Three Bridges

I was very excited to compete in my first race in San Francisco - the Single Handed Society's famous annual Three Bridge Fiasco. The race is so called because it runs from the Golden Gate Bridge, under the Bay Bridge behind Yerba Buena Island, and around Red Rock next to the Richmond Bridge (see my course track below). I think it is called the Fiasco, because you can go around these points in either direction meaning that boats are crossing in opposite directions all around the course. At the link below you can see a re-run of the race on GPSAR (click on Little Cat 794 or any of the other boats to see a re-run of each boat's race)

http://www.jibeset.net/gpsshare.php?A0=JACKY&A1=T009596126&A2=510c0ec4b958d&A3=d16e02761843f13e9f8e40914bee3aad

Three hundred and fifty-six boats were registered to start the race from 9.00 AM. Little Cat and I did OK starting at 9.20 with a PHRF of 216 (which I think is too generous) and finishing at 2.47 PM. This was second to last in the multis, although all were speedsters (F-boats and one really interesting Cross trimaran). We chose to go west around Blackaller bouy and then through Raccoon Strait to Red Rock. I made a couple of big boo-boos getting stuck in a wind hole behind Stuart point and then for 20 minutes behind Yerba Buena while all of the locals were speeding past. The wind really blew up in the afternoon and was at a steady 20 gusting to 30 knots as we came out from behind YB. I dropped the light air genoa - which was great on the run from Red Rock to YB - and finished the race under mainsail alone. I had to heave-to along the waterfront to put a reef into the main as conditions had become quite challenging and there was a mean chop resulting from the strong wind against a 4.5 knot outgoing tide. About 70 boats did not finish the race, I'm guessing probably due to the unpleasant conditions.

After the start on the waterfront (norcalsailing.com)

Heading back to Richardson Bay after the race, I had to manoeuvre to clear a tug and barge that were heading out under the GG at a tremendous rate with the tide. A few minutes after crossing, I heard a couple of horn soundings and then watched as the Coasties went flying past at great speed towards the bridge. I heard later that the tug had run into and sunk a sailboat, and that two sailors were pulled from the water - glad that no-one was seriously hurt.

2013 Three Bridge Fiasco around Blackaller Buoy (Sailing Anarchy)

Little Cat on the downwind reach from Red Rock (Credit h2oshots)