A Whale of A Wednesday Night Race
June 2, 2010 Race #5
By: Tom Reed Jr. (USA 111)
Posted: June 21, 2010
This year’s Wednesday Evening Series has brought us great competition and even better weather. The first four races this season have been nothing but PERFECT. Moderate winds and stunning sunsets. That is until the San Francisco fog rolled in for the June 2nd race.
Much like you see in the movies; thick fog that you could cut with a knife, and the ominous sounds of the Golden Gate Bridge fog horns in close proximity. This was the classic Chuck Kaiser, 13 minutes to mark 16 type of fog. (I think that is how I remember the story…..) Eric Kaiser in 122 was in the lead, with Wilson and Jeal close behind. Mike Goebel in 109 and myself were beating each other up for 4th and 5th. Just behind the two of us were Herrmann and de Lappe. The fog really got thick on our second upwind leg from mark X (GGYC) to mark 16 (Blackhaller Buoy). The first three boats rounded 16 and headed back towards X. Goebel and myself were on port tack looking for the starboard layline to 16 when my crew; LeeAnn told me that we needed to tack. This is where the story takes an odd turn….
Tacking onto starboard seems easy enough; Right? Not this time. LeeAnn and Hilary both yell at me to hold. The curious skipper that I am, had to ask why? The answer was not something that I had expected. LeeAnn looked at me and said that there was a whale between us and the mark. Now, I have taken sterns of many boats, ships, gone around logs and other floating debris, but never have I needed to go around a mammal.
I held my course and tacked behind the whale, while Goebel saw an opportunity and tacked in front. I remember thinking that one of us had to be right in our decision; however it turned out that the whale won this time. I had over stood the mark, while Goebel didn’t quite make it, and had to tack.
The run downwind was accompanied by our new friend for at least a little while. He then disappeared as fast as he had appeared. The Top 5 were:
USA 122, 106, 113, 111, 109
At the club after the race, there was a lot of conversation about our new spectator, but only the Folkboat fleet had seen him. Until now…………
Terri Watson (USA 95) received an email from Peter Donohue, the editor of California Kayaker Magazine. He happened to be in the same vicinity as our encounter and was able to catch these great pictures.
Thank you to Terri and Peter for sharing these great photos. If anyone has their own story that they would like to tell, email it too me and I will get it posted. If you find yourself with free time on your hands, and looking for a good read, check out California Kayaking Magazine.