Spring Twilight races...

Deborah has joined up with Kathryn Munn's all-womens team to race Mischief, Kathryn's Islander 36, in Encinal's Spring Friday Night Twilight series. They're moving up in their class from dead last to fourth. It's all very exciting, and Deb has become the racing gal!

I took her out sailing on Dog Days on Saturday, and she had me moving the jib sheet carts and trimming sails to the gnats wing of exactitude. And, I must say, she was right most of the time. She's even gotten me excited about it, and I may take Dog Days out on the course in a couple of the Summer Twilight series races.

Ron Byrne Memorial Estuary Cup...

I had a great weekend at the club, and what particularly made it good was being invited along with Deborah to race in Encinal's Ron Byrne Memorial Estuary Cup with our vice-commodore, Charles Hodgkins, and his wife Kathryn Munn, on her Islander 36 Mischief. Deborah is on Kathryn's crew for the Friday night Twilight series, so she knows the boat, but it was new for me.


Sunday turned out to be a gorgeous sailing day. It rained Saturday night but the storm clouds were gone Sunday and we had a nice 20 knot breeze under mostly sunny skies. The race went from off Treasure Island, around Alcatraz (either way...your choice), back to marker eight north of Treasure Island, and then down to the Encinal clubhouse for the finish. After studying the tide change and currents, Deb suggested we go around the north side of Alcatraz, and we did, despite the fact that the rest of the fleet went the south side. Turned out Deb was right, and we took first place on corrected time in the cruising class. Great fun!

The Caribbean is still there...

I can attest to it! The sun shines, the rain is warm, the water sparkles and is generally clear (unless you're swimming in a crowded anchorage), and life is good in the Caribbean.

Just returned from a "spring break" trip to the BVI. Wish I was still there! The whole sordid story is posted on the cruising log page, filled with photos and all our insightful observations.

Now it's back into Bay Area life. This Friday is the first Friday night race at the Encinal Yackt Club followed by a sail-trim clinic on Saturday. If I'm not thrown out, I'll play some music at the club Friday night and try and sell some surplus stuff from the Cal 39 refit at the Flea Market Saturday morning. Looking forward to seeing friends at the EYC.