(San Francisco, CA)- The Bob “Big Daddy” Klein Invitational Regatta is
hosted by Richmond YC, on the eastern parts of the famous San Francisco
Bay. The event marks the first regatta of the sailing season for the
East Bay contingent and generally sees an enthusiastic turn-out for the
event.With the rapid growth of the J/70s on the Bay (a dozen already and a dozen more on the way), it was not surprising to see nearly a half-dozen J/70s on the line for this early season regatta.
As can be the case for early season sailing on the Bay, chilly temperates, cloud cover and a “goofy jet stream” all lead to enormously variable conditions for the sailors. In fact, it usually borders more on the variable side than a rock-steady blast from the westerly sea-breeze the Bay is renowned for.
As a result, this past weekend’s racing in the Big Daddy saw light and shifty (but warm) winds. The J/70 crews were pressed into the all-too-familiar wind patterns of mid-winter sailing in SF Bay. The Bay's big breeze is dialing up soon. This is likely to be the last non-planning event for 2014!
Coming out on top of the pack was Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER, taking two bullets to seal their first win of the season. Chris Anderson’s PERFECT WIFE took second overall and Mark Nelson’s SUGOI with the colorful neon green spinnaker took third. Next up for these teams will be the popular J/Fest SF Bay being held along the spectacular waterfront in front of St Francis YC in early April. For more J/70 Big Daddy Regatta sailing information
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