Beer Can Races

The Beer Can Races take place in San Diego Bay every Wednesday for ten weeks during the summer. Up to 125 sailboats are allowed to compete each week. Ben and I were invited to ride along with the crew of Pyxis (a CAL 39 - one of our neighboring sailboats in the mooring field) for the final race this past Wednesday. The crew consisted of John, Charlie, Dave & Ted. While they took care of the sailing, our job was to add extra weight to the wayward or leeward side, depending on where they needed us. It was really exciting (and at times nerve-racking) to watch these huge boats sail within inches of one another. Obviously, the participants have MUCH more sailing experience than Ben and I. Here are some pics of the boats in the race, including one picture of Charlie at the helm. Unfortunately, I didn't get more pics of the crew or of Pyxis. (Hey, I had a job to do and I wasn't sure if taking pictures during the race would be frowned upon!) Now that I know what to expect, if we're invited along again next year, I'll be sure to keep my camera with me at all times...