6pm Sat24Jun06
Lovely sunny start - but very little wind! I managed to drift over start line at back of fleet and then proceeded to tack slowly towards fogbound Golden Gate - wind came in fits and starts, but more close in to Peninsula Pt, off Belvedere.
Didn't want to get too far out into Bay because of foul strong flood tide - so took a long time getting no distance at all.
Several boats with photographers/wellwishers came by - lots of good wishes and friendly faces.
Slowly the breeze filled in again, and made excellent speed on approach to, and transit through, Golden Gate (6.5-7.3 kn) despite having had to reef right down (2 reefs in main and genoa).
Fog kindly decided to lift as got close to GG Bridge and stayed that way - so no problem there. Just as well, because my PC chargers aren't working, so it's back to paper charts and pencil+Breton plotter.
Has been difficult to decide what course to steer for best - SW wind now & light SW winds are forecast for next few days. High pressure area is way north of usual position (off Vancouver Island) - so having to try to get west over next few days, in hope of making southing later in passage.
Wind died right down as passed across the 'Potato Patch' (ebb tide + little wind + HW made that a safe option) so I'm now ambling along, headed NW at all of 3-4 kn max! Murky sky, long low swell, lots of penguin guillemots and the occasional group of dolphins.
Just offered a cup of tea to another racer as we got close! Two others in sight further out. All feels very relaxed, not like a race at all, quite unlike the excitement of the approach to the Golden Gate.
Just downloaded some weatherfaxes, so must go & do some 'HW' and then sort out food well before it gets dark - didn't get the chance to cook anything as I usually try to do before a long passage like this.
Jeanne
"Nereida"