The last weekend in September brought the YRA Closer races. The weather provided a teaser of a breeze, in some parts of the San Francisco Bay. Other parts encouraged swimming as the boats drifted, becalmed. The predetermined courses took the fleet around Alcatraz and then into the giant calm holes of the east bay Indian summer. Red Rock on Saturday? We got there eventually. Our Sunday race was mercifully cut short when the tanker assessed the density of the becalmed fleet and headed for the channel close to Angel Island, where we sat with just a few other boats, waiting for wind. We were easing along at maybe 1 knot. Knot enough to evade a tanker tossing up a bow wave, heading our way.