He was overtaken in shallow water by a five-foot swell that became a breaking wave. The backdrop is the Marin headlands, viewing just a bit west from the northern end of the GG Bridge. It appears an average day for the Golden Gate, wasn't a particularly heavy day. The 26X or M owner should have & would have likely used their big outboard to stay ahead of that breaker. I knew I'd be in coastal waters, a big factor back in 1999 when choosing my large-propped Suzuki DF60.
Shown below is a different photog's view of that same day, showing another sailboat in "the Slot" with Angel island as her easterly backdrop, located about 3 miles east of the GG Bridge. This pic permits a rough estimate of conditions that day ... my guess is 18 knots, gusting 25.
