Redwood, Branson tennis advance to semis

Liam Carpenter and Charlie Boyden secured wins at the top two singles positions, helping the Redwood High boys tennis team keep its season alive with a 5-2 win against Amador Valley in the North Coast Section Division I quarterfinals Thursday.

Carpenter cruised at No. 1 singles, dropping just three games in a straight-sets win. Boyden had to work a bit harder but pulled out a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 victory at No. 2 singles.

Redwood swept the three doubles matches, led by Jackson Bramlette and Jackson Sichel, who won 6-2, 7-5 at No. 1 doubles.

The No. 3 Giants advance to Saturday's 10 a.m. semifinal against No. 2 Foothill at James Logan High in Union City. The championship game is scheduled for noon at James Logan.

• Branson swept the three doubles matches and got victories from Tommie Higgins and Ishwar Jayaraman to complete a 5-2 victory against Acalanes in the NCS D-II quarterfinals at College of Marin. Luke Tuscher and Jeffrey Huang, the top two players on Branson's ladder, were victorious at No. 1 doubles. No. 3 Branson advances to Saturday's 10 a.m. semifinal against No. 2 University at Acalanes High in Lafayette. The final is set for noon at St. Mary's College in Moraga.

Kayaking

Cyril Derreumaux, a 45-year-old, French-born Larkspur resident, is set to make a second attempt of a solo and unassisted crossing from Sausalito to Hawaii in June.

Derreumaux is eyeing early June, weather permitting, to begin the 2,400 nautical mile journey in his custom-built kayak, nicknamed “Valentine.” The voyage, if successful, is expected to take 60 to 70 days.

Derreumaux's first attempt began in early June of 2021 and ended six days later. Derreumaux lost his sea anchor due to high winds and rough seas and was rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.