Which Way Would You Go?
In advance of the Three Bridge Fiasco race on Saturday, January 29, this week we hear a bit about strategy from Inspire Sailing’s Racing Director, Katie Cornetta:
For us Bay sailors, racers and cruisers alike, when it's time to go sailing we check our tides and currents. Some days this matters more than others. Say we're planning to go under the Golden Gate Bridge or entering a shallow harbor; is it ebbing or flooding? What's the tidal height?
But no day of the year are tides and currents more important than on the Three Bridge Fiasco.
The Three Bridge Fiasco is a mad dash or more often crawl in which boats must round the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and the Richmond Bridge, in any order! This can be the ultimate Bay challenge in many ways. January is known for light air conditions and it also happens to be near perihelion, when the Earth is closest to the sun in our yearly orbit. The effect of this makes for the strongest tidal forces of the year.
So what is this year serving up? It's too far out to decide what the winds will be like, but we can take a look at the tides, and along with some high tech current models our most trusty resource is the familiar Tides and Current Booklet.
So my challenge for you all is to take a look at the book and come up with a plan. Get out your tide books and pick a direction! Below are the basic current strength and times, but don't forget your best resources are the ebb/flood current charts at the back of the Tides and Currents Booklet. If you haven't had much experience with these charts, this is a great way to get to know them. Are there areas you can find on the chart that will help you get relief from the ebb tide? Where are they? These strategies will make or break the race!
29 January
Slack 0854
Max Ebb 1300 4.1 kts
Slack 1754
Max Flood 2036 3.0 kts
