Sailing Whiskeytown Lake
by Dean Eppley
For years my wife and I have been attending Whiskeytown Sailing Club’s (WSC) annual Memorial Day Regatta with the Banshee Fleet. The regatta is held on the weekend before Memorial Day giving working stiffs the opportunity to drive home on the holiday and not miss work. WSC has been hosting this fabulous regatta since 1964, and despite being a small club, they doing an amazing job. One of the unique features of the regatta is the ability to camp in the Brandy Creek Marina main parking lot with your self-contained RV/camper, so you’re right where the action is. Please note that Redding is only 20- minutes away with lots of accommodation options for those without an RV/camper and you can relax with us the the Banshee Fleet Compound and leave your boat here! I appreciate being able to dolly my Banshee to the dock or beach without having to use a car or RV to move it. Spectators like it too for watching the racing from the beach or launching kayaks to watch the races from the water. The Banshee Fleet stakes out a big area on the south end of the parking lot where we all stay, giving us the opportunity to enjoy socializing, boat tinkering, RV tinkering, hiking, wildlife watching, swimming, taking out kayaks and, of course, Banshee racing. Dogs and kids enjoy it too with nice beaches and lots of room to explore, just watch that the pavement isn’t too hot for the puppies paws in the afternoon. We maneuver the RV so the awnings overlap and put out big rugs underneath so our puppies and the fleet members and friends have a shady place to relax.
Weather during the regatta is generally very nice, warm, sometimes calm, but over my history of attending this regatta I have experienced two instances of stormy, windy, cold, rainy conditions, so come prepared. Typical winds, e.g. when there is not a storm low pressure system, are thermals generated from the warming valley air that heats up and funnels up from the southeast to the northwest over the lake, reversing at night as the valley cools. WSC has learned to not start the races too early before the wind has turned, still I’ve raced many times when the start is to the northwest only to have the winds shift 180 degrees mid-race with a long, frustrating windless period in between. During the storms I raced in, the winds were the opposite from typical, coming in strong and blustery from the northwest, which can make it a challenge to get off the northerly exposed docks/beach.
Racing on Whiskeytown is a blast, and with the typical thermal winds, it makes racing even more strategic. Unlike ocean racing where non-squall winds are fairly consistent, Whiskeytown winds are extremely varied and have a strong shore contour component to factor in. As the winds roll over the dam and mountains, they spread out across the lake causing significant shifts around points and into coves. For example, a wind from the southeast will bend to the west into coves along the west shore allowing for some amazing lifts for the savvy sailor – but don’t go too far in towards the shore or risk getting becalmed! I’ve used these shifts to my advantage, even without the fastest boat speed, when the rest of the fleet headed to the middle of the lake for apparently stronger winds. It is extremely satisfying to horizon the fleet to the weather mark, and although it is a rare occurrence for me, nonetheless the fleet gets nervous whenever I head out on a flyer by myself.
Further down the lake, on the beat to the finish, I’ve tried to harness these lifts along the shore only to be passed by boats who stayed towards the middle of the lake. I think this is because the closest major shore feature is an island that allows the wind to fill in the area behind it and slow the expected inflow to the cove to the northwest. On this final beat, staying towards the middle is generally the best strategy as the winds are stronger and more reliable.
Over the last few years WSC has increased the number of races in the regatta (wind conditions permitting), meaning there are more, short course races. This is great for the Banshee fleet as the
longer races often just allow those ahead to stay ahead. The shorter race format makes for very competitive racing. The shorter course format also limits use of the race marks headed towards Oakbottom (Marks 7&8 as I recall). The lake pinches to a narrow opening on the way to these northern most marks and then spreads out again. Frankly, we race these courses so infrequently that I haven’t figured out the best strategy! I’ve seen boats do well on the return staying towards the west shore and get a lift, and boats stay to the east shore and get a lift, both only to bite the bullet to fight the header through the constriction. On the run down, I typically stay to the middle as I think that is where the breezes are strongest. If the winds are really light, there can be advantage to hugging the shore where the air piles up and flows perpendicularly to the shore, especially approaching the constriction.
Whiskeytown has also subjected me to a number of drifter races, where tennis seems like it may have been a more appropriate hobby choice. However, all I have to do it look around and watch the Ospreys fishing to realize that sitting forward of the thwart in the Banshee isn’t that bad. Plus it is fun to watch Steve Cassingham zoom by me demonstrating that a panda hat, light weight, skill and youth have their advantages.
After the races, back at the Fleet compound in the parking lot, the watchers and racers swap stories, relax and partake of some great food. I’ve come to realize that this is the best way to enjoy a holiday weekend – with friends and family at the Whiskeytown Banshee Compound.
