
The Flip of the Switch in Berkeley Yacht Club’s December Midwinters
Predictably Stormy Saturday, December 14
Go or no go? It’s always good times deciding to go or cancel a race due to weather conditions. No matter what decision is made, one can be sure that someone will be unhappy about it. The weather forecast for Saturday, December 14, predicted wind in the mid-30s to mid-40s with rain. That is a no-go for sure. The only question is whether the forecast is reliable, as we at Berkeley Yacht Club prefer to cancel the evening before the race to save the racers and committee crew having to waste half a day only to cancel anyway. This is especially true for crews who travel longer distances.
For midwinters, nobody signs up for big-weather racing. This is not offshore. The boats and crews may or may not be equipped for heavy weather. Also, it’s about the racing, not who is willing to show up in dangerous conditions. Safety first. As it turned out, the forecast was accurate. The wind was dangerously high, and nearly all races were canceled that day.
Unexpectedly Awesome Sunday, December 15
Sunday’s weather, on the other hand, turned out to be kind of awesome. It did not start out that way. The awesomeness was not promised or foreseen. With the wind out of the NNW, the BYC race committee set up the starting line near the south side of the Berkeley Circle.

The wind at the start was steady at around 7 knots, enough to go twice around on a windward/leeward course.Once the race started, however, the wind began to build to the mid-teens, making for a very nice day of sailing. Forty boats competed across six divisions in what can only be described as bloodthirsty exuberance.


And the Winners Were …
In the Most Bloodthirsty Division (PHRF <126) it was Takeoff, the Melges 24 skippered by Andrew Picel, taking first. Next up, in the Funny Boat Name Division (PHRF>= 159) Richard vonEhrenkrook piloted his Cal 20 Can O’ Whoopass to a win. In the Buddies Are the Best Doublehanded Division, Ron Tostenson and Bart Hackworth skippered their Santa Cruz 27 Pacifico equally and equitably across the line first. In the Do I Smell? Singlehanded Division, Surprise!, the Alerion Express 38 driven by Bob Johnston, took first place. In the Express 27 Division Steven Katzman sailed Dianne to victory. Finally, in the Which Boat is That? Alerion 28 Division Fred Paxton and Arnie Quan took first place on Zenaida.

Many thanks to the racers for their support and words of appreciation and encouragement to the committee crew. We listen to you guys.

The next BYC Midwinters races will be this coming weekend on January 11-12. Sign up or check standings on Jibeset. The forecast calls for no storms (or even drizzle) this week, so it’s all systems go! (Remember the sunscreen.)

Thank you for making the call. The way you did it with an early email noting the possibility of cancelling with a scheduled go/no-go email in the evening was helpful as well so I could keep my crew informed. After following the forecasts all week we were waffling on whether we would go. Videos posted by RYC of the harbor on Saturday made me glad I was warm and dry at home, avoiding the 2+ hour round trip on the road in the storm.
I have had to make the call on the YRA Farallons race a couple of times and while there is an occasional libertarian quoting rule 4 (now 3) the vast majority of feedback I have received was positive. When the race is part of a series there is an incentive to go out in less than ideal conditions. That is part of the fun of a series. But the Coast Guard who issues permits for every race expects us to act responsibly. See you Saturday on the water in hopefully better conditions.