Three Bridge Fiasco - Coast Guard Pier

[solosailor]

When I rounded the backside of T.I. nearly all the boats there, but a few, were going right along the Coast Guard pier with a berthed ship. There is a 100 yard minimum distance you have to keep from the Coast Guard pier. All of those boats close to shore had better tide relief and got to the new wind line sooner and simply broke a federal law - and many of those boats were winners in the race.

This is the kind of thing that is bad for the SSS - please keep away from the Coast Guard pier and the Richmond Long Warf. 100 yards is way out folks.

 

[AlanH]

I bet we cut it pretty close on Velocious...Hmmm.

I saw at least two boats go inside the 100 yard mark on the Richmond Long Wharf, one was WAY inside 100 yards....and yes, that voice on the radio channel 68 talking about it, was me.

 

[Travieso]

Enforce specific restricted areas instead of distance

I see this will be a continuing and systemic problem. In order to protest someone we would need conclusive evidence (witnesses, pictures, etc). Even with that, unless you are really close, it will be very difficult to tell from a picture whether you are 120yds or 80yds away. So there is always an opportunity for people to take advantage. Myself, around TI, I took a pretty wide berth, but I couldn't tell you precisely whether I was 100 yrds out or 150??. I was following Outsider's stern so I think I'm safe.

So what I would suggest is that we establish marks and/or further restriction areas for the races.

For example, cutting Yerba Buena too close can be addressed by making G"1" 2000ft SE of Yerba Buena the course mark, instead of TI.

For courses that have the Richmond pier on its course, we could add R"2" as a mark to be left to the East. Or we could restrict the waters East of a line drawn between G"3" and the Castro bouy. This is similar to what we do with the channel restriction on San Pablo bay.

I do prefer the idea of using course marks to enforce these areas. I much prefer to tell a competitor that they didn't do the course (and allow them to unwind) than to have to protest them.

 

[solosailor]

Very easy

Even with that, unless you are really close, it will be very difficult to tell from a picture whether you are 120yds or 80yds away.

Well it was sure easy to tell this group was close.... VERY close. Many for sure under 100ft so nowhere near the 300ft required. These boats were just in to close, plain and simple. I could have protested them but choose not to. However, I do now feel I should have since many of them went on to podium finishes.

 

[Travieso]

I don't disagree, I saw a few boats in there myself. But going around protesting a bunch of boats is not fun for anyone. If it can be addressed by setting some new course marks, we should probably consider that. Its a bit easier to police this kind of problem on the non-TBF races as it is the 'regular' crowd and we can shame them at the bar.

 

[solosailor]

I didin't want

These boats are certainly within 100 yards - that would be out of the picture to the right quite some way.

 

[Ergo]

It isn't fun to protest; it isn't fun to hear protests either. As stated at the skippers' meeting, it is the responsibility of racers to know what areas are resrticted and to avoid them. It is the responsibility of boats that violate restricted areas to withdraw and the responsibility of skippers who witness violations to alert the protested boat, hoist a red protest flag and file the protest with the race committee within 48 hours. The race committee can't condiser a protest it hasn't properly received.

The violations of the restricted area at the USCG pier are not a product of the "Fiasco" nature of this race. This area is restricted, period, for all races. Restricted, racing or not. We all need to recognise that the Bay Area racing community is under increased scrutiny by the CG. If we don't police ourselves, we run the risk of being policed by others.

We very much appreciate the input of our members and skippers who race with us. We are currently greatly benefitting from the feedback regarding the YRA required equipment list for races outside the Bay and will have a list that better suits our races as a result.

Bill Merrick
SSS Commodore

 

[Ortholad]

Newbie's perspective

This was my first TBF, although I have sailed the bay for many years...mostly racing interclub summer series....(non-spinniker) so not exactly high level stuff. At the skippers meeting, there was a great deal of discussion about the fuel dock in Richmond inclding how to estimate your distance, so I was very clear on where I couldn't be...not so much about Yerba Buena. In fact, I thought the dock was in the cove and with the discussion on this site I decided to Google map a satellite photo to see where y'all were concerned about. It's quite obvious now! (would have been a good photo to put on the overhead).

I think there were several mitigating factors in my choice to be "one-of-the-many" that probably were too close. First, we were following a string of boats assuming they were more experienced and knew where we could and couldn't be. Second, there is the construction pilings which may have dictated either to go inside (which might have been within 100 yards) or outside...Third, when we were there around 4:30, we were asked to stay out of the shipping channel for a container ship rounding the island and needing the span between D and E so I thought we were probably doing the right thing by sticking closer to the island (and deeper in the shadow).

My advice would be to use the Google photos (I'll bet there's a good one of the fuel dock and the various marks to stay clear of as part of the skippers meeting.

I had a great day though and think you guys put on a sweet event!

Martin Johnson
Healdsburg, CA

 

[ewpatterson]

I would suggest is that we establish marks and/or further restriction areas for the races.

For example, cutting Yerba Buena too close can be addressed by making G"1" 2000ft SE of Yerba Buena the course mark, instead of TI.

For courses that have the Richmond pier on its course, we could add R"2" as a mark to be left to the East. Or we could restrict the waters East of a line drawn between G"3" and the Castro bouy. This is similar to what we do with the channel restriction on San Pablo bay.QUOTE]


I agree with Travieso's suggestion. In the Vallejo1 last fall, there was question about whether I was too close to the Richmond pier. I don't think I was - but judgement call based boundaries are tough on everyone competing. A simple rule clarification/addition seems like it would benefit the entire fleet going forward. I don't see any harm in taking the guess work out of it, especially given the potential ramifications for everyone. Is there anyone who is adamently against making these additions?

 

[Thom]

Homeland Security Zones

These homeland security zones are allowed to be transited IF one asks the CG AND they grant that you can enter them. That being said, I don't think the Port Authority would appreciate 300 VHF calls to request permission. If this was the 1960's, though, that's what we'd do since "silliness" of the government was always questioned back then.

I don't see an easy answer other than our own "on the water" police represented by all the racers policing one another. So protesting is the only way to enforce them...but for heaven's sake, don't accept the CG or Sheriff boat talking to a boat as de facto evidence of violation. They don't know 100 yds any better than we do.

One partial "solution" for the Chevron Long Wharf anyway, would be to change the course and require leaving Red Rock to Port and transiting a "gate" established by Red Rock and the Richmond bridge.

 

[Critter]

One partial "solution" for the Chevron Long Wharf anyway, would be to change the course and require leaving Red Rock to Port and transiting a "gate" established by Red Rock and the Richmond bridge.

Thom, I don't see how this helps, unless there's a flood. On an ebb, people will still want to hug the shore as they approach Red Rock - unless they're coming up from Raccoon and the ebb isn't too strong. Or am I missing something?

I think Dan's/Eric's idea of defining a "wall" like the Pinole Channel has potential. A line from G"3" near the long wharf to Castro Rock buoy (maybe with R"2" in between to bulge the line outward - also decreases the distance between buoys, making the line easier to judge) would have to be left to shoreward, no unwinding.

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/18653.shtml if you don't have a paper chart handy.

I had another wacky idea - not that I favor this, but just throwing it out there. Buy a couple of laser rangefinders. Get permission to station RC members on Long Wharf or the YB buoy station, and they can record distances and file protests.

Max

 

[Travieso]

good luck finding volunteer for that

It is a great idea if you can find someone to sit on the peer all day with a bullhorn protesting folks.

 

[BobJ]

I mostly agree with Dan, Eric and Max.

Add R "2" (QR) off the Long Wharf as a mark to be kept shoreward. Heck, do it for all the SSS races going that way so it gets into people's brains/habits. It's far enough out that there's no benefit to dipping back in towards the Long Wharf after clearing R "2".

G "1" off YBI doesn't work as well - the angles are such that people could still dip in towards shore when fighting the current. BUT unlike the Long Wharf, this is a clearly-marked restricted area on the chart. If baffles me that nobody lodged a protest on the YBI deal. (Well, I didn't either!) This area just needs to be added to the list of restricted areas in the SSI's and made a talking point at skippers' meetings for a spell.

 

[Thom]

You're right...

Just a brain fart on my part...didn't consider that during an ebb the "gate" would not be helpful.

 

[Thom]

You are right continued...

OTOH, the gate could be reversed for those 3BF races during ebbs. I know that would only work for 3 BF...we have other races that can get us near the long wharf (Vallejo, Richmond-South Beach).

Has anyone discussed this with the Coast Guard and requested permission to transit these areas for specific races? The regulation allows them to grant such permissions.