April 24, 2013

Patrick Hind-Smith, Fleet Captain at Berkeley YC, reports:

Every time that I get out on the water and sail, I learn something, just as they say in all the manuals and books. After this past Friday night series race, the same can be said for being on race committee. I was squirming a bit on the race deck as the sun went down and felt that the loss of wind and the choice of course was all MY FAULT! Buoyed by the voices of experience at the bar, I soon felt the blame meting away.

It looked good at the start and 15 minutes before...then it died!

As I talked to the racers I felt even better. They had a great evening on the Bay with the sky and warmth keeping them comfortable and happy to be a part of it all. The grill was still hot and the drinks at the bar were still cold. Twelve out of 16 starters finished the race.

Having just concluded a well-attended and enthusiastic Chowder series and now three races into our always popular Friday night series, I see an opportunity to supplement our summer race program with something a little extra to both include more who may not be able to compete on Fridays or those who may just enjoy getting down to the Club on a Sunday after a spirited sail on the Bay.

Introducing the BYC Tri-Island series.

How does it work?

Basically, it's a three-race series on Sundays in June, July and August in the pursuit format. Your boat is rated, and we give you a start time based on that rating. Boats with higher ratings (heavier displacement, shorter waterline, less sail area) start earlier, and boats with lower ratings start after them, which usually results in a number of boats finishing closer together. Each race starts at the BYC start line just north of the breakwater and you circumnavigate (either direction depending on current) the island chosen in the race and finish off the BYC race deck.

It's low key racing and fun on the water for all, culminating with some food, drinks and camaraderie at the club later.

Here is what we have:

June 2: Alcatraz (getting the Alcatraz race out of the way well before the Louis Vuitton crowd hits the waters!)
July 14: Treasure Island
August 11: Angel Island

Please contact me with your feedback and interest .

- Patrick Hind-Smith, Fleet Captain, Berkeley YC