Nick Burke, Northern California Laser fleet captain, is working with Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda to revive the Sir Francis Chichester Regatta. The Chichester, last sailed in '96 or '97, is a circumnavigation of the Island of Alameda on San Francisco Bay. The 17 mile long course allows competitors to go either way round the island which includes ducking, swimming, somehow passing under a number of 'too low' bridges. The course can provide numerous challenges including breezy, San Francisco Bay winds in the Bay side of the island, knarly current in the narrows and fickle winds in the Estuary.
Currently past records are being sought to find past winners, fastest times and other notes from one of the early 'extreme challenges' of Bay Area sailing. All are invited.
Sailing legend Commore Thompkins, who's sailing CV includes hundreds of thousands of blue-water miles also includes several victories in the Chichester. Now in his eighties but still out cruising the Pacific in his Wylie 39, Flashgirl, he was recently asked to provide some history to the event! He not only provided the insights below but also promised to return and sail again - provided someone can find him a Laser to sail!
Commodore Thompkins: I am afraid I can be of scant help where history of the Sir Francis Chichester Memorial Circumnavigation, (to give it the correct and complete title!) is concerned. I do have fond memories:
I sailed in a number of them, always with real pleasure…that was a truly enjoyable event. I believe I won three times, always going the "wrong" way.
My consistent selection of the slower direction was so notable, I was asked to supply a trophy for that distinction. Having always rather disliked the usual pickle dishes, or even half or full models often seen as trophies, after some thought I decided on a street sign announcing the incorrect direction. After a little difficulty, I managed to buy a suitable sign, bright yellow with bold black letters and a massively heavy base. The thing stood about four feet tall, in all respects a proper municipal street sign! I placed my new purchase in the back of the faithful Volvo wagon and drove toward home via the Golden Gate, a route which took me past the Marina Green. It was late in the afternoon on a sunny day, and I elected to stop near the entrance to the St Francis YC, in order to fold my laser sail which was wadded in the back of the wagon. In order to extract the sail, I pulled the street sign out and placed it near the left rear end of my car, then proceeded to lay out the sail on the grass in order to fold it. Imagine my surprise when I looked up and discovered a mass of stopped vehicles! I was able to recover the sign and motor off before the constabulary nabbed me. The trophy was duly delivered to the suitable place, and I assume, awarded. I have never heard of it since, but still deem it possibly the most appropriate sailing trophy I have ever seen!
On one occasion, I had previously been sailing in the South Pacific, where I had fitted myself with a sailboard. You know, the old fashioned ones that had a small daggerboard, a universal joint at the butt of a carbon mast and a wishbone boom. Came the day of the Sir Francis Chichester Memorial Circumnavigation, my selected course, (again the slow way, as it turned out), was downwind with the tide toward the three bridges. As I sailed along in third place toward the first bridge, I conceived the notion of lashing the tiller loosely amidships, standing on the foredeck and lifting the entire rig out, one hand on the mast and another on the boom. Adroit balancing and not too much wind allowed passage under the bridge with no difficulty. I emerged from the first bridge in first place. The swimmers I had passed noticed my maneuver and attempted to copy it at the next bridge. I think Scott Easom was lying second at that point. Anyway, what the swimmers could not and did not see was the lashed tiller, which kept the little yacht more or less on course. Upon clearing the second bridge, I had the infinite satisfaction of hearing a curse behind me, followed by the unmistakable sound of a Laser crashing into the concrete bridge foundation, closely followed by the sound of Scott falling in he water. Evidently the lashing was of primary importance. After the bridges I had a substantial lead over second place, third was a non-factor! Sadly for me, Scott was a far more polished Laser sailor than I, and overcame my large lead to pass me at the windward end of Alameda. On this day, I garnered only second, going the wrong way, of course!
Bill Chrysler & Co. Composed a fine poster celebrating the Sir Francis Chichester Memorial Circumnavigation. Personalities of the day were featured, along with the Navy, Sharks, mud flats, all the usual local hazards! I glued the poster to the back of a door in my basement shop, and it cannot be removed, but it is still viable, and close to its original form. A first rate document which I treasure along with my memories of the event.
I think the Bullship Race normally is staged on 01 April. I have no idea when the Laser race was sailed, but do not remember it being especially cold.
Nor were the Bay breezes particularly robust and trying, so probably in the late spring?
For what it is worth, I would be interested in competing in the Octogenarian Division, if it can be reconciled with my refitting of FLASHGIRL. Of course I would need to avail myself of a boat, not too easy to organize from here in New Zealand!
Sounds rather fun, thanks for keeping me in the loop! Keep me posted please."
Other Laser sailors are signing up and those seeking more information should contact Nick Burke at: nburke@skysail.com
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