Dawid Mocke makes is look easy..cruising to his 5th title. We all have a story to tell and this one is mine.

Patrick and Reece spent the whole week in San Fran..goofing around with kites and downwind runs. I flew in on Thursday with Danica our 4 year old and Eva, the best Swedish Nanny:), and friend you could ask for..if not for her help driving and watching the kidlets, this weekend would not have been possible...from the Demo day starting at 10 till 5, then the dinner and then more sales till well after 10pm the night before the race..all great business but not great race prep.

Race day the wind was blowing..not very hard, but some. The outgoing current was supposed to be mild and we were all set for the race. Prep was good not perfect, lots of days off after Molokai with illness and then tendonitis that I couldn't shake off. .The best in the world ski paddler gal type, Michele Eray, was racing and you have to believe you have a chance, but even Patrick was hoping she wouldn't beat him. Ha, makes me think I don't really have a chance. Ok, the race is off..not sure if there was a good spot to grab as everyone scratched for position.


The race into the wind out to Point Bonita was uneventful. I was alone, not on the wake, for about 10 minutes until Kenny Howell and John Dye came along on the inside and I was thankful to sneak in behind them for a pull into the wind to the bouy. The potato patch was nothing. I needed big messes for my swordfish to take off, but the water was very mild there..similar to Newport Harbor on a small day..darn. Ok, turned the mark and headed for the runs..no runs..just a serious grind back to the golden gate bridge..not a bump or a boat wake or much to do but paddle hard.

At this point I'm getting tired...come under the bridge for a blast of cold gusting wind. Had to grip hard to not blow away..heres the Fenn Hot spot...ready for runs..where are they?





AT this point all the locals said head into the current..Dawid said that too..so out into the current I go..but what I didn't hear was you have to commit to it to get the pay off closer to Angel Island..Whatever..check this photo and check that current..


I committed to it...so I went bumping around out there by myself..still no real runs to ride..didn't ever practice how to ride them when they go in every direction, thankful for the Swordfish....I was having fun, but now I am so tired I'm not racing anymore, just finishing..darn it. A big tourist ferry boat decided I was fun to look at and they motored fast in front of me and all the people waved and took pictures and looked at that dumb girl bouncing around on their waves..ha ha. I waved back gave them the shaka sign or something like that with my hand.

Next came Angel Island buoy..thank goodness.. runs are coming good now and YES, there's the Americas Cup yacht race all 50 of them heading right at me. AWESOME..really not so much. I am thankful for my orange shirts and so thankful for Daryl Remmler in his bright green or is that yellow? shirt..I decide to stay right behind him here and so if the yachts smash him ,then I will have time to move.

The yachts sail away as we thread the needle right between them all and I decide still to stay behind Daryl..he was so safe..thats my story and I 'm sticking to it.....so the finish line comes and I don't finish strong like last year, no surfing past 2 people at the Orange bouy...just bounce bounce in and that's it. Not my best day, but loved the swordfish, loved the company and I just love this race.



Oh and here is how Eva babysits...gotta love that.

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1. Hey Pat and DeAnne:
   Great review DeAnne, and wowzie, that
   short course downwind was tons of fun...
   paddle on,
   john taylor
   Posted by John Taylor   on  08/19   at  05:52 AM

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