racing a 1978 catalina 30 in SF Bay and Oakland estuary
- Thread starter mrreg
- Start date
John's right. I raced in our C34 one design (all year) fleet from 1998 (started in the Kurt Zane Memorial Trophy Race run by the C30 skippers) until 2006 (quit while I was ahead!!!
). Our class max was a 130, but many times in windy conditions I beat others with 130s with my 110. Even on the old reaching courses from Blackaller to Harding and then to Ft. Mason. We eventually split into a racing and cruising fleet for our C34s, but most of the year was our own starts in the Midwinters and GGYC summer series, finally the SBYC. Everybody for themselves in the Rites of Spring Race. I never did the 3 Bridge Fiasco.
I found practicing the course during the week really helped. Even my "cruising" The Bay helped, 'cuz either you're sailing your boat properly with your sails or you're just a goof! "It's a sailboat, stupid, sail it right."
Having most of the courses using the buoys helps, but I was also around back when they still used the Berkeley yellow marks, most of which went missing after a few winter storms!!!
Now that I live here, I'm a "trawler with a stick!"
My advice? Go out and practice. It's like docking!
Gonna do winter races at those wind speeds?
Seriously, you will rarely see those kind of wind speeds unless you're going downwind due east on the estuary or off the Oakland and Encinal YCs!
Or maybe Friday night beer can races from there to the turning basin.
Otherwise, whoooosh.......
Have fun, you'll be out there sailing while many of us are dealing with those pesky things called seasons!!!
150 on a c-30 doesn't sail for crap upwind without extra rigging to get the jib sheeted in tight. It's great for us down here in no-wind land, but in SF? too much. 135 or 110 with a whisker pole will do you great. Measure your DDW speeds vs gybing, and I'll guess a well trimmed C-30 with wing and wing (with a 135 or so) is faster than gybing with a reaching sail, depending on your gybes, bottom condition, all that race stuff I don't pay attention too 'cause I'm a cruiser now (unless somebody needs crew).
OTOH, a c-30 is a total dog downwind. A asym is fun and easy to fly. I love to fly mine, often on the way back from Catalina, but I'm not convinced it's better than wing-on-wing with a good sized genoa. But I'll fly it any time it's appropriate.. Cause we look absolutely fantastic with it up And hey, if it takes me 6+ hours to get back, I better look good.
Mebbe change over to flyin the spin... You'll love it... (well, the first 3 or 4 broaches will be terrifying, but then it's all just fun after that)
OTOH, a c-30 is a total dog downwind. A asym is fun and easy to fly. I love to fly mine, often on the way back from Catalina, but I'm not convinced it's better than wing-on-wing with a good sized genoa. But I'll fly it any time it's appropriate.. Cause we look absolutely fantastic with it up
And hey, if it takes me 6+ hours to get back, I better look good. Mebbe change over to flyin the spin... You'll love it... (well, the first 3 or 4 broaches will be terrifying, but then it's all just fun after that)