Foster City Lagoon Racing

[ochilton]

If you know folks who wish to race the Margarita Run on October 24, here is info.

There is a prize for the sailor who first arrives at the end of the first leg of the race. There is another prize for the sailor who first arrives at the end of the second leg of the race. These prizes are usually bottles of decent wine. An entry fee of $10 per contestant covers the beverages served during the mid-way 'time calculation party' and the prizes. Bring something as pot luck for the snack.

We meet at 12 noon, best to get to the parking lot near the FC recreation center a bit earlier by at least 15 min. Start is usually around 1PM or when wind is above zero.

The course has a start line near the boat ramp end of the main lagoon ("1" on map). One buoy is placed near the gazebo (at "2") as a windward mark, usually rounded to starboard. The Shell Blvd. bridge can be taken in any manner but the Foster City Blvd. bridge must have its piling nearest Hillsdale Blvd. taken first, then the piling on the south east side taken second.

A three minute whistle toot start sequence is conventional.: 3 whistle toots at 3 minutes, 2 toots at 30 seconds, one toot at the start.

The map shows the course, one way. The return leg "unwinds" the first leg, going the reverse direction around all bridge pilings and buoys. The line is placed to indicate the path and is about 3.8 miles long. The tacks required likely add another mile to the distance.


Map link https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200690706185645&set=a.10200678727686190&type=3&theater

At "4" on the map there is a small grass & sand area with a wood picnic table. The first leg of the race ends on the water/sand line or when someone's board is within a foot of it and their feet are off their board and on the lake bottom.

The time that the first sailor arrives at the beach at "4" is recorded. The times of each subsequent finisher are recorded and the differences between their times and that of the fist finisher are calculated while margaritas, baguettes, chips, cheese, and beer are shared.

After the time differences have been computed and the party foods and beverages have been diminished the last person to finish at the sand / shore line is encouraged to start the return race. When they start the clock begins for the second-to-last finisher to begin. The time between starts is the difference in times between the first leg finishes. This process continues until the first-to-finish starts.

Typically the wind for the first leg is lighter than that for the second at which time it is sometimes 20+ kts. The biggest challenge in this race, however, is dealing with the very complicated shoreline bordering the course. Apartment buildings, bridge pilings and gaps where roads end beside the water make the wind erratic. There are a few dogs in back yards that will bark at contestants. The skill is in reading the shifty winds and adjusting quickly to them, avoiding the shoreline furniture and anticipating where you need to be at a particular point in the lagoon to take advantage of the best wind at that spot.

If someone wishes to attend the party in the middle of the race but NOT sail the race they should drive east on Beach Park Blvd. and turn right onto Cutter Street. Each leg takes about an hour to sail. The whole event should be over by 5PM.

Glenn Taylor
650-851-3057

Fleet 18 Website:
http://fleet18.org