Champions and Oktoberfest

October 19, 2011

Berkeley YC Race Chair Bobbi Tosse filed this report on BYC racing during the weekend of October 15-16:

Saturday:  With the help of the wind goddesses of above, blessing us with a steady 12-18 knots from the west, the Berkeley YC Race Committee was able to run three races for the YRA year-end Champion of Champions of One Designs/Yankee Cup/Party Circuit AND the fourth annual Oktoberfest pursuit race around Alcatraz all from the single RC boat Windance.

Starting at 1030 from FOC on the Berkeley Circle, the 11 CofC/Yankee boats scooted on a 5-mile course to YRA 21 and back, taking 40 to 66 minutes. Their second race began at 1155 and they were sent to Harding Rock on a 7.2-mile course. While they were gone, the pursuit race commenced. Eighteen boats ranging from a PHRF handicap of 252 (a 12:33:43 start) to a handicap of 54 (a 13:04:25 start) crossed the line on their way to Alcatraz. Bodacious+, the first of the CofC/Yankee boats. finished at 12:58:06 and  was the only simultaneous activity the RC had to deal with. (We had a separate finish line on the other side of the RC boat.)

At 1405, the third race of CofC/Yankee started and the last boat finished before 1600. Meanwhile, another RC group was finishing the pursuit racers at the BYC deck.

For the CofC/Yankee Cup boats, the strong flood made it a big boat day. Kame Richards and Bill Bridge’s Express 37 Golden Moon dominated the CofC fleet with three firsts, and John Clauser’s 1D 48 Bodacious+ won the Yankee Cup with two firsts and third.

In the pursuit race, big didn’t seem to be the controlling factor. Valentyn Liulevych’s J/24 Shut Up and Drive was first, followed closely by Ethan Petersen’s Wylie Wabbit Furrari. The first non-spinnaker in was Scrimshaw, Michael Maurier’s Alerion Express 28.

At the club, the beer flowed, the food was eaten, the winners announced, the trophies handed out, the folk dancers danced and all the participants partied heartily. A super day!

Sunday: As the old saying goes: “And now for something completely different….” Sunday was multihull time. Eleven BAMA multihulls ranging from handicap -75 to 201 were given two races on the Circle.

The courses were heavy with reaches and some were able to fly their 'screechers'. The wind was lighter than Saturday, but stayed pretty steady. Ian Klitza’s Spruitt D-cat Rocket 88 was first with a 1 & 2, followed by Andrew Scott’s F-27 Papillion. Third overall went to Travis Thompson’s Corsair F-27 Chaos.

Since the finish of race 2 was down near the Berkeley Marina entrance, many were able to come in, raft up and enjoy the food and Sunday afternoon jazz. The sun had come out and it was another fine, fine day!

- Bobbi Tosse, Berkeley YC

For results of the Oktoberfest, see http://web4homes.com/ofest (scroll down). For results of the Champion of Champions and Yankee Cup, see www.yra.org.