The annual Hoppe fun regatta is scheduled for Saturday, June 7. Come circumnavigate Angel Island (the direction is up to you).
START: The start - finish line is located off the Corinthian Yacht Club in Raccoon Strait. The race will start at 1300 hours (1:00 PM). (Prepatory signal 1250 hours, warning signal 1255 hours.) The power cruiser SOLSTICE is the committee boat.
COURSE: Sail around Angel Island in either direction.
FINISH: SOLSTICE - where you began.
CURRENTS: Be sure to check your tidal charts, they may be important to your strategy. Note too, that currents near Angel Island are 15 to 20 minutes after max at the Golden Gate. An old sailing adage is “hold to the beach.” Also, be aware of the major wind shadow behind Angel Island.
PROTESTS: No protests will be allowed. Rules of the road apply. First qualified boat to finish wins.
ALLOWANCES & HANDICAPS: No allowances for BBQ grills, TVs, excessive tool supplies or cruising gear.
AWARDS GATHERING: The regatta should end early enough to give everyone plenty of time to get to the 6:30 PM awards ceremony. Location will be either the Encinal YC or Alameda YC bars.
You are invited to attend the gathering whether or not you join the race. But, in ether case, please let us know your intentions and if you will need guest berthing. The final location will likely depend on the number attending.
More complete instructions will be mailed to Bay Area skippers -- if we have your correct address in the registry. . . (did you get the winter newsletter?).
Only two weeks remaining before the start of the awesome Hoppe Memorial Regatta around Angel Island on San Francisco Bay.
This fun race offers skippers a great opportunity to sail alongside other Ariel - Commander yachts, and to compare boat performance, sailing tactics and gear.
And remember, the winning skipper takes home a bottle of champaign courtesy of Race Committee stalwarts, Kent & Claudia Smith.
Let us know if you will be joining the race and if you will gather with the race committee at the Encinal or Oakland yacht club after the race. If you plan to sail in and spend the night, we need to make arrangements with the clubs to expect you.
I hope there is some interest in this event. I have been asked to sail on the great yacht Maika'i (aka ol' yeller) by her caretaker Mr. Bill Phelon, and I would sure like to see some other boats out there to sail with.
If you are planning on going how about sharing a little insight on which way you think you might go around the island.
Look forward to seeing your boats and meeting the skippers.....ed
The Mephisto Cat will be splashing in Ensenada this week (after a 2 week delay) and we will start a leasurely sail up north to the bay over the next few months...
Portugal Princess C#19 will be there and ready to go! I'm going to sail to Treasure Island on Friday so I don't get stuck in the "minus tide mud" like last year
June 7, 2008, was a great weather day for racing around Angel Island. Brisk breezes and lots of sunshine. Only one of the three boats indicating participation, however, managed to take advantage of the great conditions. Clay Mills, sailing solo on A-336 SOLIDAR, rounded Angel Island in the record time of an hour and 15 minutes to take the winning gun (horn, actually).
(The keeper “trophy” awarded this year at the dinner following the race was a bottle of Moet et Chandon French Champagne, donated by Race Committee members Kent and Claudia Smith. Clay promised to properly honor the award)
The awards gathering at the Encinal Yacht Club was attended by eleven current and past Ariel/Commander skippers and spouses. As you can tell from the group photos, it was a happy group.
The plan for next year’s Hoppe Memorial Regatta is to increase the number of boats competing by at least 100% . . . i.e., let’s get two boats out there to race around the island.