both on and off the water. The regatta after party reached new heights with the “Dessert Room” and photo booth conceived and implemented by Kristen.

The racing was tough and competitive as ever on the course. On Saturday in the first race we thought the left side was favored and we started down by the pin end with a few other boats. Majority of the boats went right, however we stayed on starboard for quite awhile until we flopped over to port. The left side was the place to be in the bottom of the course and this was the case all day really and this gave the boats that stayed over there a nice lead at the top of the mark. Abitrage made a nice move downwind to pass us and then we battled the next couple of legs, but never could get by them and we finished 2nd.

In the 2nd and 3rd races of the day the wind started to build with consistently being in the 18-22 knot range. We stayed to our same game plan as the first race and stayed on the left side. The pin was much more crowded in the next two races so the start became a premium as only a few boats were going to get the best lanes. At the top mark there was very little separation at all in the fleet with the strong wind. Crew work became a premium especially in the jibes and there were several position changes happening downwind. We were just trying to stay conservative and keep the boat underneath us while minimizing our jibes. We were able to win the last two races of the day and I really attribute the success to the great tactical calls by Harrison Turner along with the excellent crew work in the challenging conditions.

On Sunday we figured the day was going to be a repeat of Saturday which it was. The left side was favored again, however the whole fleet was there to try and capitalize today. I didn’t do a great job of getting off the line with speed as I had a decent lane, but found myself fighting to keep it which I eventually lost. I knew I put us in a hole as we needed to tack out to the right in search of a good lane. When we came back to starboard the damage was done and we were going to need to sail very well the rest of the race in hopes of keeping our lead. The team did a great job of staying positive and fighting our way back. We finished 6th and with Jam Session finishing 1st and Abitrage 2nd. We figured in the last race who ever won was going to win the regatta as only a point separate all three boats.

In the last race all three boats where again glued to each other as we all started on the left side with Jam Session taking the pin. Around the top mark it was Jam Session with us right behind and Abitrage right on our tail. We decided to take an early jib for clean wind and set up well for the right gate. Jam Session barely crossed in front of us and they seemed to want the left gate. We both rounded the gates simultaneously and we again went out to the left. Once we tacked over to port we were able to cross Jam Session on starboard. On the downwind leg the wind was increasing and we saw 23-26 knots. It made for a good ride and at this point just trying to keep ourselves in front and not make any mistakes. On the run Jam Session’s kite exploded and I was hoping ours would not suffer a similar fate. All three boats were pushing hard in planing mode working the waves up and down. We were consistently hitting 15-16 knots of boat speed. Needless to say this was not easy on the kites in this kind of breeze. I was just hoping we wouldn’t have any gear failure of our own and could hang on and win. Upwind we went to cover mode on Abitrage and were able to hold them off just long enough to take the win and the regatta. It was a very hard fought regatta both days and felt like we had sailed our best to date this year and that was barely enough to win. The final top five was Risk, Abitrage, Jam Session, Racer X, and Blackhawk.

Big thanks to the Sperry Top-Sider San Francisco NOOD regatta and all the folks that made it possible. It was a fabulous regatta in every aspect and hopefully next year we can beat this year’s record turnout. We look forward representing the San Francisco NOOD regatta this year in the BVI’s."

Race Report, courtesy of Jason Woodley on Risk:

"The weather could not have been better for this year’s J105 Invitational at the San Francisco Yacht Club with 18 boats participating in the regatta. It was downright hot on Saturday with the wind coming out of the NE, it was not the typical marine air out of the NW. Saturday’s racing was extremely tricky because of the wind direction and the course was set with the windward mark and offset just south of Richmond. The race committee did an excellent job of setting up the course and adjusting as the wind was extremely shifty with some easterly gusts coming through. I heard someone ask the race committee over the radio if there was enough water to give you perspective of how inside the course was to accommodate the strange wind direction. With a nice flood there were several general recalls (I lost count) before the fleet could put the first race in the books. With the flood and the course basically being opposite a typical day I think the fleet mentally had trouble adjusting as normally in a flood you are a little more aggressive to get to the line.

Finally the fleet got off the line clean and with several wind shifts up the first beat and the boats that played them the best rounded in the top. Going downwind there were multiple wind shifts and fleet position changed at the bottom mark as well. Going upwind the wind seemed to stabilize more and the shifts were much smaller than the first two legs. The next two races the wind become much more constant in the range of 12 – 17 knots with shifts much more moderate. The conditions were absolutely beautiful with the warm wind everyone was in shorts and t-shirts throughout the day. We kept saying it was like sailing in SoCal except for with wind.

Sunday the fleet headed to the race course and the normal San Francisco conditions were back, except without the fog. The wind picked up considerably from Saturday with a range of 17-23 knots consistently with a few big puffs coming through. It was extremely exciting and close racing throughout the day with a few wipe outs happening occasionally on the downwind legs.

Before the last race we calculated we were a point ahead of Jam Session in the regatta. We just wanted to get off the line clean for a good start and not win a particular side. We started closer to the left side which we thought was a little favored along with Racer X underneath us close to the pin. Once we tacked over we could cross the fleet and this gave us the advantage to lead around the windward mark with Racer X a few boat lengths behind us. Luckily for us it was a 3 leg race as on the douse we had a massive knot in the roller furling line and after trying for a few seconds to untie the knot we resorted to cutting the line. Needless to say it was not a great rounding and Racer X took advantage. Upwind we went to cover mode and finished a one or two seconds behind Racer X with the rest of the fleet close behind. The top five for the regatta was Risk, Jam Session, Racer X, Abritrage and Mojo.

Big thanks to the San Francisco Yacht and Svendsens for putting on a great regatta both on and off the water. All in all it was a great weekend of sailing and sunshine! Hopefully we will see everyone at the NOOD in a couple of weeks."

The concise regatta recap, from Adam Spiegel, consists of the following:

"It was fun. We won."

Indeed it was fun. Rounding out the top places were Arbitrage in 2nd, Blackhawk in 3rd, Risk in 4th, and Donkey Jack in 5th.  Full results are here.

Charlie Bergstedt has some photos at his photoalbum website as well as some videos of the spinnaker sets.

Saturday Race Report

At 1125 hrs 13 J/105s "hit" the starting line in about 3 kts of breeze. Adam Spiegel's Jam Session, wisely using their engine up until the prep signal, dashed into the current toward the committee boat, nailing the start and leading the group to the first windward mark, and as a matter of fact, the finish line, 3 hrs and 36 min later. The wind gradually built over the 21.5 nm. course with a high of 17 kts. In the latter stage of the race, Tom Coate's Masquerade passed Will Benedict's Advantage3 for second. Rolf Kaiser and the Donkey Jack Crew (including Scott Sellers) finished just ahead of Marc Vayn's Whisper and Bill Hoehler's Joyride. The three boat were separated by 24 seconds. Saturday's ebb tide, sunshine and downwind run made the race pleasant in deed. Final Race Results can be found at www.yra.org. Check race info/results/party circuit.

Chinook Crew Wins 12th Annual J/105 Fleet 1 Toast Off !!

What Class drew the biggest crowd to the docks in Vallejo? The J/105 Class !!

Who was the winner of this long standing Fleet tradition, where one crew must toast the crew that just finished in front of them and present that crew with a six pack of cold beer? Jim Duffy's Chinook Crew, that's who. Their song was one of the more professional songs in modern times and even was accompanied by an instrument!

Who finished second? The Advantage3 trio (aka the Village People ) singing 'It's Fun to Race on a J.1.0.5 (aka Y.M.C.A)

And third? Theresa Brandner and the Walloping Swede Crew with a very "sincere" poem entitled "Victory Snatched Away! "

Who was the support staff? Jim Mullen (Cuchulainn) played Ryan Seacrest and was Master of Ceremonies. Lyn Mullen played Simon, Randy, Ellen and Kara, and judged the event, in addition to performing as the Class photographer (women can multi task).

And the Margaritas? After racing to Vallejo with Stuart Taylor's MMM (Magnificence Margarita Machine)(which was leaking gasoline) Theresa and the Swedes served margaritas that loosened the group up for a wild Toast Off !!

Who had a good time? Everyone!

Sunday Race Report

Once the fleet had assembled and had the mud shaken off their keels, the fleet had a downwind start with kites set at or before the starting line and lots of close quarter gybing down the Napa River. The breeze built and backed significantly in the last several hundred yards of the river, catching several in the fleet by surprise and causing some significant grief as boats tried to douse on a hot angle without losing too much ground to leeward. Joyride pulled it off cleanly and led the pack out of the river, with Racer X somewhere around 10 boatlengths back and Jam Session and the rest of the fleet within another 15 - 20 boatlengths.

Once in San Pablo Bay, Joyride initially took the line furthest to the west, with the rest of the fleet in the shallow water to the east. About halfway up the bay, Jam Session tacked onto port and crossing far behind Joyride's line, headed out into the channel to take the position as the right-most boat. Shortly after, the breeze clocked significantly such that when Joy Ride tacked to port, she barely crossed ahead of Jam Session. Jam Session again tacked to port, closely ducking Joy Ride and tacking back to starboard 300 or so yards on her weather hip. At this point, both boats were overstanding the layline to the finish and were sailing high to get to the current relief on the Marin shore and avoid a large hole to leeward. Once past Pt. Pinole, the wind continued to clock, tempting Joy Ride to try a chute. Unfortunately, a hot angle combined with several larger boats rolling over her allowed Jam Session to squeeze ahead. By the time Joy Ride doused and got her way on, she was clear astern of Jam Session and now defending against a fast approaching Mojo. Jam Session continued to the Marin shore, where she set a kite for the final crack-off to the finish.

A huge "thank you" to ZarAssist (owned and operated by Jeff Zarwell) for his low cost and friendly tow service! Without him, several of the fleet might still be in the mud in the Vallejo Marina!

A special prize is awarded to Donkey Jack, who won the single-handed division after starting the day as an obstruction in the marina channel mud, only to later run out of fuel halfway home. Captain Rolf singlehandedly set main, jib and kite without the benefit of an autopilot on board. When offered a tow at 5pm at Racoon Straights, he declined, insistent on making it all the way back to the dock under sail. Rolf is now reportedly excited about the Vallejo 1-2, run by the Singlehanded Sailing Society on October 16-17 (single-handed to Vallejo, double-handed back). Jam Session is the defending J/105 champion and is excited to have some more J/105 competition!