Grab-da-duck, F%$#&, OK?(San Francisco, CA)- Five years ago Northern California resident Jasper Van Vliet, a sailing instructor at that time, was lamenting the lack of opportunities for non-boat-owning enthusiasts to drive during a race. So he invented a regatta, then turned to his favorite San Francisco fleet—J/24, number 17. What he and peers developed is the Crew You Regatta sponsored by OPB-YC (Other Peoples’ Boats Yacht Club). This group staged the fifth annual regatta on Sunday, November 19. It’s a simple-no frills parade of fun for sailboats of length 24 feet and less, and the owner is disqualified from touching the tiller— the crew must drive. Courses are short windward-leeward loops, and there’s a "beer duck" placed mid-course; come within proximity and try to grab a longneck from the net. A beer in the hand is worth, well, subtract one point from your day’s total.
“The
premise is to permit more sailors the opportunity to helm during race
conditions,” says Van Vliet. “This year we were able to run several
back-to-back starts. And I hear that the beer duck was next to empty.
Either that equates to an extra degree of navigation and boat handling
skills from our ranks, or a higher level of exertion and thirst on the
course.” This year, courtesy light winds and flat water, the fleet was
scored for five official starts. Additional races were run late in the
day when two Richmond Yacht Club junior sailor J/22 crews, returning
from the day’s match racing along the San Francisco city front, joined.
Coming out on top with 2017 accolades was Downtown Uproar owned by the
Melissa Litwicki/Darren Cumming combo. In second was Valentin Lulevich’s
Shut Up and Drive, Randall Rasicot’s Flight took third, Jasper and
Robin Van Vliet’s Evil Octopus nabbed fourth and Brandon Whitney’s
Backwards claimed fifth.
San
Francisco Bay race conditions in November can be a mixed bag. Last
year, officials called a shortened course in order to complete the first
and only race of the day. Quite the contrary in 2015 with its non-stop
tip and clench, dip and drench. Once conditions hovered near 25-knots,
race execs deemed it best to wrap for the day. Thanks for photos and words by Martha Blanchfield / Renegade Sailing. More sailing photos of “Crew You Regatta” on Facebook here. Read more about the Crew You Regattas
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