Saturday, June 4, 2016

Delta Ditch Race Preview

J/70 sailing Delta Ditch race (Richmond, CA)- It is that time of year again in the San Francisco Bay area, the infamous and challenging Delta Ditch Run, hosted by Stockton YC and Richmond YC, will be taking place on Saturday, June 4th.  The event has become a ritual of sorts for many sailors in the Bay area, a way to start the summer off with a bang, popping kites at the start off Richmond YC within San Francisco Bay’s northeastern headwaters and blasting for 60nm up the Sacramento River, then San Joaquin River to the finish line off Stockton YC (note- driving takes 74 miles from Richmond to Stockton in 1.5 hours!).  For the un-initiated, that is way, way east, up the river delta, surviving barge encounters and nasty “switchbacks” to avoid buoys and mud flats along the way downwind (and up river)!  Many survive to tell Delta Ditch race coursetheir hair-raising stories that get much, much more grandiose over time (and a few cervezas)!

A significant one-design class of J/70s is participating, six to be exact.  Looking forward to the switchback-laden downhill sleigh-ride to the Stockton, CA finish line will be Justin Fox’s FLOTEK, Tom Jenkins’ DFZ, Justin Kromelow’s LOOSE LUCY, Chris Andersen’s PERFECT WIFE, Brant Adornato’s HELLCAT and Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER.  Joining them in PHRF H Class will be the J/111 SWIFT NESS sailed by Reuben Rocci from Richmond YC and the J/24 SHUT UP & DRIVE skippered by Val Lulevich.  For more Delta Ditch Race sailing information