Bobbi Tosse of Berkeley Yacht Club reports on their December Midwinters: “As promised by the National Weather Service, the weekend was wild and very wet! There was rain, there was hail and there was plenty of wind. But, all was not cold and miserable. We were also treated to some sunshine and rainbows. Add spectacular views of all three bridges to the mix and you have a fantastic weekend!

“The statistics indicate that not everyone thought going out in this stuff was a very swift idea. On Saturday, only 37 of the 73 entrants came out – a 50.68% showing. The wind was 17 to 25 knots out of the SE and the eight-mile course was completed with dispatch, even though there were times that no one could see the marks due to the heavy rain. “D” was the first weather mark and the day was slightly marred with a dismasting.  Nathalie Criou’s Express 27, Elise reportedly tangled with the first buoy and the mast from the backstay down left. This buoy is a government mark and is frequently referred to as the spinnaker eater. Happily, no one was hurt.”

Said Nathalie, “Strong currents plus wind shifts can turn bird cage marks into a standing hazard. Following the beheading of the mast we:

• Got away from the mark.

• Made sure everyone was okay and waved at the other Expresses nearby that we were okay.

• Secured the two parts of the mast (one dangling down) with lines to prevent further damage/reduce risk of injury.

• Radio'ed the race committee (didn't pick up) to say that we were dropping out of the race and no one was hurt.

• Deployed the engine.

• Folded the main around the mast (we couldn't 'drop it').

• Headed to richmond - hailed race committee again on the radio, told them we were dropping out and confirmed that no one was injured.

• At the dock, we dropped the mast/played Ikea with it so we could drop the torn main.

• Secured everything to the rail.

• Motored back to StFYC.

“I am sure that Elise will be up and running again pretty soon.” For more details on the dismasting and its aftermath, you can read Nat’s blog entries at http://blog.beatsarcoma.org/2009/12/elise-got-haircut.html and http://blog.beatsarcoma.org/2009/12/elise-got-haircut.html.

Back to the Midwinters. “On Sunday,” continued Bobbi, “only 21 of the 46 entrants made an appearance. Those remaining 25 missed out on a fine day. The rain stopped before the start and the wind didn’t die completely until almost all the boats had finished.  The sun even made an appearance. The wind was about 5 to 15 from the SSW and the 7.8 mile course used both EOC and FOC as weather marks.

“The results are up at www.berkeleyyc.org.”

The next Berkeley Midwinters will be on January 9 and 10.