Polka Dot Racing on Sunday

Potentially the last great-weather day of the year is Sunday (knock on wood) so we're having an emergency chowder race. The forecast looks fantastic, low 70s with 5-10 knots building to 10-20 by early evening. Berkeley is always on the high side of the wind forecast so we can expect fresh to lively winds stopping just short of spirited (my version of the Beaufort Scale).

I have no idea if we can re-create the magic of The Kindergarten Driver but she gets the tiller in all close-quarter racing action. She'll be offically six by the time the race starts so a year of maturity should help too.

There are all sorts of other races happening on the Bay Sunday so we may not have as many boats lined up. The Allianz Cup is going on at the City Front, and the Great Pumpkin is circling the bay. The Allianz Cup will keep all of the America's Cup teams out of the race so maybe we can move up a spot or two. With the Great Pumpkin pulling all of the fast boats, that can only help us too. Can I guarantee better than 11th? No, but if there are fewer than 11 boats, I might just go out on a limb.

Race report on Monday.