Can’t go for even one weekend, even a holiday weekend, without a race? No need to fret - Berkeley Yacht Club’s Chowder Series doesn’t take holidays off.

The start line is right outside the Berkeley Marina, with the Olympic Circle providing the marks, and the finish is right off the club’s deck inside the marina. For a small casual race it brings out a diverse group of designs - some from the disco era and some from grunge. If you have a boat that sails in a zephyr you have a better chance of winning.

On this past Sunday, the wind gods favored the little chubby guys, as slow boats caught up to their faster comrades by the end. Racing on the Circle in winter is a tricky combination of keeping the boat moving and being in the right place when you finally stall out. One of the most difficult tactical decisions is how far towards the Gate do you go to catch the westerly when it finally fills. Dragged further out by a strong ebb, some boats looked like they were heading for Pier 39 by the time the new wind came around.

With the entrance to Berkeley Marina getting shallower by the day, the final puzzle was how to finish at low tide without getting stuck in the mud. Most boats made it, but some did not. Among the unlucky (and the deep-keeled), Par Avion (ex-Sting) had to be towed off by a power boat.

At the end waits beer and chowder in the friendly confines of the Berkeley YC. And the chance of winning your very own coffee cup.

You won’t find the results online, but we can tell you that ten out of 16 boats finished, and that the top three (all winning coffee cups) were: 1. Fandango; 2. Latin Lass; 3. Ruby Slipper.

You can find instructions online, just ignore the year on them. See www.berkeleyyc.org/racing.

The next Chowder race will be next Sunday. Is there any truth to the rumor that Berkeley YC has a race every weekend of the year? We checked the 2009 and 2010 schedules, and the answer is… yes!

Thanks to the crews of Latin Lass and Think Fast for carrying our cameras onboard.