Delta Ditch Run to Delta Doo Dah

The 34th Delta Ditch Run from Point Richmond to Stockton is on this Saturday, June 7. Are you signed up? This iconic Bay Area sailing race attracts dozens of crews. This year’s registrations stand at 95 boats. Not a record, but still, that’s a lot of people and sails to watch on the Bay.

Often starting in what appear as calm conditions, the past events have had their share of excitement. Last year the the Chris White Explorer 44 trimaran Caliente had to retrieve a crew member who had gone overboard while the boat was chasing the F-25c trimaran Soarin in 16-18 knots of wind. The wet crew member was hauled to safety, and Soarin sailed on to finish first, and win the Multihull Division.

Other dramas on the day included the F-31 trimaran Waterwings running aground twice and having to drop out, and Papillon, an F-27 trimaran, capsizing.

We’ve shared stories of other excitement-filled DDRs in recent years with headlines such as “A Delta Ditch Run Both Fast and Fraught“(2022); and “Delta Ditch Run Dished Out Some of This, Some of That” (2021). But they’re not always that way, and there’s also the lure of the Delta itself to help sailors unwind from any “post-race traumas.”

The 65-mile downwind Delta Ditch Run is the first “event” on the Delta Doo Dah calendar, and the Delta Doo Dah is the Do-It-Yourself summertime cruising rally to the California Delta — an informal, DIY affair. The whole point of cruising the Delta is to relax, throw the clock and calendar overboard (figuratively, of course), and let the wind and currents take you. There’s no right or wrong way to do the Doo Dah. That said, there are a few dates and places to keep in mind.

Registrations opened at the end of April, but you can join anytime until August 31. Other DDD calendared events include Summer Sailstice on June 21, which is as loose and casual as it gets. Sign up to join an organized event or cast off when you choose. Owl Harbor is planning a BBQ for everyone who’s cruising the Delta during this summer-long rally, date to be determined.

Sign up here to let us know you’ll be relaxing in the Delta after, and perhaps even before, the Delta Ditch Run. I’m sailing the Delta Doo Dah!