(Long Beach, California)- The 2015 Islands Race marks the start of the
offshore racing season in Southern California. An eclectic mix of
yachts from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara collect themselves in
Long Beach and race around two islands and into San Diego every year.
Yes, it’s a lovely triangular course that is far more challenging and
deceiving tactically and strategically than most sailors can imagine.The 130 nm course is far more challenging than meets the eye-- you have to navigate offshore from Long Beach Harbor, transit the deep blue ocean swells and genuine sea breezes to the west of Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands, and finally negotiate various points of sail to the finish off San Diego’s Point Loma.
The
2015 Islands Race marks the 6th year of this well-attended event
developed in partnership between San Diego Yacht Club and Newport Harbor
Yacht Club. The successful long-term co-hosting of this race has proven
to be a positive example of yacht clubs working together to promote,
advance and improve the sport of yacht racing.For this year’s edition, arm-chair weather forecasters and weather routing experts were busy trying to predict the race and some of them were even posting their Expedition tracks on FaceBook for everyone to enjoy.
The start was a bit unusual as the fleet ended up starting at the Point Fermin sea buoy; this was due to the heavy commercial traffic inside the breakwater. Once the race commenced, the boats that held an outside (northerly) rhumbline to San Clemente Island generally benefitted from stronger breeze; those who held a closer line were in a lot less breeze than most.
Once
past San Clemente, the boats that held a lower line towards San Diego’s
Point Loma did better and got more pressure. Was this perhaps due to
the Coriolis Effect, the Venturi Effect, the Halo Effect, the Polar
Vortex, the Laminar Flow Effect and winds wrapping around the ends of
incredibly tall islands like San Clemente?! Hmmm, the jury is still out
on that phenomenon. According to “K-Mag” (Keith Magnussen from Ullman Sails Newport Beach), it was about the time he was rounding San Clemente Island that he began viewing on his iPad the awesome surf movie- “North Shore”. According to Keith, “I already know the full movie back to front but what better way to inspire sailing to Hawaii than watching this awesome movie. If you do not have a clue what I am talking about then do not worry about it Haole. Night time and early morning was filled with apparent wind games. For lead sleds, pole forward. For sprits, simply sending it with A1’s or Code Zeros. By no means was it frustrating, more like taxing on the mind. Sailing in light breeze in any distance race is tough, but essential to do well.”
In
such mind-bending conditions where the reality-distortion field was
taking effect, many of the J/Teams faired quite well when playing
apparent wind & mind games. Shades of the Santa Barbara to King
Harbor Race in July 2014! PHRF 2 Class saw the J/145 GOOD CALL skippered by Tom Barker take third while John Lyon’s J/160 INNOCENT MERRIMENT placed seventh and Tim Fuller’s J/125 RESOLUTE took eighth in class (the result of a negative strategic outcomme at zero dark hundred hours when the tactical team played Pokemon to determine their strategery decision- got it?!).
In PHRF 3 Class, the J/111 STAMPEDE sailed by Glenn Griley enjoyed the race track and strategic challenges better than most and took second in class followed closely by Gary Winton’s J/120 SHENANIGANS in third place. Taking fifth place were the Jorgensen Brothers sailing their J/133 PICANTE and in sixth was Paul Stemler’s pretty J/44 PATRIOT. For more Islands Race sailing information
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