fiasco online
The Three Bridge Fiasco has some incredible rules, ones that could drive most race committees and any novice racer up a wall. The salty sailors of San Francisco seem to love this race and basically everyone who sails will be there. With 360+ boats registered, a starting line that goes either way, no set course and a finish line that also goes either way, the name of the race – Fiasco – seems comparatively mundane. The Three Bridges and associated marks are: Golden Gate (Blackaller Buoy) Bay Bridge (Treasure Island) and Richmond-San Rafael (Red Rock) and can be rounded in either direction.
War Dog started an unofficial "Anarchy Fleet" a few years ago, and now more than 40 boats race for doublehanded or singlehanded honors along with SA swag and booze courtesy of the anarchists. In heavy air it would be a bear for two people to sail some of these boats around this 21 mile course with a heavy afternoon ebb tide, but this year’s 3BF looks like it could be a drifter.
If the wind picks up, some of the folks who’ve been planning their course all week may change it from Counter Clockwise (Treasure Island, Red Rock, Blackaller) to Clockwise. Either way, the SAers are not just racing for fame and glory, but also for Rum and Tequila, along with some SA and H20 Shots swag.
This fun race has more participation than most sailing bodies of water ever see…something to think about if you’re trying to get the boats out in your lake or bay.
For those of you on course who want to send in reports – have at it.
Clean, Photoboy and I have cobbled together a little plan and I am going to be out on with H2O Shots’ Photoboy on his 20′ red rib starting in the mid morning near TI and will send in reports from my Blackberry. You can call or write me, and we’ll also be monitoring the "Unofficial" SA channel 72. Clean’s gonna help with the posting. If you want to report in, contacts for us media whores are in the official OTW Anarchy 3BF thread, where you can watch all the action today. Videos and pics are already up, so jump in.
Good luck y’all.
Dixie
