Berkeley Yacht Club Inaugural Windsurfing Racing Report

[bil7y]

With the recent announcement that the Berkeley Yacht Club (BYC) would be hosting the 2011 US Windsurfing National Championships the night's racing had actually been designed to reintroduce Windsurfing to a club that was once propelled the sport forward through its innovative racing program. The result was a smashing success that sets the table for a new era in Yacht Club supported Windsurfing on San Francisco Bay. (pictured Tom Purcell leaving the harbor to hit the race course/ Photo Credit Shawn Davis/www.picyourshot.com)

Reel the clock back some 25 years and you'll remember the days when windsurfing was a booming sport, Robby Naish was the world champ, and camber inducers were a new thing. Back in those days yacht clubs were a big proponent of windsurfing and racing was regularly run as part as club racing schedules around the country. Fortunately for the local windsurfing community the BYC is still stocked with talented windsurfers from the sports yester year that, having witnessed the sports resurgence in recent years, became the driving force in bringing windsurfing racing back to club. And that's just what happened this past September 17th. (pictured below Mike Percey finishing the nights race/ credit Shawn Davis/www.picyourshot.com)

With the support of many of the clubs members, like Ed Shirk, helping race organizer Jane Morson to make things happen the night was sure to be a success. These are guys who used to wear their dagger boards around their arms when racing their original windsurfers downwind in 25 knots of San Francisco Bay breeze and they have the welts on the backs of their heads to prove it!

One race was scheduled and due to the nature of the event a hand-picked group of windsurfers was invited to attend as a prelude to opening up racing to all later in the season. With 7 boards on the line racing kicked off at 6:30pm – on the nose; as scheduled. This is a yacht club you know and they had 3 rounds of sailboat racing to get off starting immediately after the boards.

With the J24 "Shark on BlueGrass" serving as the Race Committee boat, Falk Meissner calling the shots, and a perfectly balanced starting line the stage was set.

The conditions were idyllic with solid warm winds blowing across Berkeley's Olympic Circle sailing course Tom Purcell and I started on Starboard while Steve Sylvester, Soheil Zahedi, Mike Percey, Jack Lundquist and Weyman Lundquist all wisely chose to start on port. If you followed my coverage of the Finn World Championships you know there is a local saying about the Olympic Circle. "Go right at the circle". Meaning the right hand side of the course is usually favored by the wind wrapping around Angel Island's Point Blunt just upwind creating a nice lift on that side of the race course.

Despite Purcell and I crossing in front of the port tackers off the line by the time we flopped over it was clear we had made a mistake. Steve Sylvester had picked up a good 300 yards on us and taken Soheil Zahedi with him. Thinking Tom & I knew what we were doing Mike Percey had tacked over early to cover us only to suffer the same fate. Sylvester proceeded to call a perfect lay line to the windward mark and as he turned the corner downwind proceeded to put the hammer down and extend his lead on Purcell and myself who rounded the mark within inches of each other. Sylvester however could not shake Zahedi who was in dogged pursuit and sailing extremely well. On the second windward lap Zahedi under stood the mark by just a few feet while Sylvester again called the line perfectly essentially sealing his victory. Purcell and I continued to duke it out and luckily for the two of us Percey way over stood the windward mark taking himself out of contention for a podium spot. No rest for Percey however as Weyman Lundquist was charging from behind and needed only one more Percey mistake to take him down. But this is Percey's home turf and he put it all back together to hold on to his position. Lundquist has found new speed in the second half of the year and has showed a solid progression throughout the 2010 season that has seen him breathing down the backs of some of the local hot shots in recent races.(pictured Weyman Lundquist just off the Berkeley Yacht Club/credit Shawn Davis www.picyourshot.com)

The race finished down wind under a setting sun and was highlighted by a magically glowing iridescent fog bank hued with rich pinks and vivid purples just over the East Bay hills as the racers were whistled in directly off the BYC club deck.

Unfortunately Jack Lundquist suffered a broken mast and was taken out of the action early. But once again the sage wisdom of the BYC showed itself as, at Paul Kamen's direction, a chase boat was at the ready to get Jack in before his hair even got too wet. Special thanks to the BYC Member, Scott Johnson, who not only donated the use of his boat, but drove it. Thanks Scott!

All in all the evening was a smashing success highlighted by the pleasant surprise that the BYC pours draught beers for 3 bucks a glass on race nights and has a full on BBQ extravaganza to go with them!

The windsurfers would like to extend a big thank you to the Berkeley Yacht Clubs Commodore Dave Douglas, the BYC Board, and all the Berkeley Yacht Club members. Special thanks to all the volunteers who helped out the nights racing and especially those like Henry King who served on Race Committee boat. Last but not least thanks to Jane Morson for making the whole thing a reality. Lost more stories to come from the BYC windsurfing racing scene!

On a final Note the Berekely Yacht Club is also a great deal. Membership runs for only like 6O bucks a month! Their beer can and chowder racing series mean that sailing is going on all year long and many of the boats are always looking for crew. If your looking in to getting in to boat sailing this is great place to start!

To see complete results and the photos use the link below.
http://www.waterhound.com/berkeley-yacht-club-windsurfing-is-back-and-sylvester-takes-down-the-prize.html

[windchamp2]

Great to see more racing in Berkeley but where to you stage and launch 60+ windsurfers for the 2010 Nationals- some with multiple rigs from BYC or the carpet?

[bil7y]

There is still some work to be done on that front. The BYC side is the direction we are heading- Freestyle and Slalom from the his lordships side. Closing of a big chunk of the first parking lot laying down astro turf and then creating a ramp over the rocks. The dock is great for less than 20 sailors but more than that its no good.