RONSTAN Bay Challenge
- July 5, 2003
Pre-Race Jitters - JK : The weather pattern leading up to the Challenge was consistent. Cold weather outside the Gate, with fog burning off mid-day, followed by super windy conditions particularly inside the Bay. Jean Rathle and I agreed to meet Wednesday, July 2 to pre-run the course. Jean rigged 9.8, I took my 9.0, and we sailed out to meet Steve Bodner on 10.9.
Above Point Blunt, Steve figured he was better off heading back up, being well overpowered on the big sail. I fell on two jibes, and Jean heckled me into continuing down according to plan. At the bottom of TI, I think I surprised him by continuing down to the pier.
On the return, the ebb chop was fierce. Tacking at the northeast corner of the island, we could see several bump and jump guys out on 4.5 - they were ripping in the swells, and Jean yelled 'we should be on our wave gear'. Coming up on starboard, Jean got gassed out by the Vallejo Ferry, and fell in the wake, so I tacked off to head back up north of Alcatraz. Jean went south, and we arrived back beat up but intact at the same time at the yacht club. The Angel Island weather station recorded averages at 32 mph that afternoon.
On the 3rd, Soheil and Fernando made it down below Alcatraz, got launched, and turned back up. By the morning of the 5th, the weather looked the same. Rob Hartman's analysis with binoculars directed down the course was "it looks furry down there. "The moral of the story is: don't remove your chicken hoop.
Report
from Mike Z : I
arrived just before skippers meting into windy and cold conditions.
Majority racers rigging 8.2’s with some exceptions going smaller and even
fewer nuts going bigger.
Me, Steve and Bill opted for starboard start taking at the beach pumping
for a while, just to se the fleet rounding weather mark in the distance.
After rounding, fleet quickly dispersed. Steve lost the game of chicken
with Red and White ferry, Chris and Rob disappeared into the marine layer
ahead. Me and Bill taking similar path in the middle. As I was hoping, my
9.8 arrived first to the leeward mark, with Bill, Steve and Rob following.
Long upwind back to Angel, Bill on his 9.0 slowly goes by me, taking small
comfortable lead. Tack to starboard, my better side, getting closer to Bill
on next crossing. He promptly decides to cover me from now on, on my frequent
tacks in the middle, while Steve motors towards the city front looking dangerous.
Bill’s final approach to the finish line from the outside was hampered by
decent flood.
As I saw that, I went extra 50 yards and tacked, not hesitating for a moment
that Bill is finishing about now. As I accelerate right towards the outside
mark of the finish line, Bill still struggling, I realize just seconds before
finish that I may take it. Yes, out of the blue I cross first, while Bill
has to tack once more, barely keeping Steve in tight third.
Rondstan Challenge lived up to its name again.
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| Place | By - DIV | Elapsed Time | split | gap | Sail # | Name | DIV | Weight | Sail/size | Board | Fin |
| 1 | 1 | 0:59:06 | ML | Mike Zajicek | Formula | 168 | NP 9.8 | ML100 | 68R13M | ||
| 2 | 2 | 0:59:25 | 0:00:19 | 0:00:19 | M9 | Bill Weir | Formula | 175 | NP 9.0 | ML100 | Deb 70 |
| 3 | 3 | 0:59:32 | 0:00:26 | 0:00:07 | S3 | Steve Sylvester | Formula | 163 | North 8.2 | ML100 | 66R13 |
| 4 | 1 | 1:02:35 | 0:03:29 | 0:03:03 | 326 | Rob Hartman | Formula | 190 | North 8.2 | ML100 | 70R14M |
| 5 | 4 | 1:02:52 | 0:03:46 | 0:00:17 | 46 | David Wells | Formula | 160 | Aerotech 9.0 | ML95 | 70select Hard |
| 6 | 2 | 1:08:14 | 0:09:08 | 0:05:22 | Z | Jean Rathle | Formula | 210 | Aerotech 8.3 | ML 34" | 66select Hard |
| 7 | 5 | 1:08:45 | 0:09:39 | 0:00:31 | US 1 | Chris Radkowski | Formula | 175 | Gaastra 8.7 | ML100 | 68 C3 |
| 8 | 6 | 1:08:59 | 0:09:53 | 0:00:14 | 1H1 | Chenda Herstus | Formula | 160 | NP 8.2 | ML100 | 68 deb |
| 9 | 7 | 1:10:26 | 0:11:20 | 0:01:27 | 882 | Al Mirel | Formula | 175 | North 8.2 | ML100 | 68 Techtonics |
| 10 | 3 | 1:15:44 | 0:16:38 | 0:05:18 | 246 | Lyn Preuit | Formula | 200 | Gaastra 8.3 | ML100 | 70R14M |
| 11 | 8 | 1:17:48 | 0:18:42 | 0:02:04 | 21 | Larzul Andre | Formula | 157 | Aerotech 8.3 | ML95 | 68select Hard |
| 12 | 9 | 1:18:00 | 0:18:54 | 0:00:12 | 14 | Alan Prussia | Formula | 160 | Gaastra 8.3 | ML100 | 64R13 |
| 13 | 10 | 1:26:18 | 0:27:12 | 0:08:18 | JK | Jim Kiriakis | Formula | 165 | Gaastra 9.0 | ML100 | 70 Deb |
| 14 | 11 | 1:26:33 | 0:27:27 | 0:00:15 | a | Soheil Zahedi | Formula | 165 | Sailworks 9.1 | ML100 | 70R13M |
| 15 | 4 | 1:31:04 | 0:31:58 | 0:04:31 | 223 | John Davenport | Formula | 200 | Gaastra 8.5 | ML100 | 70R13M |
| 16 | 5 | 1:43:08 | 0:44:02 | 0:12:04 | T | Ivan Popov | Formula | 190 | NP 8.4 | ML100 | 66R13H |
| 17 | 6 | DNF | 988 | R. Adam Darriau | Formula | 195 | |||||
| 17 | 7 | DNF | Mac | Jim McGrath | Formula | 208 | |||||
| 17 | 8 | DNF | US 54 | John Stienstra | Formula | 200 |