July 7, 2014 — 1:20 PM PDT Lat: 37d 49.6m N, Lon: 122d 40.0m W (about 6.5 NM west of Pt. Bonita) Speed Over Ground: 2.2 kts, Course Over Ground: 280d magnetic. True Wind Speed about 6kts from 230d magnetic.
We need to get out well past the Farallones before the wind shuts down completely. I don’t know if we’re going to make it.
But we’re sure trying! Our day started with the crew converging on VALIS in her Sausalito slip. Linn, Rich, and Paul C. had spent the night aboard, and John, Phil, and Paul Elliott (me) arrived, with friends and family, by 8:00AM. We did some final stowing, said our good-byes, and cast off the docklines around 9:15AM, heading for our 10:40 appointment with the starting line.
On the way, I went below for the 9:30 morning roll-call with the Cruiser’s division, who had started yesterday. I had no contact with any of them, but did get a good signal report from Green Buffalo, who was preparing to start with the doublehanders at 10:55. I was also unable to get the 8:00AM tracker reports — I hope we can work out the bugs in this!
We arrived at the line with enough time to do some test runs, and put together out plan. We had Rich at the helm, and Phil working on our tactics. Everything was going to plan until I had a nasty override on the genoa sheet winch. By the time I unsnarled that we had to throw away our clever plan and just sail for the line. We were last to the line (I think Cayenne was first, but it could have been California Girl). On the way to the Golden Gate Bridge we managed to get by Blue Mist, but we’re much larger than her.
We tacked our way out to sea in good winds (on the nose), but once beyond Pt. Bonita the winds gradually fell to the light conditions we are in now. The fleet is spread out, and the doublehanders have mostly sneaked through. We are still moving, slowly, in a good direction, so we shall see what tonight and tomorrow brings.
-Paul / VALIS