Skip to content

Berkeley Midwinters as Good as It Gets

Weekend #4 of the Berkeley Yacht Club Midwinters was as good as winter racing on San Francisco Bay gets — but it did not start out that way.

Saturday’s Race

Saturday started glassy with winds at 1-2 knots and a postponement. So, we waited. In the meantime, somewhat full but slow-moving spinnakers could be seen a couple of miles to the west between Angel Island and Alcatraz. About 45 minutes into the postponement, we decided to pick up and head that way. No sooner had the westward caravan started than a clear and decisive wind line appeared just east of Angel and headed our way. We stopped and dropped about a half mile west of our original location and set up the course. For the rest of the day the wind held steady at 8-9 knots.

Express 27 start
The Express 27 start on Saturday, February 12.
© 2022 Glen Garfein

That Saturday we had five divisions with a total of 29 boats, including a one-design class of Express 27s. All of Saturday’s starts were clean, and everyone finished.

Sea Star and Ahi
Bob Walden’s Cal 39 Sea Star and Andy Newell’s Santana 35 Ahi continue their friendly rivalry.
© 2022 Glen Garfein
Ross Groelz’s Express 27 Eagle and Marcus Canestra’s Melges 20 Boomer converge at the windward mark.
© 2022 Glen Garfein

Sunday’s Race

Super Bowl Sunday’s race started out perfect and stayed that way, with wind at 8-12 out of the NNW and steady all day. We had seven divisions totaling 27 boats on the water, including the double- and singlehanded divisions and the Alerion 28 one-design division. We even had four singlehanders out on the course on Sunday with all but one running downwind wing on wing sans spinnaker. Our one lone spinnaker jockey was Jackie Philpott. She wrangled her Cal 2-27, Dura Mater, down the course with a full spinnaker in 12 knots of breeze.

It was good racing and a surprisingly good turnout considering it was Super Bowl Sunday.

Check results for both series on Jibeset. See more of Glen Garfein’s photos from Saturday, February 12, here. The series will conclude with a Winners Race on Sunday, February 27. The podium finishers of each division will face off to determine who is the Champion of Champions.

Leave a Comment




Start 'em Young
You just can't start sailing too young.