Fall into Autumn Racing This October

San Francisco Bay Regattas

The Totally Dinghy Regatta at Richmond YC will be on Saturday, October 5. It’s a good value at only $30. The buoy-racing event is open to non-foiling centerboard dinghies plus Wylie Wabbits. Classes with five or more boats registered by Tuesday, October 1, will be sailed and scored as one design.

The Singlehanded Sailing Society’s Vallejo 1-2 is coming up on October 5-6. Sail singlehanded from the Berkeley Circle to Vallejo YC on Saturday; sail back from VYC to RYC doublehanded on Sunday. Sign up on Jibeset by Wednesday night. We’d recommend this as a good option for a first-time singlehanded racer, but, as always, check the weather forecast, inspect your boat, and make your own go/no-go decision. As of this morning, 48 boats had signed up. The SSS plans an in-person (but optional) skippers’ meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2, at Oakland YC in Alameda.

Berkeley YC will get an early start on the Midwinter racing season with their Sunday Chowder Series, starting on October 6 and running most Sundays through March. Entry is free and open to all. See www.berkeleyyc.org/racing for details.

El Toros will Stampede at RYC on October 13, resulting in fun for young and old.

Oakland YC will host their Oktoberfest Race on October 19. Sign up on Jibeset.

On October 20, Island YC‘s Jack & Jill + 1 will ply the Estuary. It’s a unique coed triplehanded race, and Jill must drive.

Encinal YC invites teams to form for a new Team Racing Regatta on October 26-27. Bring your own team for 3v3 team racing using 18 FJs. This event is free and open to all.

St. Francis Yacht Club Stays Busy in October

Among regattas at St. Francis YC in October will be:

• The Olson 25 North Americans will start on Friday the 18th and run three days. Early entry deadline is October 4. After that, fee will go up an additional $80. Friday’s distance race is expected to start at 2 p.m. and sail a 10- to 15-mile course using fixed marks (depending on conditions). Sketch will host Friday’s post-race beer.
• The Jessica Cup for classic wooden boats will take place on Saturday the 19th.
• In the Fall Invitational, Folkboat, Alerion 28, J/24 and J/22 (the latter in StFYC’s chartered fleet) classes will join the Olson 25s on the19th-20th. The Fall Invitational will also serve as the J/24 District 20 Championship.
• The Joe Logan Regatta for the Mercury fleet will happen on Sunday the 20th.
• The Fall Dinghy Regatta for 29er, 5O5, C420, i420, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, ILCA 7, Opti, RS Feva and RS Tera classes takes place on the 26th-27th.

Around Northern California

Fall Junior Olympic Sailing Festivals are just around the corner, including the Northern California edition at Santa Cruz YC on October 5-6. The regatta is open to 29er, i420, C420, CFJ, ILCA 6 (Laser Radial), ILCA 4 (Laser 4.7), Opti and RS Tera. Participants must be members of BAYS (Bay Area Youth Sailing).

Hosted by Inverness YC on Tomales Bay, the Vanguard 15 Pacific Coast Championships, Nationals and Fleet 53 Championships will take place on October 19-20.

Santa Cruz YC will welcome the Wylie Wabbit fleet for their Nationals on October 19-20.

Monterey Peninsula YC will host the Monterey Invitational Regatta and Perry Cup Series for the Mercury fleet kicking off on October 26-27, and continuing on January 11 and February 1.

Southern California Regattas

San Diego YC will also keep busy with big regattas in October with:

• The Kettenburg and Classic Yacht Regatta (co-hosted by the Ancient Mariners Sailing Society) on October 12-13.
• The Finn Masters North Americans on October 18-20.
• The San Diego Lipton Cup on October 24-27.

For a preview of Southwestern YC’s Little Ensenada Race and the Todos Santos Regatta that follows, see the story above in today’s ‘Lectronic Latitude.

Pacific Northwest

The Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle and the Port of Seattle’s Shilshole Bay Marina welcome J/24 sailors from around the world to Puget Sound for the 45th-anniversary J/24 Worlds. The Worlds has attracted 56 entries from Europe, South America, North America, Australia and Asia. The sailing action will start today with a practice race and continue through Saturday, October 5. The plan calls for 10 races over five consecutive days.

Don’t Be Afraid of These Halloween Events

Alamitos Bay YC offers the Halloween Charity Regatta, on October 26.

Squash the competition at Half Moon Bay YC’s Pumpkin Roundup on October 26.

Tiburon YC’s Red Rock Regatta will be on October 26.

The epic party and regatta that is the Great Pumpkin will return to Richmond YC on October 26-27. The theme this year will be a non-monstrous Peace, Love and Pumpkins. Bang around the buoys in three shorter races on Saturday, don your tie-dye for the costume dance party Saturday night, featuring live music by Shark Sandwich. Then choose which direction to round Angel Island and  Alcatraz in a pursuit race on Sunday, all while hunting for pumpkins, catching candy, and — if you’re so inclined — getting the youngest generation of sailors aboard. (Watch out for the 5O5s west of Alcatraz in StFYC’s Fall Dinghy!)

Update on Tuesday, October 1: As the October issue is now out, you’ll be able to find many more regattas and other events in the Calendar, both in the magazine itself and now updated on our Calendar web page as well.