Saturday, September 23rd a fleet of 9 very competitive Mercuries raced a 5-race series on the City Front course. Getting off to an early morning start the fleet began racing in a light westerly of 5 to 8 knots. The race committee set a weather mark ¾ mile to windward and the leeward mark was off Golden Gate Yacht Club. The start and finish line was from the Club’s race deck. There was a flood tide with smooth water so the first weather leg had the fleet in close quarters tacking up the shoreline.

Scott Easom and Ernie Rodriquez sailing the newly renovated hull 471, named after Rob Moore the longtime racing editor for Latitude 38, got off the line fast and were never headed. Doug Baird, 2016 Class National Champion, with son Michael crewing took 2nd and John Ravizza with crew Chris Boome was third. The second race was more of the same with the results the same for the first three places. 

For race 3, the Race Committee saw the fleet was getting around the short course pretty quickly so they called for a course with 2 windward legs and a downwind finish. This time Randy Smith with John Hayes crewing gave chase but Scott Easom could not be touched as he won his third race of the day. Smith was second and Jim and Kathy Bradley took the third spot. The fleet short tacking the breakwater brought out the spectators to the race deck to see close tacking Mercuries racing hard past the Club.

For race 4, same course as #3, Baird, Ravizza and Smith called the course just right leaving the shore at just the right time to lay the windward mark and that was their finishing order for the downwind finish.

The final race, same course 2 windward legs and a downwind finish, had winds of 12 to 15 knots but the flood tide kept the water fairly smooth so it was another excellent race course for Mercuries. Lyn Hines made a perfect port end start and crossed everyone on his first tack off the beach. Unfortunately, a broken whisker-pole later in the race cost him a strong finish. Smith won the race with Easom second and Ravizza third. All races were very close with only a minute between the first and last to finish.

With 5 races completed and the boats out of the water before 3 o’clock, the competitors gathered in the Club for tacos and beer as the Joe Logan Trophy was awarded to Scott Easom and Ernie Rodriques. They finished the day with a 5-point lead over the Baird boys. John Ravizza and Chris Boome rounded out the top 3 places.

The Mercury Class would like to thank the St. Francis Yacht Club, specifically Tony Chargin the Regatta Chair and Greg Meagher the PRO, for hosting our early Saturday morning fleet races and we look forward to bringing back an even larger fleet next year.