Redwood Cup

Redwood Cup Series 2010

For 2010, this will be a five-race series with one throw-out race. The series is open to all sailors. SYC uses a pursuit-race format, which cuts down on all that pre-start screaming on the part of the skippers. Everybody gets a start time based on their boat's PHRF, with the slower boats starting first. The start and finish are between Port Of Redwood City Day Mark 20 and the dolphin just off the SW end of Wharf 4.

Please review the 2010 Notice of Race along with the Redwood Cup Sailing Instructions for each boat's starting time.

Redwood Cup #5 and Series Results

The Redwood Cup Series came to an end on Sun., March 28 with Race #5. There were 13 boats boats that raced out Redwood Creek Channel, around X and back.  Back in the clubhouse the final series results were announced and the SYC winter racing season is now officially behind us.

For Redwood Cup #5 White Dove (Mike Garl) took first place, and Sail la Vie (Phil MacFarlane) and Linda Carol (Ray Collier) took second and third place respectively.

For the Redwood Cup Series overall results, White Dove (Mike Garl) took first place, and Sail la View (Phil MacFarlane) and Head Rush (Charlie Watt) took second and third place respectively.

Congratulations also goes to all the boats who came out to compete over the course of the past five months: Boudicca (Kathy Moyer), Frolic ( Marc Finot), Head Rush (Charlie Watt), Iowa (Rick Dalton), L2O (Dan Humphreys), Linda Carol (Ray Collier), Lucky Duck (Paul McCarthy), Magic (Jeff Phillips ), Metridium (John Graves), Mirth (Rick Gilmore), Pizote (John Ryan), Primordial Sloop (Henry Kleinberg), Sail la Vie (Phil MacFarlane), Shadow, Sweet Pea (Tim Petersen), Timbuktu (Dan Doud), White Dove (Mike Garl) and Yellow Brick Road (John Draeger).

Don't forget to check out the coverage at norcalsailing as well!

Redwood Cup #4

The fourth Redwood Cup race took place on Sunday, February 28, with the first of the 13 boats in the race departing a very crowded starting area just after 13:30.  

Congratulations to Sail la Vie (Phil MacFarlane) for taking first place, and to Head Rush (Charlie Watt) and White Dove (Mike Garl) for taking second and third place respectively.

Redwood Cup #3

The third Redwood Cup race took place on Sunday, January 24, with the first of the eight boats in the race crossing the start line just after 13:30.  

In spite of overcast skies and the threat of rain it turned out to be a great day to be out on the bay, with the opportunity to sail in 10 knot SE winds. The course took the Redwood Cup racers out Redwood Creek Channel, around 12, and back down the channel for a total distance of 7.44 miles.

Congratulations to Linda Carol (Ray Collier) for taking first place and White Dove (Mike Garl) and Head Rush (Charlie Watt) for taking second and third place respectively.

Redwood Cup #2

The second Redwood Cup race took place on Sunday, December 20. A total of 13 boats took place in the race.  White Dove (Mike Garl) took first place, Head Rush (Charlie Watt) took second and Sail la Vie (Phil MacFarlane) took third. Click on the Results link above for complete race standings to date.

Redwood Cup #1

The first Redwood Cup race took place on Sunday, November 22, once again demonstrating the popularity of winter racing at the Sequoia Yacht Club.  A total of 13 boats took place in this pursuit style race.  Linda Carol (Ray Collier) took first place and White Dove (Mike Garl) took second.

Race Results 2009 

We finished the season with the following results-

First Place:  Charlie Watt, Head Rush

Second Place:  Ray Collier, Linda Carol

Third Place:  John Graves, Metridium

Congratulations to everyone for a great Redwood Cup Series! We had 19 boats registered for the series.

Redwood Cup #4 and #5

On Sunday Mar-1, we held the 'rescheduled'  Race #4 and Race #5.  With a storm passing through the Bay Area, we faced some rain and 12-30 kts of wind from the SE. 

Race #4 started at 12:30 with about 15 kts of wind from the SE and 11 yachts on the start line.  Course #3 (5.44nm; S/f-3p-s/F) was chosen.  It did not take long for the wind to pick up to gusts to 25kts.  Before we crossed the power lines, we noticed that Pizote was headed back to the dock with a shredded mainsail (John Ryan, Pizote, deserves real credit for racing home to get a spare mainsail and got back in time to start the second race!).  Only one boat, Head Rush had the nerve to put their chute up in +25 kts of wind.  What a great sight seeing Head Rush surfing off the bay chop towards Buoy #3 passing many boats!  I am sure Charlie Watt's heart rate was off the chart.  John Graves, Metridium, took first place honors.  Ray Collier, Linda Carol was second and Charlie Watt, Head Rush was third.

Race #5 started at 14:00 with slight lower winds of 12kts from the SE.  Course #2 (7.44nm, S/f-12p-s/F) was chosen.  Seeing the lower winds, a larger number of spinnakers went up.  The challenge proved to be making the spinnaker gybe at Buoy #2 to head to Buoy #12.  All of the fleet handled the gybe well, except for MADE Easy who seriously wrapped their chute on the forestay.  The last everyone saw of Made Easy was when they came back to the dock an hour and half later flying half a chute like a flag off the top of the mast.  As we started beating back up the channel, the wind picked up to 25-30knts.  Ray Collier, Linda Carol, took first place honors; Charlie Watt, Head Rush came in second and Ron Brown, Black Sheep came in third place.

Redwood Cup #4

Well we had our first really bad weather day on Feb-15. The race was cancelled and was rescheduled to Sunday March 1, 2009. This means we will race both Redwood Cup #4 and Redwood Cup #5 on Sunday, March 1, 2009.

Redwood Cup #3

 Our first race of the year was the Redwood Cup #3, held on Sunday, January 4th.  We had beautiful blue skies, moderate temperatures, and a start with little wind.  To increase the challenge, the 'dredge' decided to work in the center of the channel across from Westpoint Slough.  This did not deter our competitve racers with 15 boats showing up to the start line.  At our base start time of 1330, we had about 0-3 kts of wind with 30 deg. windshifts coming from the NW.  The start was at low tide.  We had course #1 going out to Buoy Y.   The 'dredge'  definitely became more of an obstacle than originally thought with 5 boats going aground when trying to get past it.  Iowa played it smart at the 'dredge' passing most of the fleet, but decided to challenge the edge of the channel out by Bouy 8.  The channel won, and Iowa watched the rest of the fleet head out to Y and back.  All told, we had 7 of the 15 boats go aground on this race.

Charlie Watt with his new Antrim 27, Head Rush, took first place honors. Shawn Shadden, Magic, was 2nd and Stan Phillips, Smokin' J,  came in third.
 

Redwood Cup #2

On Sunday, December 14th, we held Redwood Cup #2.  It certainly appeared to be the coldest day of the year with another major storm heading our way.  This did not deter our competitve racers with 14 boats showing up to the start line.  At our base start time of 1330, we had about 7kts of wind coming from the south.  Within minutes of this start, the wind did a major shift to the SW giving all boats a dead downwind start.  Spinnakers popped out immediately, but it was interesting to see about half of the boats were on starboard and the other half on port tack.  We had course #2 going out to Buoy 12.  The only boat holding the spinnaker after rounding Buoy 2 was Mirth, with Rick and Petra handling the spinnaker in >15 kts of wind! We then had a great beat back into the channel,  with everyone applying their racing strategies for either passing or trying not to get passed in this upwind narrow channel!  As with most winter races, the wind started to die as we approached the finish line along with a strong ebb tide, but all boats managed to finish.

Charlie Watt with his new Antrim 27, Head Rush, took first place honors. Jim Peterson, MADE Easy was 2nd and Ray Collier, Linda Carol came in third.  The Race Results spreadsheet is posted below.
 

Redwood Cup #1

On Sunday, November 17th, Sequoia Yacht Club held Redwood Cup #1 Race.  Fourteen  boats showed up for this 'shorts and t-shirt' day, but with little wind predicted.  At noon there was approximately 1 kt of wind.  Fortunately by 13:30 the wind had picked up to 6-8 kts.  The Course #1 was 6.94NM-  S/f  to Yp to s/F.  The wind maintained all the way out to Y and back into the channel.  Boats were trading places as we continued up the channel with a dying wind.  All 14 boats did finish.  Anyway, the beer and sausage was out and everyone had a great race!

 
Charlie Watt with his new Antrim 27, Head Rush, took first place honors. Henry Kleinberg, Primordial Sloop came in second, with Paul McCarthy, Lucky Duck taking third.

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