J/Crews Sweep Van Isle 360 Race!

(Victoria/ Nanaimo, BC)- The biennial Van Isle 360 Race was an epic adventure and experience for nearly a dozen J/Teams that participated in the 2019 edition.  Comprised of nine individual legs that circumnavigate the outrageously picturesque Vancouver Island off the Pacific coastline of British Columbia, the race was full of drama as each leg completed and teams fought for good overall results.

The combination of the nine legs determined the class winners as well as the overall winner.  The legs were:

1. Nanaimo to Comox- 36.9nm
2. Comox to Campbell River- 27.6nm
3. Deepwater Bay to Hardwicke Island- 24.2nm
4. Hardwicke Island to Telegraph Cove- 41.0nm
5. Telegraph Cove to Port Hardy- 28.7nm
6. Port Hardy to Winter Harbour- 69.1nm
7. Winter Harbour to Ucluelet- 138.1nm
8. Ucluelet to Victoria Harbour- 98.2nm
9. Victoria Harbour to Nanaimo- 59.9nm

That made for a total of at least 486.8nm down the rhumbline. The fleet experienced the standard extremes of weather- from complete glass outs, waiting for breeze, to 40 to 50 kt microbursts ripping down from the mountains peaks on Vancouver Island transited across the notorious Johnstone Straits.

In the end, J/Teams led sweeps in the two largest big boat divisions. In the PHRF Division 1, winning was B. Chan and A. Smyth’s J/111 65 RED ROSES II with 19 pts and also taking 1st PHRF Overall (six classes). Tied going into the last race from Victoria to Nanaimo, it was Scott Campbell’s J/121 RIVA winning the final leg to take second in class over Bill Fox’s J/160 JAM that settled for third place.

Then, in PHRF Division 2 the final leg became a complete cliffhanger for the two leading J/109s. Indeed, they both ended up tied on 25 pts each. Winning on count-back was T. Sitar’s J/109 SERENDIPITY over Mark Hansen’s J/109 MOJO. Completing the podium with the bronze medal was C & J Wolfe’s J/120 SHEARWATER and taking fifth was Tolga Cezik’s J/109 LODOS.  For more Van Isle 360 Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Van Isle 360 Race Report

J/Crews Leading Sweeps in PHRF 1 & 2!
(Victoria/ Nanaimo, BC)- The biennial Van Isle 360 Race has been going on for well over a week now. The race is actually a series of nine individual legs that circumnavigate the outrageously picturesque Vancouver Island off the Pacific coastline of British Columbia.

The combination of the nine legs determines the class winners as well as the overall winner.  The legs are:

1. Nanaimo to Comox- 36.9nm
2. Comox to Campbell River- 27.6nm
3. Deepwater Bay to Hardwicke Island- 24.2nm
4. Hardwicke Island to Telegraph Cove- 41.0nm
5. Telegraph Cove to Port Hardy- 28.7nm
6. Port Hardy to Winter Harbour- 69.1nm
7. Winter Harbour to Ucluelet- 138.1nm
8. Ucluelet to Victoria Harbour- 98.2nm
9. Victoria Harbour to Nanaimo- 59.9nm

That makes for a total course length of at least 486.8nm as the crow flies down the rhumbline. However, as all sailors know, it could be almost 30% more than that depending on weather conditions. This year it has been quite windy at times and there were reports of 40 to 50 kt blasts (more like microbursts) tripping down off the mountains peaks on Vancouver Island while racers were in the notorious Johnstone Straits.

At this time, J/Teams are leading sweeps in the two largest big boat divisions.  In the PHRF Division 1, leading is B. Chan and A. Smyth’s J/111 65 RED ROSES II with 15 pts and they are also sitting in 1st PHRF Overall (six classes). Tied for second place on 22 pts each are Bill Fox’s J/160 JAM and Scott Campbell’s J/121 RIVA.

Then, in PHRF Division 2, leading is T. Sitar’s J/109 SERENDIPITY with 21 pts, Mark Hansen’s J/109 MOJO is second with 22 pts, third is C & J Wolfe’s J/120 SHEARWATER with 25 pts and fifth is Tolga Cezik’s J/109 LODOS with 38 pts.

With just one race left, the approx. 60.0nm leg from Vancouver Harbour to the finish line off Nanaimo Harbour, anything goes for 2nd and 3rd spots on the podium in PHRF 1 and no question it will be one heck of a battle in PHRF 2 class for all three spots on the podium as the three boats are only separated by 3 pts!  For more Van Isle 360 Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/24 Starts Race 2 Alaska!

(Vancouver, BC)- “June's arrival in the Pacific Northwest is a special time thanks to the area's unique sailing scene that includes events such as the Van Isle 360 (odd-numbered years), the Victoria to Maui International Yacht Race (even-numbered years), and the annual Race to Alaska (R2AK), the latter of which began yesterday (Monday, June 3) on the waters off of Port Townsend, Washington. While the former two races are exciting, the R2AK's rules add a significant level of commitment by forbidding competitors from sailing with engines. And we're not talking the honor system here: to be eligible to compete in the R2AK, a boat cannot carry auxiliary power, irrespective of the rocky and remote lee shores (sometimes populated with grizzly bears) that are part of the R2AK experience.

The first obstacle to overcome is the Johnstone Straits (yes, same family/ relative).  A foreboding, long, narrow, body of water everyone must transit heading north, famous for powerful, gusty winds rolling off towering snow-capped peaks and even stronger currents with a few tidal whirlpools thrown in.

Then, after going north past the Johnstone Straits, there's the even more formidable Seymour Narrows. This is a very narrow channel just north of the British Columbian fishing town of Campbell River, where tidal swings can generate up to 15 knots of current, and where even whales are said to wait for favorable waters to make their passage!!

So, it's fair to say that travelling to Alaska under human power (R2AK rules allow for paddles, peddle-driven propellers and sails) adds a significant complicating factor to the race while also testing each competitor's commitment to the dream with ample exposure to cold water, notoriously fickle winds, and plenty of hard-won local knowledge.

Then there's the obvious: cold, hypothermia-inducing water, wilderness coastlines, wild-card weather, and a serious need for self-sustainability.

On Thursday, June 6 at 12:00pm, the fleet will begin the 710 nautical mile leg to Ketchikan, which is first marked by the all-out sprint to make it through Seymour Narrows before the tidal window shuts and the current machine forces boats to circle above the whales. Then comes the dash for the $10,000 cash prize (and Ketchikan).

Amongst the fleet will be a team of young men sailing on a J/24, a first for this race. In the 40.0nm “qualifier”, Team MBR (McGuffin Brothers Racing) finished just 2 hours behind the fastest 30-foot trimaran. Last year’s winners, the all-women Sail Like A Girl M32 team finished just 45 minutes ahead (they finished 7th). It was a gear-buster, people-buster of a race, with winds gusting to 35 kts on the nose and big seas. The weather was so bad, that over half the fleet did not even “start” on the first day, as you had 36 hours to make the crossing across the capricious Straits of Juan de Fuca.

Who is Team MGR?  It was founded by twin brothers living on Saltspring Island,  B.C. and racing out of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. Cianan McGuffin, Finn McGuffin, Callum McGuffin, and Duncan Macdonald comprise the four-person team. Powered by the wind and oars, they will fight on in the grand tradition of the race to discover more about themselves, their inner souls, their tenaciousness, and the world around them. We wish them well.” Thanks for contribution from Sail-World.com’s North American Editor- David Schmidt.  Follow TEAM MBR’s exploits on Instagram here   Here is Team MBR’s website  For more R2AK sailing information and tracking information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Dreary “Driftsure Race”!

J/Crews Sweep Cape Flattery Race!
(Victoria, British Columbia)- Light winds, relentless rain, and unforgiving current was the theme for the 76th Swiftsure International Yacht Race on May 25, with only 16 of the 128 starters completing one of the six courses ranging from 79 to 138 nm that start and finish in Victoria, BC!! The winning J/105 averaged 2.59 knots of “rhumbline” boatspeed over their 101.9nm Cape Flattery Race course (notably, they did not sail rhumbline, read what they had to say below!).

Chuck Stephens, owner of the J/105 PANIC, had this to say about their adventure up and down the Straits of Juan de Fuca, “we had a rather successful Swiftsure 2019, winning The Cape Flattery Race overall.  It was very much due to the teamwork of the crew lead by Iain Christenson.  We likely did more (maybe twice as many) tacks, gybes, sets and take downs than in all of the twelve prior Swiftsure’s that PANIC has done since 2002! Here is a photo of the crew at the inspection dock after the race.  We did well but getting a "Thank You" card from the Race Committee was very special.”

A quote from PANIC’s main trimmer Naomi Medley after the race, “the crew was great! How many people could you spend 40 hours with racing in light wind with several hours of drenching rain and be absolutely all smiles at the end?" 2.59 kts was the rhumbline race average for J/105 winner!!

Behind the winning J/105 in the Cape Flattery Race were a slew of J/Crews. Taking the silver overall was Chris Phoenix’s J/105 JADED, while Kirk Fraser’s J/109 ECLIPSE took the bronze. Taking 5th place was Chad Stenwick’s J/35 THE BOSS, and then Bob Hayward’s J/105 KINETIC took 6th. Notably, the three J/105s swept PHRF L3 Class, while the J/109 won PHRF L2 Class.

The Juan de Fuca Race had Ulf Gwildis’ J/30 IMPULSIVE finish the race, take 4th overall, and win PHRF L2 Class!

In addition, there is a “day race” called the Swiftsure Inshore Classic. Based on the wind conditions, the RC PRO chose Course #10, a random-leg 19.0nm course.  In the top PHRF INF1 Division, Matt Dahabieh’s J/29 GODZILLA got onto the podium, taking the bronze.  Then, Jim Bottles’ J/30 CELEBRATION took fourth place and Tom Kerr’s J/105 CORVO 105 placed 5th.  For more Swiftsure Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Swiftsure Race Preview

(Victoria, British Columbia)- The fourth major Memorial Day offshore event is simply  known as “the Swiftsure”.  One hundred sixty-six yachts are entered in the 76th Swiftsure International Yacht Race that will start on Saturday, May 25th. The fleet will use either PHRF or ORC rating system for one of the four courses ranging from 79 to 138 nm that start and finish in Victoria, BC. There are dozens of J/Teams that are participating in this famous offshore event in the Pacific Northwest.  Below are the courses and the J/Teams sailing each race.

The Cape Flattery Race for Monohulls (PHRF handicapped boats)- it goes from the Clover Point start, leaves the mark at Neah Bay to port, and crosses the finish line across Victoria Harbour– 101.9 nautical miles. Sailing this race is Tom Keffer’s J/42 VELOCITY, Bill Fox’s J/160 JAM, Ron Holbrook’s J/133 CONSTELLATION, Scott Campbell’s J/121 RIVA, three J/120s (Kirk Palmer’s SCOUT, Mike Picco’s WILD BLUE, Chris Johnson’s WITH GRACE), three J/109s (Tom Sitar’s SERENDIPITY, Kirk Fraser’s ECLIPSE, Tolga Cezik’s LODOS), and three J/35s (Karl Haflinger’s SHEARWATER, Don Leighton’s TAHLEQUAH, Chad Stenwick’s THE BOSS). In addition is a one-design fleet of nine J/105s, including Doug Schenk’s FREE BOWL OF SOUP, Doug Pihlaja’s ABSTRACT, Chuck Stephen’s PANIC, Georgina Martin’s TROUBLEMAKER, Dana Sibilla’s ESCAPE ARTIST, Erik Kristen’s MORE JUBILEE, Bob Hayward’s KINETIC, Steve Summers’ PUFF, and Chris Phoenix’s JADED.

The Juan de Fuca Race for Monohulls (PHRF handicapped boats)- goes from the Clover Point start, leaves the mark at Clallam Bay to port, and crosses the finish line across Victoria Harbour– 78.7 nautical miles. J/Teams participating in this race include Ron Mackenzie’s J/37 FUTURE PRIMITIVE, Phil Wampold’s J/92 ZAFF, Peter Dorsey’s RUSH, and two J/30s (John Collins’ SPUD & Ulf Gwildis’ IMPULSIVE),

In addition, there is a “day race” that is comprised of random legs around government marks that is announced the morning of the race; course lengths vary based on wind strength and direction.  Participating in the inshore race is Matt Dahabieh’s J/29 GODZILLA, two J/30s (Jim Bottles’ CELEBRATION & Bart Blainey’s LIMELIGHT), and Tom Kerr’s J/105 CORVO 105.  For more Swiftsure Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/121 Wins Oregon Offshore Race!

J/105s Enjoy Bruising Class Battle to the Finish!
(Astoria, OR)- The 43rd Annual Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race, sponsored by Schooner Creek Boatworks, started on Thursday, May 9th, 2019 after a postponement that was waiting for the 5.5 kts ebb tide and current to begin to flow out of the Columbia River and over the infamous Columbia River Bar just offshore- a place notorious for massive standing waves and flipping over even the hardiest US Coast Guard Patrol boats! The timing was smart, since the weather was somewhat benign and all boats made it across the bar without any issues, just some of the usual cascades of water over the deck!

The 193-mile race started at 9:25am at Buoy 2 off the Columbia River entrance off Astoria, Oregon and finished at the entrance to Victoria, British Columbia harbor in Canada.  After the start, everyone took off on starboard, heading offshore, apparently following the information gained at the skippers meeting. Wind was a light northeaster, blowing offshore at the start. As the race progressed it appeared the predicted northwest shift would hit the fleet overnight, then the teams would have to contend with light winds in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and avoiding adverse currents; the big decision being when to go for one shore over the other- USA to the south or Canada to the north while heading for the Victoria, BC harbor finish line.

As anticipated, leading the fleet out offshore the first night was David Raney’s RAGE; a huge, skinny like a rail, ULDB 70 footer.  However, the pleasant surprise was that second boat overall was Scott Campbell's beautiful new J/121 RIVA and his merry bandits from Portland, Oregon; chasing RAGE hard all night and all day long on Friday keeping them in sight most of the time (giving away 30+ feet of waterline, too)!

The fleet enjoyed decent winds for most of the race and the hot angles were very much enjoyed by the J/121 RIVA. After rounding Cape Flattery at the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, RIVA and all other J/Teams sailed down to at least Clallam Bay on the USA side before making the “escape” across the Juan de Fuca Straits to the Canadian side to the north to play that shoreline into the finish at Victoria.

After waiting a few hours for other boats to finish, Campbell’s J/121 RIVA crew were ecstatic to find out they had won the Oregon Offshore, both PHRF A1 Class and PHRF Overall! Their corrected time for the race was 40 hrs 9 min 31 secs, enough to win by over an hour on the second place team (a 4.825 kts average). Third in PHRF A1 Class was the J/42 VELOCITY skippered by Thomas Keffer.

The Portland J/105 Fleet had a one-design start, producing a three-way battle between Dough Pihlaja’s ABSTRACT, Dennis Sibilla’s ESCAPE ARTIST, and of course, the trio on FREE BOWL OF SOUP (Doug Schenk, Eric Hopper, Matt Davis- their 6th time)! After the smoke and fog cleared on the race track, it was Pihlaja’s ABSTRACT that snagged PHRF A2/ J/105 Class honors, knocking off a three-time winner of the race- the “Soupers”- by over 2 hours. As a result, third was Sibilla’s ESCAPE ARTIST, just eight minutes behind the Soupers; indeed, it was a battle for the silver between those two boats to the very end.  ABSTRACT’s “big move” was to continue way offshore on starboard tack until late midday on Friday over 20 hours after the start. The initial leaders- the Souper’s and Escaper’s- both tacked away at 6pm on Thursday and both dueled going up the shore, tacking on shifts headed to Cape Flattery, the first major turning point. 33 hours into the race, ABSTRACT rounded Cape Flattery at 7pm, just before sunset, with neither of their competitors in sight, and they continued on their merry way to the class win.  Meanwhile, it was a complete “dust-up” behind them.  It was not until 10pm did the Escaper’s lead the Souper’s around Cape Flattery. In the ensuing gybing duel to the finish with their A2 spinnakers flying all night, it took the Souper’s until 7:30am on Saturday morning to pass the Escaper’s, leading their exhausted friends into the finish line.  Replay the entire race here to see how all the boats got around the race track.
For more Oregon Offshore Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Oregon Offshore Race Preview

(Astoria, OR)- The 43rd Annual Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race, sponsored by Schooner Creek Boatworks, is scheduled to start on Thursday, May 9th, 2019.  This 193-mile race starts at Buoy 2 off the Columbia River entrance off Astoria, Oregon and finishes at the entrance to Victoria, British Columbia harbor in Canada.

There are twenty participants participating in the event hosted by Corinthian YC Portland.  The entrants so far are the usual who’s who of the Portland sailing community, with some very welcome participants coming from out of the area.

A top local boat includes Scott Campbell’s beautiful new RIVA, a state of the art J/121, crewed by the usual group of local rock stars.

In addition to other local regulars, there is Phillip Wampold’s J/92 ZAFF RACING, the J/40 VELOCITY skippered by Thomas Keffer, and the Portland J/105 Fleet has a one-design start with three entrants (ABSTRACT, Dennis Sibilla’s ESCAPE ARTIST, and of course FREE BOWL OF SOUP (their 6th time!)!

This year, in conjunction with the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, the event is featuring the First Annual Cascadia Cup, which will award a trophy to the competitor with the lowest combined time in the Oregon Offshore and qualifying races of the Swiftsure event.  For more Oregon Offshore Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Crews Love Whidbey Island “Summer Camp”!

(Whidbey Island, WA)- Over the course of time, J/sailors from the Pacific Northwest have dreamed of sailing one of their favorite regattas of all time in Whidbey Island, the annual “race week” hosted by Oak Harbor YC.

From Canada and California, Oregon and Idaho, and even Hawaii, sixty-eight boats made the pilgrimage to sailing mecca for Whidbey Island Race Week (WIRW). What counts is a glorious opportunity to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, race hard, hone sailing skills, dance, eat and take deep gulps of fresh, clean Pacific Northwest air. New this year was a NFS cruising class, a J/80 one-design fleet, and for a fifth or so of the fleet, this is their first WIRW. There were twenty-eight J’s racing, one-third of the fleet. Here is how it all went down, enjoy the daily reports.

Day One- Friday
The clock said 2:20pm when the westerly finally settled in Penn Cove, but who’s counting? Race Week runs on island time. The wind’s delay meant more time for making a run into Coupeville for a Bloody Caesar at the Front Street Grill, a hoppy IPA and fresh steamed mussels at Toby’s, or a triple scoop from Kapaw’s Ice Creamery. Or, perhaps a catnap on the bow, far away from the work world’s worries, listening to the “chi-kee” of a Kingfisher diving for its meal, or the sneaky splish of a curious sea lion. Or maybe gazing at the fire-red trunks of the Madrona trees circling the west end of the cove like a ruby necklace. However, one chose to bide the time waiting for Charley Rathkopf’s CYC race committee to signal the start of the first day’s first race, after 36 years it’s a wait that never gets old.

After a week or so of hottish temperatures, Thursday’s cooler weather reminded the racers why they’re pros at layering, bundling up in foulies only to strip down to shorts when blue finally appeared in the north sky later in the day. On the race course, a swift ebb tide, beach currents and flukey wind shifts combined to make leads swap like cards in a fast-paced game of Go Fish. The first hand has been dealt, three more to go!

Day Two- Saturday
After 36 years you might think you’ve seen it all at WIRW. Charley Rathkopf’s race committee set a bizarro course that sent the fleet into the mussel beds at the west end of Penn Cove, which they’ve done before, but for the first time ever, they finished the race. Sure there were a few classes that saw their courses shortened (the prudent thing to do) but it still qualifies as a WIRW first. Winds had been forecast oh, somewhere between 5 and 12, and with the RC calling for a start one hour later than usual, Friday was NOT a lay day. Yay! Adding to the challenge of playing chess with Mother Nature, the ebb tide saw nearly 2 knots at various places on the course, causing some boats to overrun their sails. Unfortunately, a couple of the classes did see some DNFs (so here’s hoping for a throwout). Regardless, it was a fun day under the sun and on the water, with a stop at the Coupeville dock for a crew or three, so in the grand scheme of things, who’s complaining?

Back at the marina, it was Pink Boat Regatta night, with donations gladly given for the chance to play Bra Pong next to the refreshment station, then dancing to crowd favorite Gertrude’s Hearse. They get better each year, and it’s always fun to see fellow sailors out of their foulies and into their top hats. After tucking into burgers or ribs (yours truly got the last of ’em), the good-natured revelers continued into the wee hours back at Tent City, though the laughter did eventually die down, only to be replaced by the constant clanging of the porta-pottie doors and the plaintive hoo, hoo-hoo of a lonely owl

Day Three- Sunday
Sunday seemed more like the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Too little wind, too much current, cold weather, free hot showers (what?!?), new faces picking up awards, old regulars wondering who tied cement blocks to their keels.

Saturday’s weather wasn’t as favorable for others, however. Plenty went from hero to zero, albeit it painfully slowly, as the pseudo-westerly clocked to a southerly, sending the fleet on a scavenger hunt for a river of anything in Saratoga Passage.

Courses were shortened, and some boats didn’t finish, whimpering while limping back to the marina, hoping to nurse their unfulfilled racing needs with hefty doses of freshly caught and cooked Dungeness crabs. The ensuing scene was like some sort of primitive offering, the racers holding claws aloft, mouths full of juicy meat, bribing and begging the Northwest wind Gods for more breeze on Sunday. For all the frustrations that light air days bring, back on terra firma, where the laws of nature seemed at least a little less collusional, comments ranged from NSFW to “We had a blast!”. A rich feast of memories was made regardless of the lack of a stiff breeze, and will get embellished with each re-telling.

The ten-boat J/105 Class saw Jerry Diercks’s DELIRIUM take the class by just one point over Erik Kristen’s MORE JUBILEE. Third was Chris Phoenix’s JADED. The balance of the top five saw John Aitchison’s MOOSE UNKNOWN take fourth and Jim Geros’ LAST TANGO in fifth.

The J/80 class continued to expand and this year’s fleet of six boats saw very competitive racing for the top three boats. Winning was David Schutte’s TAJ MAHAL, second was Lek Dimarucot’s UNDERDOG, third was Emre Sezer’s RECKLESS.

In PHRF 2, it was Stu Burnell’s J/109 TANTIVY that won class closing with three bullets. Then, David & Vernice Cohen’s J/90 EYE EYE won PHRF 3 Sport Class. And, in PHRF 5 class, Pat Denney’s J/29 HERE & NOW took an easy silver. Finally, in PHRF 9 Cruising enjoying the festivities was Steve Kirsch’s J/35C WILDFLOWER, finishing in 4th.

Speaking of memories, be sure to check out all the photos of this year’s Whidbey Island Race Week at
http://www.janpix.smugmug.com — all proceeds benefit Kids Camp (thanks, Jan!).
Sailing photo credits- Jan Anderson For more Whidbey Island Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Vic-Maui Race Underway

J/122E JOYRIDE Amongst The Leaders!
(Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)- The Victoria to Maui International Yacht Race, hosted by the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and the Lahaina Yacht Club, got underway July 1st. The 2,308nm course goes from Victoria, British Columbia to Maui, Hawaii.

The lone J/Crew sailing the race is the gorgeous J/122E JOYRIDE from Seattle, WA skippered by her owner- John Murkowski. They are one of the most successful offshore racing teams in the Pacific Northwest. Here are the latest updates below.

Day 5
Day 5 Roll Call finds the boats generally about 550 miles west of the Oregon/California border and the leaders are now about 1500 miles from Hawaii. But the winds are easing. This is definitely the Middle Sea and the most difficult part of the race to figure out. The fleet continues to chase the sweet spot between the Pacific High and Low Pressure trough well west of the Rhumb Line; with most boats 75 miles west of the direct route and Anjo and Serenite another 75 miles west of that.

The wind was generally strong overnight after the trough passed and most boats were beam-reaching speeds of 8 kts or more. But the wind has now abated with most boats seeing wind from the NW about 15 kts, and speeds have slowed accordingly. JOY RIDE is still vying for the lead for line honors, while winning on handicap.

Day 6
Day 6 Roll Call finds the fleet well offshore and now about 750 miles off Cape Mendocino and still sailing west of the direct route to Maui.  But this morning’s Weather Eye lays out the myriad of issues facing the fleet as all boats look to pick the right weather route, with choosing the wrong window likely to be costly.

Boats are reporting sailing in lighter conditions that yesterday. But, more importantly, the “Tuna Challenge” was issued yesterday by Oxomoxo, and it was answered on JOY RIDE within minutes of putting out the lure. No word on how bloody the decks got. Also, reporting tuna on board are Turnagain and Kraken again.

Day 7
This afternoon, the fleet looks to be sailing on starboard tack with W-NW winds in the 7-13 knot range.  Barometric pressures reportedly range from 1022 – 1025, with some dubious outlier readings from boats whose barometer calibrations may have fallen off the pre-start job list.  All the boats appear to be navigating a fine line to avoid light air on their left (to the East) and to stay in pressure either ahead or to their right, on the slope of the High (to the West).

Conditions onboard the boats are reported as warmer and drier, with a more-than-faint whiff of tuna on some boats and gray whales near other boats.  It looks like tomorrow will be the half way mark for a number of boats; traditionally there are some wild and wacky celebrations that are sometimes akin to a sailor’s traditional equatorial crossing.  With the magic of modern wireless communications, photographs, including drone images, and stories have been coming ashore from the boats and appearing on blogs and social media including the Vic-Maui Facebook group at www.facebook.com/vmiyr/

Day 8
Most of the fleet reached the halfway point in last 24 hours, or will shortly. It is certainly a time for celebrations aboard (and perhaps the first shower in a week). But it is also time to contemplate how far the boats are from anything - nearest land is over 1000 miles away. But from now on, the nearest land will be Hawaii – how good is that?

The weather seems to have improved and with boats now at the latitude of Carmel, it is certainly warmer and most boats report that the foulies are finally starting to come off. There are some complaints about the lack of spinnaker sailing (as promised in the brochure) with boats reporting they are close reaching with Code 0 sails in 10-15 kts of wind. And they could use more wind.

The trade winds and the promised spinnaker run to Hawaii are out there, but there is still a zone of changeable winds ahead that needs to be navigated. This race to Maui will be determined by who gets to those trade winds and hoist the spinnaker first.

Day 9
The trade wind run under spinnaker to Hawaii beckons, but more changeable winds are still in the way of the Vic-Maui fleet. The boats are stuck in a form of purgatory close reaching in wind speeds are fluctuating from non-existent to 12 kts – not exactly prime conditions for an ocean race. And the boats are soooo tired of seeing the white sails hoisted on a perpetual starboard tack and are getting frustrated by the time it is taking to make southing to the trade wind latitudes. And they are getting nervous, as everyone has now figured out that the boat that finds the right path to the trades will likely win the race.

And they are now clearly in the North Pacific Gyre (aka the Garbage Patch) with JOY RIDE quite surprised by the amount of plastic garbage floating by. With Salient also report seeing lots of whales, you have to wonder how our leviathan friends are faring in a sea of fish nets, plastic cups and other urban detritus.  And, JOY RIDE is about 923nm away from Hawaii.

Day 10
Day 10 finds the boats doing everything to eek out a mile and get closer to the promised trade winds. At one time this morning, the three leading boats were all pointed to Baja, doing 1 kt with an ETA sometime next year! LOL!

As the Weather Eye said this morning, "the cookie will crumble based on hard work, skill, and luck".   Follow the Vic-Maui Race here on Facebook  Watch “live” real-time YB Tracker of the fleet here   For more Vic-Maui Offshore Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Vic-Maui Race Underway

J/122E JOYRIDE Amongst The Leaders!
(Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)- The Victoria to Maui International Yacht Race, hosted by the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and the Lahaina Yacht Club, got underway July 1st. The 2,308nm course goes from Victoria, British Columbia to Maui, Hawaii.

The lone J/Crew sailing the race is the gorgeous J/122E JOYRIDE from Seattle, WA skippered by her owner- John Murkowski. They are one of the most successful offshore racing teams in the Pacific Northwest.

Day 1- The Start
And they’re off! At 10:00 am Pacific Time, the 2018 Vic-Maui fleet sailed through the start line outside Victoria Harbour, tacking into a stiff, building westerly breeze.

In the days leading up to the start, the sun broke out just in time for the fleet Send-off Party that rocked the Wharf Street docks on June 29. Transient orcas (killer whales) patrolled the entrance to Victoria’s Harbour on a damp June 30.

Today, July 1st (Canada Day) dawned sunny, breezy, and warm (if not exactly tropical).  The Race Committee vessel hung on a tenuous anchor off Brotchie Ledge, while the spectator boat fleet circled and a drone flew overhead.  The VIP spectator boat Midnight Sun elegantly patrolled the spectator boat zone.  

After the start, the J/122E JOY RIDE pressed hard going west into the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

Eight hours into the race, the fleet was working its way towards the big left turn at Cape Flattery, and the open Pacific Ocean, where the adventure truly begins.  Weather systems including the North Pacific High, and a developing Low pressure trough, lie ahead in wait.

Day 2- Past Cape Flattery and Onto the Rhumb Line
After a great run down Strait of Juan de Fuca, most of the fleet rounded Cape Flattery before the sun set and got to see a sight that most people never get to. Cape Flattery is the very northwest corner of the lower 48 states and a major landmark. But, it is very remote by land and very few sailors venture out into the open Pacific.

After rounding Cape Flattery, the fleet starts sailing down the rhumb line, more or less, depending on breeze strength and direction around the notoriously wobbly Pacific High. Roll Call happens at 1200 hrs Hawaiian Time (1500 hrs Pacific Time). Today the fleet is relatively close together about 160 miles offshore of Ocean Park, Washington on Willapa Bay.

The weather pattern is setting up for boats to ride a path between the Pacific High hovering to the northwest of its usual location, and a Low pressure zone along the Washington Coast that caused the cool weather and rain before the start. If this weather pattern holds, it may result in a short, sweet, fast ride to Hawaii. But, the only thing constant about weather is change and the sailors will need to put the beautiful sight of Cape Flattery behind them and focus on figuring out what their weather crystal ball is telling them.

The match race between the two leading boats in Racing 1 is a tight one. Firefly and the J/122E JOY RIDE are taking turns with the lead. At roll call, it was Firefly with a 10nm lead. But, leads are fleeting, and it remains to be determined which has the right weather track.

Day 2- Weather strategy update
Here is a quick primer on weather systems in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, between Cape Flattery and Hawaii (courtesy of David Sutcliffe).

1) The dominant summer pattern in the Northeast Pacific Ocean is usually the North Pacific High.  Winds blow in a clockwise rotation around the High that is usually centered somewhere North of Hawaii and West of the US West Coast, say about 40N – 150W.  The High usually spreads over a very large area of the ocean and wobbles around, expanding and contracting, usually without the center moving too far.  Sunny and warm!

2) Temperate zone low pressure weather systems travel from West to East in the temperate zone which technically is between about 23 degrees and 66 degrees North latitude.  Put another way, this zone is roughly between the Southern tip of Baja Mexico and the Bering Strait off Alaska.  In summer, the lows usually travel in the higher or more Northern areas of this zone, and are usually deflected above the High.  Winds blow in a counter clockwise direction around the lows.  Cloudy and rainy!

3) In summer, the High usually deflects Low pressure systems up into the Gulf of Alaska, keeping nice summer conditions over the West Coast of North America.  When a high and a low system press against each other, there is usually a squeeze zone with stronger winds between the two systems.  Breezy and lumpy!

4) Trade winds usually blow from the Northeast or East between about 30 degrees and 5 degrees North latitude.  This band is roughly between the USA-Mexico border and just North of the Equator.  Trade winds usually blow steadily, but El Nino and La Nina cycles affect them, and there will usually be some squalls.  The bottom of the High and the North edge of the trade winds blend together over the ocean.  Champagne sailing!

5) Tropical Low pressure systems usually develop off the coast of Central America, and some strengthen to tropical storm or hurricane strength.  As with other lows, the wind blows counter clockwise around these lows.  These systems usually move Northwest to the open ocean area West of Baja Mexico before weakening and dissipating far from land.  Sometimes, they curve North and East to make landfall in Mexico, and occasionally they travel West towards or all the way to Hawaii.  Pay attention!

So it’s all very simple, or maybe not!  A dozen mentions of "usually".  Now, imagine being the navigator onboard an ocean racing boat, sleep-deprived, peering at a laptop screen below-deck at “oh-dark-hundred” (0200 hrs local time) while the boat rolls, pitches and heaves.  Your information is limited to weather forecasts and observations that can be obtained over a very low-bandwidth and sometimes expensive communications link using either marine radio or satellite systems.  Nothing is certain, and reality often doesn’t look like the textbook said it would.  The rest of the crew each have their own opinions (of course!), and then there are the armchair quarterbacks back home on dry land, cozy, warm and dry, sipping their coffees.  Which way to go?  What to worry about?  How best to get to Hawaii safely and fast? One eye to weather!

Day 3- Weather update
Ocean weather, never a dry topic, is getting more interesting - we have a High, we have a Low, which way to go, don’t you know?   "Green eggs and ham, Sam I am" (Dr Seuss, of course).

The North Pacific High is established and centered at about 43N 155W. It’s strong – about 1036mb – which is good, and about 600-800nm in diameter. There is a Low developing about 500nm West of Vancouver Island.  A squeeze zone should develop between the High and the Low.  Interesting!

Tue Jul 3, 0800PDT
The High is forecast to drift West while the Low is forecast to move SE and should be affecting the fleet from about Tuesday evening (tonight) through to Thursday morning.  Most boats should see sustained wind speeds in the 15-25 knot range, while some may see up to 30 knots, bordering on gale force.  Wind angles will change as the Low crosses the track, leading to a flurry of sail changes, and once settled the angles should be behind the beam and very favorable for fast sailing. Hopefully, fast!

The fleet is currently sailing very close to the rhumb line, the shortest route to Hawaii.  Shortest, but not necessarily the fastest.  The High is likely to move farther West than usual, and combined with the Low it will be very attractive for the fleet to sail West of the rhumb line. Might be a risky move!

Wed Jul 4, 1600PDT
This is not the textbook route to Hawaii!  The risk of being West of the rhumb line is getting swallowed up into the middle of the High if/when it comes back to its usual position.  There is little to no wind in the middle of a High.  On the other hand, trying to go East of the rhumbline means beating into the Low and possible light and variable winds when it dissipates.  So, the navigators will be thinking this routing decision out carefully.  And, there is always the possibility, or probability, that the actual weather will be different from the expected weather.  A conservative strategy might be to sail on the favorable side of the Low, stay as close to the rhumb line as practical, sail less distance, stay in the squeeze breeze, and take less risk of getting becalmed.  Sounds easy!

Beyond the next few days and the passage of the Low, the trade winds ahead are looking good.  Off to the southeast, there is some tropical system activity to keep an eye on, with TS Emilia reportedly dissipated and TS/Hurricane Fabio strengthening and forecast to dissipate before affecting the Vic-Maui fleet’s probable track to Hawaii.    

Day 3- Who Stole the Wind?
After a day and half of blast reaching in conditions best described as “not martini weather”, the fleet has hit the wall. A Low pressure zone (described above) moved over the fleet, substantially altering the weather and putting the brakes on the wind and boat speed.

The relief from turbulent seas and stress on the boat is welcome. One boat reports that everyone is eating again and, for a lucky few, the daily constitutional has resumed. But, having to fight their way through a region of relative calm is not.

At Roll Call, the boats are generally about 270 miles west of Tillamook, Oregon.  The leaders in Racing 1 have slowed from 8 kts to 5 kts and the boats in Racing 2 who are 40 miles behind have put the brakes on slowing to less than 2 kts. Ouch!

In Racing 1, Murkowski's J/122E JOY RIDE sits in second just 16nm back. The boats in Racing 2 are essentially in a dead-heat with all within a few miles of each other.

The next trick will be who is best positioned to get the wind first as the Low pressure system moves toward the east and the prospect of wind filling in behind it. Will that be Firefly who are positioned a bit to the east, or will it be JOY RIDE and the other Division 2 boats positioned well to the west of the rhumb line. And for the armchair sailors taking bets, it would be wise to consider that multiple winning navigator Brad Baker is calling the weather shots on Firefly.

The over-arching concern is what happens next with the experienced veterans knowing that the fastest route to Maui is not usually the straight line.

Oh and did we mention Hurricane Fabio? Fabio (who makes up these names?) is churning away well south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and is forecast to dissipate well before the fleet arrives. But, big Low pressure systems coming from the south usually disrupt the trade winds.

Whatever happens, the navigators and weather dudes aboard the boats are going to earn their keep this year.

Day 4- Three Big Things to Think About
This is not a textbook year!  The weather situation for this Vic-Maui is developing into a true ocean racer’s challenge, where seemingly small decisions and a few miles one way or the other early in the race could make for big gains and losses.  That doesn’t mean it’s all on the navigators, who do have their work seriously cut out for them, as it’s also on the whole team who will have to sail the boat very well and work hard with sail changes, trim and transitions to get ahead or stay ahead. Here are three scenarios:

1. Wednesday & Thursday
The near term weather is all about getting past the Low that is currently (0900 PDT) centered about 42N 133W.
- All of the boats appear to be going over the Low, varying distances West of the rhumb line.
- There is a squeeze zone with strong winds, possibly to gale force, predicted.  Careful!
- Leaders Firefly and JOY RIDE appear to be splitting this morning, with Firefly making a move further West and JOY RIDE staying the course.  With over twenty miles of lateral separation, and the passage of the Low to be threaded, the risk/reward is likely to be significant for both boats.  If one does a better job of passing the Low, they could stretch that into a very significant lead for the next stage of the race.
- The Low may drift North, back across the fleet’s track, potentially catching the tail-runners in lighter, variable winds.  Sailing fast, now, is especially important for these boats.

2. Thursday & Friday
After navigating the Low, the teams will move on to sailing around the High and setting up for crossing the ridge which typically extends to the SE from the center of the High.  The models show a significant “plateau” developing on that ridge, and winds would typically be much lighter in such a feature.  Once again, teams will have to evaluate the risk/return on miles sailed vs. wind speed/angle, and decide where to go to avoid the plateau and to stay in good breeze.  Having parked on a similar plateau (making just 65 miles in 24 hours) in 2006, and had boats pass us on both sides (ouch!), I am going to watch this potential trap with great interest.

3. Saturday
The fleet should still be sailing around the High that should be centered about 40N 165W.  It is predicted to continue to be strong at about 1036mb.  One strategy could be to sail an isobar contour line around the high, say at about 1026-1028mb, to stay away from the center, sail in good pressure, and be closer to the rhumb line.  All the while not getting stuck on any “flat” spots.  Lead boats should be looking ahead to curve around the bottom right hand shoulder of the high and set up for calling the port gybe lay line to Maui.  Calling a layline from 800 to 1,000nm out!

Beyond the One-Two-Three scenarios above, the trade winds ahead are looking good.  Champagne sailing ahead!  Off to the Southeast, there is some tropical system activity to keep an eye on, with TS Emilia reportedly dissipated and TS/Hurricane Fabio forecast to peak and then dissipate without significantly affecting the Vic-Maui fleet’s probable track to Hawaii.   

Going out on the proverbial limb, I would say the first finishers could arrive in Maui on July 12 or 13.  Or not.  Time will tell. More news to come!    Follow the Vic-Maui Race here on Facebook.  Watch “live” real-time tracker of the fleet here- https://www.vicmaui.org/tracker   For more Vic-Maui Offshore Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Swiftsure International Yacht Race Preview

(Victoria, BC, Canada)- The third Memorial Day classic has to be the premiere offshore race in the Pacific Northwest- the world-famous Swiftsure International Yacht Race!  Starting on May 26th off the waterfront park in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia, 171 yachts will be doing their best to achieve fame and fortune on one of the three races- the classic Swiftsure Lightship Race of 138.2nm, the Hein Bank Race of 118.1nm, the Cape Flattery Race of 101.9nm, and the Juan de Fuca Race of 78.7nm.

Cape Flattery Race
By far the most popular choice for the thirty-five J/crews participating (20% of the fleet) in the overall event is the Cape Flattery Race, twenty-six in total going the 101nm sprint around the Juan de Fuca Straits!  Six of them are J/105s, with most of the top teams sailing, such as Doug Pihlaja’s ABSTRACT, Doug Schenk’s FREE BOWL OF SOUP, Chuck Stephens’ PANIC, Jim Geros’ LAST TANGO, Chris Phoenix’s JADED, and the 2017 Fleet Champion- Erik Kristen’s MORE JUBILEE.

Similarly, there are five J/109s racing, including Mike Picco’s WILD BLUE, Jim Prentice’s DIVA, Tolga Cezik’s LODOS, Mark Hansen’s MOJO and Tom Sitar’s SERENDIPITY.

Sailing in one big division will be some very experienced offshore crews, such as Alex Smyth’s J/111 65 RED ROSES II, three J/120s (Bob Brunius’ famous TIME BANDIT, Justin Wolfe’s SHEARWWATER, & Chris Johnson’s WITH GRACE), two J/122’s (Tom Kelly’s ANAM CARA & John Murkowski’s JOY RIDE), Ron Holbrook’s J/133 CONSTELLATION, and Scott Campbell’s J/46 RIVA. 

Finally, in this race will be a fleet of classic J’s, including three J/35s (George Leighton’s TAHLEQUAH, Jason Vannice’s ALTAIR, & Andrei Vassilenko’s AORANGI), Willie Wong’s J/36 HARWAR, Tom Keffer’s J/42 VELOCITY, Ron MacKenzie’s J/37 FUTURE PRIMITIVE, and Phil Wampold’s J/92 ZAFF.

Hein Bank Race
There is only one J/team that will be participating in the second longest race, the 118.1nm Hein Bank Race; that is the famous navy-blue J/160 JAM sailed by John McPhail’s race-winning crew from Seattle and Gig Harbor YC.

Juan de Fuca Race
There will be four J/crews sailing in the 78.7nm Juan de Fuca Race.  Two of them are J/30s (John Collins’ SPUD and Colin Bishop’s REDUX) and others are Adrian King-Harris’ J/33 “J” and Walt Meagher’s J/35 SUNSHINE GIRL.

Inshore Racing
Finally, in what amounts to some fun and frolic along the buoys that skirt the pretty Victoria Harbor waterfront will be three J/teams; Tom Kerr’s J/105 CORVO, Ed Pinkham’s J/109 JEOPARDY, and Bart Blainey’s J/30 LIMELIGHT.  For more Swiftsure Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/46, J/105, J/30 Top Oregon Offshore Race

(Victoria, BC, Canada)- The 42nd annual Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race was held this past weekend. The race started on May 10, 2018. The starting line was off the mouth of the Columbia River.  The boats then proceeded north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and finished at Victoria, British Columbia, inside the harbor entrance. The course distance is 193 miles; twenty-two boats entered the race (six of them J/teams) while fourteen boats finished.

From the start and going up the coast, it appeared the boats that worked offshore had better winds.  However, once turning the tip of the Olympic Peninsula to head back southeast down the Straits of Juan de Fuca, the big battle became the flood turning to ebb and which side to pick?  Canadian (north shore) or Washington (south shore- USA)?  Virtually all boats chose the northern shore to escape current and for more breeze.

In PHRF A1 Division, it was Scott Campbell’s beautiful flag blue J/46 RIVA that took second in her class, followed by Tom Keffer’s J/42 VELOCITY in fourth position.  Then, in PHRF A2 Division, it was Doug Pihlaja’s J/105 ABSTRACT that won class honors.  Finally, in PHRF C Division, Theo Singelis’s J/30 TAKU took class honors, too!

Next up for these intrepid adventurers is the annual Pacific Northwest offshore classic- the Swiftsure International Race in a few weeks time.  For Oregon Offshore Race sailing & tracking information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Oregon Offshore Race Preview

(Portland, OR)- An interview with Dennis Damore about the 2018 Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race gives you a great perspective regards why the event has continually attracted members of the Pacific Northwest offshore community (thanks for contribution from David Schmidt).

If you’ve ever looked at a chart of the Oregon and Washington coasts, you’re familiar with the fact that this gorgeous stretch of shoreline gets hammered with weather, both in terms of the long-fetch seas and the storms that barrel in across the open Pacific. These waters can be millpond-calm on some days, but things can get nasty quickly, and while this is true of many areas, the rugged coastline is largely void of harbors to dodge the weather.

Because of this, entering the Corinthian Yacht Club (CYC) of Portland's Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race (May 10-13, 2018) gives skippers and crews a great coastal and open-water adventure while also exposing them to the kinds of preparation needed to engage in bigger events such as a Hawaii race.

This 193-nautical-mile race starts in Astoria, Oregon, and finishes in Victoria, British Columbia, giving sailors a taste of everything from offshore conditions to the tricky currents that flow through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, while also treating them to one of the most visually stunning racecourses in North America (provided, of course, that the old-growth forests and glacier-capped peaks aren’t shrouded in cloud cover).

This year’s fleet includes boats from two countries and multiple U.S. states, it ranges in size and sophistication from modest 30-footers to a 70-foot sled, and the race has set up a crew bank for sailors looking to catch rides from Oregon to Canada. Here is the interview with Dennis.

DS: The Oregon Offshore has a bit of a reputation as a gear-buster race that is often defined by rough weather—is this fair and if so, is the Oregon coast always a washing machine?

DD: Although the race is called the Oregon Offshore, it really only starts off the Oregon coast and then heads north along the Washington coast to the Straits of Juan de Fuca and then on to Victoria, BC. Like any true offshore race, the conditions are extremely variable. We’ve had years of pounding up the coast contrasted with races, like last year, where it was a downwind ride with squalls setting the pace. We’ve seen dead flat calm off Destruction Island and almost everywhere in the straits at various times. We’ve finished in foulies and in shorts and T-shirts. So, gear-buster? It’s not any more so than any other race. It’s a race of contrasts in scenery, weather, and tactics.

DS: How are your numbers looking this year versus previous recent editions? Also, what percentage of your 2018 fleet is American vs. Canadian (or other international entries) and is this percentage typical of this event?

DD: This year is gearing up to be a well-participated race. We average about 20-25 boats each year. Roughly 40 percent are Canadian, with several more from the Seattle area. Right now we are feeling pretty good that 30 percent of this year’s entries are first timers from out of state. We have been focusing on a grassroots marketing movement that seems to finally be paying off. Our best performance was in 2014 with 30 entries, and we happened to get epic wind conditions for that race.

DS: Strategy wise, what are the biggest considerations of the race’s 196 nautical mile course? What about tactics? Are there any bits of the course that typically require all hands on deck, say for a 0200 hours tack or gybe?

DD: This is a navigator’s race. What makes the Oregon Offshore a unique experience is that, from a tactical perspective, it is really three distinct races in one: the race up the coast, the race down the straits, and the passage through Race Rocks to the finish. Each segment has very different tactical considerations. After the start, in a typical northwest breeze, there are current and wind-shift considerations that can be challenging. Some years, boats stay within miles of the coastline, carefully avoiding crab pots and jutting-out landmasses like Destruction Island. Other years, we will see boats out twenty miles or more. After entering the Strait [of Juan de Fuca], knowledge of the tide conditions and being able to anticipate the direction, timing and strength of the typical Westerly [breeze], coupled with the critical decision of when to cross to the Vancouver Island side, require a whole new set of tactics to avoid shipping lanes and current, and to maximize wind angles. Then comes Race Rocks with the decision to cut through or sail around that [waypoint] can make or break the race. This is most likely going to be your 0200 hours, all-hands-on-deck situation. Then you just pray the wind doesn’t shut off before you coast into the harbor.

DS: Given that the “brochure” for Hawaii races typically calls for a rough first two or three days, followed by trade-wind sailing, is the Oregon Offshore a good stepping-stone event for bigger offshore passages, or do you see it more as it’s own stand-alone event?

DD: We like to think of it as both. Despite being a relatively short race, the race provides valuable experience and practice in preparing a boat for offshore conditions, giving crew valuable offshore experience, building a crew into a cohesive team and, probably most memorably, giving participants a valuable and ever-expanding store of great stories to tell. Moreover, it is a qualifying race for the Vic-Maui, and is also a means for Oregon[-based] skippers to get their boats north to participate in the Swiftsure International race. While some might consider doing it only as a shakedown cruise for their Hawaii race, it really is its own adventure. There is a reason why we have multiple participants who have done the race over twenty times. You get the adrenal rush of offshore racing in the space of just a few days, rather than the week and half or more it takes to get to Hawaii.

DS: Obviously an offshore race is just that, but has the event tried to do anything to “green-up” and reduce it’s environmental footprint?

DD: Over the years there has been a growing understanding and respect for the responsibility all of the participants have to keep a clean footprint. [For example,] we have reduced the amount of printed materials we use to promote the race, and [we] have opted for face-to-face meetings and focused more on social media. While [we] have not made a deliberate attempt to associate ourselves with outside organizations, there is always more we can do in this regard and partnering with a national organization is on our short list of things to do for future races (hint, hint national organizations).

DS: Anything else that you’d like to add, for the record?

DD: There are two cool things that make this race unique. One is that we have someone blog through the entire race so friends, family and race supporters at home can get a more in depth understanding of what is happening in real time. In conjunction with the race trackers, this creates an edge-of-your-seat experience for even those who have never stepped foot onboard. And two, we greet each boat in Victoria, BC with warm wet towels and champagne!

In the 2018 edition of the Oregon Offshore, twenty-three boats are entered, six are J/teams (26% of the fleet, a significant increase over last year).  Those rugged, adventurous souls include the following crews:

J/46 RIVA- She is based in Portland, Oregon and skippered by Scott Campbell. She has had an active racing schedule since 2003 with almost annual participation in both the Oregon Offshore and Swiftsure races. She has taken first place trophies numerous times in both races in her division and class. She is also a three-time veteran of the Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii in 2006, 2010, and 2016 and also the Van Isle 360 race in 2013. RIVA will stay to compete in the Swiftsure Cape Flattery race.

J/122 ANAM CARA- Her Portland-based skipper, Tom Kelly, will close the gap this year for participating in the most Oregon Offshores ever. This will be Tom's 37th year (this will be the 42nd year of the race period, so this is quite the feat)! ANAM CARA is no stranger to the race, with a 2013 First Overall Win under her belt. She has also performed well in Swiftsure's Cape Flattery with two Overall wins and a Second Overall, to boot.

J/42 VELOCITY- He's back for more punishment! Hood River based skipper, Tom Keffer, and his VELOCITY crew will be racing hard aboard his J/42 in the A2 class again this year. These guys know how to work the coast and Straits (not to mention they are usually up for some post-race shenanigans, too)!

J/105 FREE BOWL OF SOUP- Team Free Bowl of Soup began in 1999 with a J/24, now being campaigned in Seattle as "Sopa Libre" by one of the team members. In 2011, a 3-way partnership was formed with Eric Hopper, Matt Davis, and Doug Schenk to acquire a J/105 to continue to race Offshore races, including Pacific Cup, as well as regional One-Design races. This will be the Soup's sixth Oregon Offshore, with the highlight being the overall win in 2017! The Soup guys will also be competing in the Swiftsure Cape Flattery race this year.

J/105 ABSTRACT- This is their second Oregon Offshore.  After an action-packed year of one-design racing throughout the Pacific Northwest, skipper Doug Pihlaja plans to compete in this year’s Swiftsure and the 2019 Pacific Cup in the Double-hand division!

J/30 TAKU- Yet another new participant! Hailing from Bellingham, WA, skipper Theo Singelis and crew will race their beloved J/30 TAKU. Over that past five years, they have been participating in the Pacific Northwest's longer races that include Swiftsure, Southern Straights, Race to the Straights and Round the County. Some of their best results have been Second in class in last year's Swiftsure Juan de Fuca race, which they will be participating in again this year.  For Oregon Offshore Race sailing & tracking information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Swiftsure International Race Preview

(Victoria, BC, Canada)- The “grand daddy of all offshore races” in the Pacific Northwest has to be Royal Victoria YC’s famous Swiftsure International Race.  It is always a challenge no matter what the wind and weather conditions, particularly if fronts are rolling in off the northern Pacific and the Gulf of Alaska with lots of wind, wetness and breeding complete chaos in their wakes.

This year, 176 boats are registered to race in one of the four main races that sail up and down the Strait of Juan de Fuca (so named in 1787 by the maritime fur trader Charles William Barkley, captain of the Imperial Eagle, for Juan de Fuca, the Greek navigator who sailed in a Spanish expedition in 1592 to seek the fabled Strait of Anián. Barkley was the first non-indigenous person to find the strait).

Thirty-five J’s (about 20% of fleet) can’t wait to “beat the Strait” at its own infamous games, including a J/160, J/133, a J/46, a J/42, J/125s (2), J/122s (2), J/120s (4), J/109s (4), J/105s (8), J/30s (3), a J/33, J/92 and J/37.  None of the J/crews are sailing the original race, the so-called Swiftsure Lightship Classic- a 138.2nm jaunt from the start off Victoria’s famous waterfront, out around a mark at Swiftsure Bank and return.

Only two J’s are sailing the next longest option, the Hein Bank Race- 118.1nm to a mark at Neah Bay, a mark offshore on the other shore, and return.  Those two are John McPhail’s gorgeous navy-blue J/160 JAM from Gig Harbor YC and Shawn Dougherty’s J/125 HAMACHI from Sloop Tavern YC.

The most popular option for thirty-two J/Teams is the Cape Flattery Race- 101.9nm to a mark at Neah Bay and return to Victoria Harbour.  In the PHRF H1 class are three teams, including Ron Mackenzie’s J/37 FUTURE PRIMITIVE, Tom Keffer’s J/42 VELOCITY, and Scott Campbell’s J/46 RIVA.  The PHRF L1 class has four J/120s (Mike Picco’s WILD BLUE, Kirk Palmer’s LIGHT SCOUT, Jim Hinz’s HINZITE, & Chris Johnson’s WITH GRACE), two J/122s (Tom Kelly’s ANAM CARA & Bron Miller’s JOY RIDE), and the J/133 CONSTELLATION helmed by Bron Miller.

The PHRF L2 class is a battle of the 35-footers, virtually all of them are top boats on Puget Sound and many have won events all over the Pacific Northwest.  To say “the form” on this collection of J/35s and J/109 is difficult would be an understatement.  In any event, the four J/109s include Jim Prentice’s DIVA, Adrian King-Harris’ J, Stu Burnell’s TANTIVY, and Tom Sitar’s SERENDIPITY.  The three J/35s are George Leighton’s TAHLEQUAH, Jason Vannice’s ALTAIR and Karl Haflinger’s SHEARWATER.

Not surprisingly, the J/105s have their own class, sailing as one-design for the Cape Flattery Race!  Top boats include recent Oregon Offshore Race class and overall winner FREE BOWL OF SOUP raced by those “wild & crazy guys” from Portland, Oregon and led by their skipper Doug Schenk.  They will be chased hard by top local crews, such as Jim Geros’ LAST TANGO, Chris Phoenix’s JADED and Chuck Stephens’ PANIC.

There is a quartet of J/teams sailing the shortest option, the Juan de Fuca Race- 78.7nm to a mark at Clallam Bay and return to Victoria Harbour.  In that fleet are Phil Wampold’s J/92 ZAFF fighting three J/30s (Colin Bishop’s REDUX, Ulf George Gwildis’ IMPULSIVE, and Theo Singelis’ TAKU.

Finally, getting out on the water and having fun with his J/105 for a daysail in the Inshore Flying Sales PHRF division will be Tom Kerr on CORVO 105!  For more Swiftsure Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Oregon Offshore Race Preview

(Portland, OR)- One of the toughest races on the entire West Coast and also one that has seen very loyal teams participate year after year has to be the infamous Oregon Offshore Race, an event hosted by Corinthian YC of Portland and the Astoria YC in Astoria, OR along the opening of the Columbia River.

Historically, the race acts as a “feeder” for the Swiftsure Race and for the Vic-Maui Race, too.  The race starts off the Columbia River Buoy 2 and goes 193nm north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, leaving Duntze Rock buoy to starboard and finish off the piers at Victoria, British Columbia in Canada on the northern side of the Straits.

Twenty-one teams are entered this year, a bump up from last year.  And, and there is an even larger contingent of J/Teams participating- a J/122, a J/46, a J/42 and three J/105s (29% of the fleet)!

The PHRF A2 Class is always competitive for the larger J/Teams.  Here are some quickie profiles of each boat:

J/122 ANAM CARA- If there was an award for the most Oregon Offshores raced, Portland's own Tom Kelly would be in the running with 35 of 40 (not to mention about the same number of Swiftsure's)! In fact, his first race was in 1977 back when the race course headed south to Tillamook before going North. Around 1984 Tom set the OOR elapsed time record aboard Wizard. This record held for a solid eleven years. As you might know, all standing OOR records were annihilated back in 2014! Tom has won the race overall before and he hopes to do it again.

J/46 RIVA- this boat is based in Portland, Oregon and skippered by CYC's own Scott Campbell. She has had an active racing schedule since 2003 with almost annual participation in both the Oregon Offshore and Swiftsure races. She has taken first place trophies numerous times in both races in her division and class. She is also a three-time veteran of the Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii in 2006, 2010, and 2016.

J/42 VELOCITY- Although skipper, Tom Keffer, took last year off to race the Pac Cup, he still helped us out on the start boat and for that we are grateful! That being said, we certainly are glad to have him back on the racing side of things this year.

For the first time ever in the history of the race, there is a one-design class- the J/105s!  Here are the profiles of the crews participating:

J/105 ABSTRACT- this will be Doug Pihlaja’s first Oregon Offshore on Abstract.  And it will be the first Oregon Offshore for four of her six crew. However, overall the crew’s total experience makes up for any perceived shortcomings. This includes many Oregon Offshore races for the remaining two crew members and other Ocean races including Fastnet and multiple Swiftsure races and Bridge-to-Bridge’s (Columbia River Gorge), so the crew should have enough to be in the game. Future plans include this year’s Swiftsure, where there is a one-design class for J/105s, and next year’s Pacific Cup in the Doublehanded division. Glad to have Portland based skipper, and crew join us!

J/105 ESCAPE ARTIST- Looks like we're gonna have ourselves some friendly J/105 competition this year. Another first time participant, Escape Artist, skippered by Dana Sibilla, is the "youngest" of the four Portland based J/105 One Design teams. While this is the first Oregon Offshore for the boat, the combined experience of the crew will bring some stiff competition on the race course. Once in Victoria, Escape Artist will stay for Swiftsure then plans to make her way over for Whidbey Island Race Week for a second year.

J/105 FREE BOWL OF SOUP- Looks like these guys are back for another serving! Free Bowl of Soup, a Portland-based J-105, signed up at the Portland Boat Show! That’s long-term planning! This will be Schenk, Hopper, and Davis's sixth Oregon Offshore race skippering FBoS, although each have been participating for even longer. Last year they took home First Place- PHRF A Fleet. We are fortunate enough to call Eric Hopper our 2017 CYC Race Captain and we appreciate the work he does to keep our club afloat!!  For more Oregon Offshore Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.