This past Saturday the first Annual Fall Mercury Regatta  was kicked off at the Richmond Yacht Club.

Nine  boats started in a 12+ knot gusting breeze which was kicked up by a passing front. Before and after Saturday, much calmer conditions... "you should have been here last week"  

None the less, despite the rowdy conditions, we had a big turnout of new faces.

Bill and Katie Worden took advantage of some start line schanigens by some other boats and maintained their spot around the course to finish first in the first race.
Ravizza/Boome came back second race for a first. 
With the wind and mostly the chop being a tough combination for new people, despite trying to move the course to Keller Cove, there was a steep attrition rate.
Dick Loomis, PRO,  and remaining Mercury's moved to set up a course inside the channel. Bill Pierson/Chris Krugar Ravizza/Boome Lyn/Odile Hines finished out the afternoon to with two 2x  and a 1x.

The most impressive aspect was having so many new people like Chris Kelley and his daughter Anna, Randy Heckt and crew, Larry Nelson and crew, Bill Pierson/ Kruger, joining the regular players.

I would like to bestow the Mercury Medal of Honor on David Bacci who personally recruited some of these new faces, loaned and launched boats for them and sailed an unknown boat (to him)  with a new to the fleet crew Pat Murphy.