OYRA Lightship

[Philpott]

Carliane has generously invited me to crew on Kynntana for the Lightship this Saturday. Would anyone care to share strategy from past experience? I just re-read the Lightship section in Kimball Livingston's Sailing The Bay, but I sort of love those long rambling ruminations for which the SSS is famous.

 

[Wylieguy]

Jackie, I always like to stay high on the Lightbucket on the way out, but not as far north as Jim Q seems to like. So, I try to exit the Golden Gate near Pt Bonita and stay north of the shipping channel - if the Four Fathom Bank lets me do that. Right now SailFlow is showing a repeat of the IYC race with a little more westerly in the wind. Single digits inside building into the low double digits on the way out and maybe mid teens at the SF Buoy. It's still a long way off, but if today's forecast panned out it would be a beat/very close reach to the Lightship. 1) I don't like to tack North unless it's absolutely necessary. 2) I never want to tack and sail North up to the Lightship buoy out there.

Later in the day SailFlow has mid-low teens all the way back. Max Flood's 1436. That's 4.5 hours after the Start, so if there's wind to get us around the buoy we might just sail straight up the middle, enjoying lots of push from the Flood? There's still push for 2 hours or so following Max Flood if it's slower. Three hours after Max Flood I'd be over on the Marin side hugging the coves, crossing under the GG Bridge, and trying to get into the counter current along Crissy. --Pat