(Seattle, WA)- Ethereal fog. Dazzling sun. Leaping orcas. Playful
porpoises. Sexy sasquatches. Salacious salmon sushi. Alien Alaska king
crabs crawling onto boats at night (huh?). Lens clouds on 14,000 ft
Cascade Peaks. Smelly pine cones creating aromatic wisps of gentle
breeze at dawn. All form the canvas on which many a painter have
interpreted the random beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Not for the
bright lights, big city stilleto crowd, that's for sure. That is just
how those who live and love the life in Seattle like it. Adding in some
wind helps, of course. Not too much, not too little. Unfortunately,
when Neptune decides which version of the knotmeter to choose in these
parts, it’s often the extremes! Ouch!The Sloop Tavern YC, a notoriously fun place, is enjoying hosting yet another of their famous Ballard Cup Series. There are three of them. The first one is cold, foggy and messy. The second one is less cold, less foggy and less messy. The third one is perfect, warm and windy according to the Chamber of Commerce weather forecast!
The Ballard Cup Series is all about having fun. No drama. No pretense. Just sailing. That is the way it should be. And, J/Teams are loving it! Note to all- the women owners and skippers are fast learners and are creating some great teams in the Pacific Northwest!
At
this stage, a J/105 is leading overall with 10 of the top 25 overall
are J/Teams. Three of the top six are J/teams and, significantly, two
are women-owned and skippered boats! That is a wonderful development in
offshore sailing, not just for the Pacific Northwest, but for the rest
of offshore sailing in general. That is a trend that continues to
accelerate since a vast majority of new women sailboat owners happen to
be J/Boats sailors!Here is what is happening to date on a class-by-class basis. In Class 3 Flying Sails, Scott Galbraith’s J/24 FLYER is 3rd class and 9th overall. In Class 4 Flying Sails, David Jade’s J/35c SHADOWFAX is 7th class and 47th overall.
There are a lot of J/crews in Class 5 Flying Sails. Laurie Ann Kaplan’s J/29 WINGS is 1st class and 5th overall followed by Jacob Kemp’s J/80 FEARFUL SYMMETRY in second and 14th overall, then Dulnath Wijayratne’s J/80 JOLLY GREEN in third and 22nd overall, J Aguilar & J Kazaras’ J/29 RUBY in 4th and 19th overall, Thomas’ J/29 JOYRIDE in 6th and 26th overall, Cindy Gossett’s J/30 OUTLAW 7th and 32nd overall, Dave Revell’s J/80 UNDERDOG 8th and 35th overall, Rodolphe Destouches’ J/80 TAJ MAHAL 9th and 36th overall.
The current rockstar is in Class 6 Flying Sails- John Aitchison’s J/105 MOOSE UNKNOWN is 1st class and 1st overall. Lloyd Fogg’s J/105 AVALANCHE 3rd and 21st overall, Tom Kerr’s J/33 CORVO 5th and 20th overall. Margaret Pommert’s J/105 PUFF 6th and 39th overall. Jim Geros’ J/105 LAST TANGO in 8th and 44th overall.
Finally, in Class 7 Flying Sails, Jenny Heins’ J/35 THOSE GUYS is 3rd class and 6th overall; Ken Jones’ J/120 WITH GRACE 5th class and 10th overall.
The PHRF Cruising Spinnaker Class saw the modified J/30 HURON skippered by Karl von Schwarz take fourth. For more Annapolis YC Regatta sailing information
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