Golden Gate Midwinter - Race No. 2 ( 5 Races, 1 Throwouts ) on Saturday, December 1, 2001
Race No. 2 was a held in a raging rainstorm with gusty winds topping the east bay hills at 60 mph. The horizontal rain at the GGYC ranged 14 - 35 knots. Twelve hearty boats braved the rain to show up at the line for a reach to reach to reach course that went Mason, Blackaller, Mason, Finish. With a South Wind, no spinnaker sets were made and few passing lanes existed. Handling the extremely puffy conditions created most of the difference in straight line sailing. Whisper took the bullet, overcoming Orion who won the start and lead at the first two marks. Whisper passed Orion on the third leg by playing the gusts. Jose Cuervo, Horseplay, Hazardous Waste, Nirvana and Wind Dance traded off being third to seventh in a tightly bunched pack that nipped at Orion and Whisper all race long. Thankfully, the race was finished in less than 1 hour. Many of the leaders after Race No. 1 did not show for this rainy blow, essentially resetting the fleet as anyone's series.