It’s Over, and BZ is on Top – by Walt Raineri
The SBYC Mid-Winters for the 2021 to 2022 Series was appropriately named “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over.” Well, “it’s now over” and Bravo Zulu, representing BAADS, ended up on top with six bullets for the series which ended on March 19, 2022. Imagine that. The series ended almost two years to the day that the world shut down to protect against the Covid 19 Pandemic which had the effect of chopping off the final race of the 2019 to 2020 SBYC series, canceling the entire 2020 to 2021 SBYC series, and leaving a lasting memory we will all carry for our lifetimes. What a way to emerge from the involuntary cocoon of the Pandemic. Go Team BZ!
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No anchors needed for the March 19 final race day of the Mid-Winter Series with overcast skies and rain in the forecast to wrap up fivemonths of Mid-Winter sailing in the SBYC Series. While the gale force winds initially forecast never materialized, there was more wind than in any of the prior four months of race dates to usher out the Winter and welcome in the Spring of 2022. “It’ll clean the deck and anyway, need to bless the new sails with some water.” Skipper Walt told his crew as the light rain fell during pre-race drills.
A 2.5 knot Flood was expecting to max right about start time, but the 8-10 knots of wind in BZ’s brand new sails created more than enough power to plough through the current. Realistically the Series standings were locked down with BZ in first place, but it’s all about the sailing, right? BZ in the first race was slated for the fourth division start. Walt timed things perfectly and started right on the line, full speed, and close hauled as the race clock hit zero. A quick tack onto port to take advantage of the crab angle with the wind direction and it was off to Alameda. The course was a long one all the way over to Alameda and the turning gate between NAS1 and NAS2, then all the way back to the South Beach Harbor waters to finish, dodging the many container ships along the way. “Practice makes perfect” or so they say, as BZ’s crew made it look easy as they not only took the bullet, but passed several boats in the prior spinnaker division fleet which started seven minutes before them.
The second race gave BZ and her crew the opportunity to go head to head with the Foxtrot spinnaker division in a combined fleets start. The second race scattered the fleets as crews made differing strategic decisions concerning current relief and container ship dodging, but BZ still ended up with the bullet in her division and beat a few of the bigger spinnaker boats. Congratulations to BZ and her crew for another series victory.
Next up for BZ is the challenging YRA Summer Series which begins on May 21, the same day as the BAADS picnic on Angel Island. The goal will be to compete in the YRA City Front race and then swing by and join the BBQ in progress to celebrate the easing of Covid 19 Pandemic restrictions. “See” you there says Skipper Walt, the Blind Guy.