Light Start to San Diego Hot Rum Series

ByStuart Johnstone
Sailboat racing near rocky coastline.


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(San Diego, CA)- The first race of the three-race long Hot Rum Series started off with a whimper. Light winds plagued the fleet, with only about one-third of the 100+ boat fleet finishing the pursuit race. Hosted by San Diego Yacht Club for decades, the Hot Rum Series has been a popular regatta to close out the end of the summer/ fall sailing season in Southern California.

Using the PHRF SoCal ratings, the slowest boats start first at 10:00 AM, and by noon, the biggest, fastest boats have started. Given the normal scenario for developing winds on San Diego Bay, it takes some time for the Seabreeze thermal to develop over the top of Point Loma. As a result, it’s usually the big boats that benefit from a late start with decent breeze.

The Hot Rum Series started on November 8th, the next race is on November 22nd, and the last race is on December 6th.

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PHRF 2 Division
Leading this nine-boat fleet was a pair of fast, well-sailed J/145s. First was Rudy Hall’s J/145 PALAEMON, and second was Alec Oberschmidt’s AARRRGG.

PHRF 4 Division
This fifteen-boat fleet saw Mike Hatch’s J/105 J-ALMIGHTY win quite handily. George Roland & Johannes Neuendorf’s J/105 JALOPY took third place, and Bennett Greenwald & Dave Vieregg’s J/105 PERSEVERANCE took fourth place.

PHRF 5 Division
In this large twenty-boat fleet, Ed Sanford’s J/111 CREATIVE finished fourth, while Brion Murray’s J/122 PRONTO 122 was eighth, John Laun’s J/120 CAPER was ninth, and Colin Suvak’s J/120 DANI GIRL rounded out the top 10.

For more San Diego YC Hot Rum Series sailing information
https://sdyc.org/