Cal Sailing Club members enjoy numerous opportunities to race club dinghies. The competition is friendly but not lax. Racing at CSC is an excellent way for new sailors to learn some of the finer points of sailing and for experienced sailors to hone their skills.
Sunday Morning Dinghy Racing
Races are held most every Sunday of the year, weather and tide permitting, and are open to all club members. Skippers and crew show up at 10:00 AM to start rigging boats and set race marks. The only time races might be cancelled is during stormy weather or when the estimated tide will be too low. Notices of when Sunday racing will, and will not, occur are regularly posted to the CSC's Announcement and Discussion email lists.Any CSC Junior Skipper who passes the Racing Rules Test can drive; any CSC member may crew regardless of their rating. Occasionally, when there is interest and favorable conditions, we hold a "crew's race", where skippers and crew switch places.
Competitors typically race the same one-design dinghies -- some days JY15's, other days Bahias sometimes both boats in a mixed fleet. Both boats are very close in speed. Boat handling and tactics reign supreme... and sometimes luck.
After every race, skippers rotate to different boats, which allows crew to experience different skipper sailing/racing techniques, and helps eliminate any impact that equipment differences might make. A race usually takes 15 or 20 minutes, but there may be more mark roundings, tactical decisions, and close encounters with other boats than would occur in an all-day race over a much longer course. Usually there are 6 to 8 races, so by 1 PM when it's over, skippers (and crew) can be physically, and sometimes mentally, exhausted.
For a dinghy racers, Sunday morning at the CSC satisfies the desire for friendly, but keen, competition.
For further information about Sunday dinghy racing please see the Racing Rules Test or contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Thursday Evening JY15 Races
CSC Thursday evening JY15 racing has become very popular. Fun, not competition, is the primary objective. The only mandate is to partake in post race party, either grilling at the club (the bill's on the club) or hanging out at Spenger's Fish Grotto Happy hour (where $3 will get you a hearty dinner) ;-)
From April to October, if the weather is good and the tide's not too low, club members race our six JY15's on Thursday evenings (Thursday JY race notices are regularly posted to the CSC's Announcement and Discussion email lists). These are informal races, designed to provide maximum fun with minimum rules. Strong winds are the norm, you'll often see trapezes flying on almost every boat. They may look experienced, but on any given night maybe half the crew are trapping for the first time. Thursday nights is the place to learn high wind sailing tactics and there are great teachers racing alongside the newest sailors for a fun night of on the water. No racing ratings required and protests are not permitted. Arrive by 5 PM to help rig boats if you want to get a place on board. Races start as soon as the fleet is rigged, usually just after 6 PM. The club has loaner wetsuits, gloves, booties, trapeze harnesses, and helmets. Plan to get wet!
For more information on Thursday JY racing, contact Alistair Boettiger. His email address is: alistair
Laser Races
Laser races are held occasionally in the summer on Sunday afternoons, if there is sufficient interest. Check the news section of the front page of this website. If Laser racing is not scheduled, and you are interested in seeing it happen, seek out like-minded sailors at the club, and post a note soliciting interest to the club's Discussion email list.Other Races
CSC participates with the Berkeley Yacht Club, Friday nights during the summer, and Sunday Chowder races during the winter months, and club members are often welcomed by private boat owners as crew. Sadly, the club can no longer afford to race keelboats as we have for many years. (Please write Larry Ellison and ask him to underwrite a CSC keelboat racing program--word is he learned to sail at CSC!)Racing Links
Racing Rules and Skipper RRS Test for Sunday Dinghy Races
Like most sailboat racing, CSC dinghy races are conducted under the International Sailing Federation's Racing Rules of Sailing, or RRS. The current RRS is 2009-2012. CSC has published a race rules handbook that includes applicable portions of the RRS, as well as Sailing Instructions written especially for CSC Sunday dinghy races.Printed copies of our 09-12 RRS/SI handbook are available in our clubhouse for $2.00. It is also available here.
We recommend carrying a printed copy to the club when racing. It's a convenient reference when learning the rules, for refreshing one's RRS memory, and especially for those involved in rules protests.
The RRS Sunday dinghy skipper test is based strictly on the RRS rules, and is an open book test. A copy of the test is available at the clubhouse. PDF copies are available from the dinghy race chairs.
For further information about Sunday dinghy racing and the RRS test, please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
