I was out on SF Bay this Sunday with a friend on my boat. It was a stunning day to be on the Bay. Conditions were great. We sailed alongside the SF Piers westward and started to get near an enormous regatta of maybe 150 big keel boats. The regatta was taking up most of the area between Alcatraz and the city, so I found it appropriate to get near the regatta and wait for a hole in the traffic to dart through. We found the right moment and made our move, making sure not to get in anyone's way, and made it over to the west side of Alcatraz heading North, and then turning Eastward where we skirted alongside another portion of the regatta. We did a bunch of quick tacks back and forth, making sure behave in such a way that none of the big boats feared we would force them to change course. I must say this was one of the more memorable experiences of my life, piloting my boat in among all these other boats sometimes 50 yards away, in the process seeing that my boat has no problem keeping up with them (under conditions as they were). It was really exciting.

My question to those more experienced than I pertains to the rules and etiquette involved with sailing near and around these big races. Does it sound as if I handled my boat appropriately? Are there specific rules that I should be following when I encounter regattas such as this? Staying completely clear wasn't really possible, since they were really taking up most of the Bay. Besides, what fun is staying completely clear, as long as I'm no one's way and handle my boat responsibly?