(Vancouver, BC)- The Van Isle 360 is a biennial, 580 nautical mile
point-to-point race circumnavigating wild and rugged Vancouver Island,
British Columbia, Canada. Sailed in ten legs, the course provides
inshore, offshore and overnight sailing through some of the most
stunning and challenging waters on the planet.For a good perspective on why people do the race, here is a report from Christof Marti (Director at Simply Sailing School in Vancouver and sailing scribe for Vancouver Sun). Reports Christof, "Starting in Nanaimo, the first half of the race takes sailors up the inside of the island through some of the world’s most beautiful cruising grounds, sailing through Desolation Sound and up through Johnstone Strait to Port Hardy. The second half takes the boats around infamous Cape Scott at the Northern tip of Vancouver Island into the Pacific Ocean. The distances between ports are much longer on the outside and each leg includes an overnight passage.
You may ask why would someone want to be on a small sailboat with up to eight other crew, with no showers and sitting on deck in the rain and wind for hours or baking in the sun without shade?
The
answers are as varied as the sailors participating in this race: A love
of sailing and the ocean, the adventure of visiting stunning places few
of us will ever visit, the camaraderie among crew and competitors, are
probably common sentiments among participants. The exhilaration when the
wind is just right, the sails trimmed perfectly and the boat is
accelerating down a wave can hardly be described in words.So, what makes Van Isle 360 so special? It’s the involvement of the communities. At each stop, there is an event: The traditional pancake breakfast at the start in Nanaimo, the salmon feast at Hardwick Island, or the famous barbecue in Telegraph Cove.
The boats on this race range from small coastal cruising boats to high-end racing machines. The crews are just as varied. Some boats are crewed by highly trained, and seasoned racers. While other boats are crewed by less experienced sailors looking for a lifetime adventure.”
One
of those adventurers was multi-J owner Kevin and Sandy Reath. Kevin is
a former J/133 owner who just completed the race in his J/80 SOMETHING
WICKED II. They had 20-35 knot winds almost the entire race, and were by
far the smallest boat in the fleet. SW II won legs 7 and 9 overall in
the race!! Here is the first-hand account of how it all went down: “We just completed the Van Isle 360, a 580nm of sailing, 9 ports in two weeks, shortest leg 28 miles and the longest 138 miles. It was EPIC! Winds on the inside and outside 25-35 knots. Our boat, SOMETHING WICKED II struggled in those headwinds against our larger 40-45 ft competitors. But, once we turned the corner at the top end of the island, our little boat lit it up and simply torched the racetrack! We won two of the offshore legs and placed 3rd in the other! We were simply wearing cheshire cat grins a mile wide! All the best, Kevin & Sandy Reath”
In addition to their stunning performance in the “offshore” portions of the race in the wild blue Pacific Ocean pounding the dramatic, beautiful bluffs on the western shore of Vancouver Island, other J teams enjoyed the most amazing weather the race has seen in years.
In
the IRC Division, Tom Huseby’s J/145 DOUBLE TAKE (if you recall this is
his second J/145!) took 3rd overall and won the final leg from Victoria
to the Nanaimo finish line. Then, John McPhail’s J/160 JAM took fifth
overall after winning two of the legs- the start from Nanaimo to Comox
and Deepwater Bay to Hardwicke Island. They are commonly referred to in
the fleet as “the blue boats”- both with gorgeous dark navy Awlgrip
paint jobs. PHRF Class 1 saw Ron Holbrook’s J/133 CONSTELLATION take fourth after stellar performances on three of the legs- a 2nd on the Comox to Campbell River leg, a 1st on the Deepwater Bay to Hardwicke Island leg, and a 2nd on the Port Hardy to Winter Harbor leg.
Then,
in PHRF Class 2, Bob Brunius’ J/120 TIME BANDIT started out by leading
the entire class after seven legs, then suffered a “brain fade” after so
much success. Nevertheless, TIME BANDIT’s scores after a slow start
included winning the Comox to Campbell River leg, another 1st on the
next leg from Deepwater Bay to Hardwicke Island, a 2nd from Hardwicke
Island to Telegraph Cover and a 2nd from Winter Harbour to Ucluelet.
In the end, just 8 pts out of first place, they still managed 4th
overall.
PHRF
Class 3 saw a rather eclectic field of boats, including a J/32 and the
Reath’s J/80. Taking 5th overall was Todd Rutter’s J/32 BLUE JAY with a
very steady scoreline, including a 2nd in the Deepwater Bay to
Hardwicke Island and a well-deserved 2nd to their stablemate in the
finale from Victoria to the Nanaimo finish line. Just behind them in
6th place was the Reath’s J/80 SW II, suffering in the upwind beats as
mentioned above in the early stages of the race. However, once around
the top, the closed rapidly with a 1-3-1 (1st from Winter Harbour to
Ucluelet, 3rd from Ucluelet to Victoria Harbour, 1st from Victoria to
Nanaimo). Congratulations to all for having an adventure of a lifetime
sailing around the spectacular Vancouver Island! For more Van Isle 360 Race sailing information
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