Racing & Ratings

Racing in the San Francisco Bay and Offshore

The San Francisco Bay is known throughout the world as a mecca for sailboat racing. Year round sailing, challenging and exhilarating wind and water conditions and a venue of unparalleled beauty makes racing in the San Francisco Bay phenomenal. If you are a multihull owner who wants to start racing, BAMA is here to help you get started.

BAMA's Premiere Annual Event: The Double Handed Farallones Race

The Double Handed Farallones Race is BAMA's signature annual mixed-fleet race event. Click here for a full webpage describing the race's history, information about the course, and recent race results.

The course has racers starting in the early morning off Baker Beach, rounding the Farallones in either direction, and then finishing off the Golden Gate Yacht Club race deck. Covering a total distance of 54nm, the conditions for the DHF can be challenging, testing a double handed crews stamina and seamanship. The race requires that participating boats meet the NCORC's offshore safety requirements, and requires that participating sailors study offshore safety topic and practice person overboard recovery prior to the race.

ANNUAL TROPHIES AWARDED BY BAMA

The BAMA CUP Perpetual Trophy

The BAMA Cup is BAMA's perpetual trophy awarded for the best yearly performance across a lengthy, diverse list of regattas. The scoring typically takes the best 7 of 10 races, covering courses both long and short, inshore and offshore.

The BAMA Racetrack Perpetual Trophy

The BAMA Racetrack is BAMA's race any time, self-timed course on the central bay. Racers may race this course any time, and as many times as they want. Send your times and your GPS tracks to racechair@sfbama.org to be automatically entered into this annual race. The full race description and instructions are here.

BAMA Sponsored Multihull-Only Races

BAMA Multihull Regatta

Jack Reacher Race & Raft-Up

2022 BAMA CUP STANDINGS

(COMING SOON)

How to Start Racing your Multihull

Get your RATING from BAMA (see below)
Learn the basics of the Racing Rules of Sailing
Crew on another Multihull in a race
Sign up for a beer-can race at a local yacht club and become comfortable with the starting line
Sign up for a larger Regatta and race with more competitive fleets (See our Calendar)

Getting your Multihull Rating from BAMA

Multihull Ratings Defined

BAMA issues PHRF Handicaps for multihulls to race in the San Francisco Bay Area, Monterey Bay and Lake Tahoe at the request of the YRA PHRF Committee (NCPHRF) using their rules and guidelines with US Sailing guidance. BAMA PHRF Handicaps are determined relative to boats in the local Bay Area multihull fleet, using One-Design & National Association guidelines where they exist, other regional data, local race results and Rating Rules as applicable.

BAMA uses Texel (NDL, AUS, DEN, CSA), SCHRS (World Sailing), MOCRA (UK) and Multi2000 (FRA) Rating Rules for multihulls over 15 feet. The Rating may be used to calibrate the initial PHRF Handicap.

BAMA recommends that multihulls & monohulls should not be scored in the same section or division in any competitive event in alignment with US Sailing PHRF.

Initial PHRF Handicaps will be considered provisional in nature for boats new or unfamiliar to the committee. These handicaps may be reviewed and perhaps changed after one season or a series of races has transpired.

The BAMA PHRF Handicap Committee may decline to handicap any yacht for which it feels unable to determine a potential speed.

BAMA policy requires that all documentation be submitted prior to issuing a PHRF Handicap. No handicap will be given over the phone or without full documentation having been made available to the entire committee.

The Committee may invalidate a Certificate at any time where cause is in evidence such as incorrect dimensions or where other than declared equipment is used. Due process will be exercised to allow the owner to be heard and corrections made if the owner, in the view of the Committee, provides justification.

Who Needs a Ratings Certificate

A new or updated Rating Certificate is required if:

You are new to the fleet; or
It's a new racing season. You must renew your rating every year by logging into Jibeset and paying a fee; or
Your boat is modified during the year, including but not limited to new sails, new rudder, centerboard or daggerboard, the addition of lifting foils, or other modifications that would materially change a boat's displacement or performance.

How to Get a Rating in 3 Easy Steps

Download the rating data form sheet here. This PDF form shows all the data that you will need to successfully apply for a rating with BAMA. If you are having trouble finding the information required, contact the BAMA Rating Chair with your question for assistance. RatingChair@sfbama.org
Apply for and purchase your rating certificate here. BAMA uses a web based form that you fill in to apply for your rating. Before you open the form and start filling it in, make sure you have collected all necessary information in step 1 above.
Get your boat weighed by the Ratings Committee. Admittedly, this step is not as easy as the first three, but BAMA strongly recommends weighing your boat for an accurate rating and will assist you with this process. In the absence of an accurate weight, the Rating Committee will assume that your boat's weight is equal to the lightest similar boat in its database, which may negatively impact your boat's rating. If you want your boat weighed, please indicate such when sending your supporting documents to the Race Chair (Step 3) and the Race Committee will assist you with this process.

Applications typically take 2 – 4 weeks to review before a certificate will be issued if no additional information is requested.

2022 BAMA PHRF Ratings