In the great scheme of things, racing sailboats doesn’t seem very important these days. Or is it? Pacific Northwest sailors want to get back to their inherently socially responsible and healthy pastime, and they’re making it happen at the grass roots level.
Shorthanded San Juans Racing
This came in a couple days ago from alert sailor Ken Machtley: Hi Kurt, finally a little good news for the racing scene. Orcas Island Yacht Club has decided to host our Round Orcas race on June 20 with a few changes. This year’s event will be changed to a pursuit race to help ensure social distancing on the start line. Fleets are shorthanded (single or double-handed) and household (3+ from the same household). If WA (or San Juan County) moves to phase 2 allowing groups up to five people by early June, the household division may be opened to mixed crews. No social is planned for after racing and the awards ceremony will be on Zoom with awards mailed after the race.
FYI, two other events in our North Sound Party Circuit should have updates in the next week (AYC Windermere and BYC Pt Roberts).
The registration link for the Round Orcas Race is here.
50 hours and 200 Miles of Fun
And the Energizer Crew from Hamachi have come up with an informal “event” that harkens back to events like the Round the Sound Race of long ago. Could it be that overnight sailing is making a comeback? Sounds like fun to me. It’s not a “race,” but whenever two boats are on the same body of water…..Here’s the Facebook post outlining the plans:
Quarantine and boredom are killing us (and you I’m sure)! To fill our time we started dreaming up race courses. Fun fact: according to Expedition its 102 miles from Marrowstone Lighthouse out around the San Juan Islands (using RTC marks) and back. It is also 102 miles from Marrowstone Lighthouse down around Vashon Island and back. Divine coincidence or sailing destiny? Either way, it’s now called the Salish 200.
If you are up for it, please join us for a friendly sailing “event” the last weekend of June. The rules are simple:
1. Start and finish off of Point Hudson Marina pier (Port Townsend)
2. Start time: Friday June 26th at 7pm
3. Finish cut off: Sunday June 28th at 9pm (50 hrs of racing)
4. Course: Figure 8 around the San Juan Islands (RTC marks) and Vashon Island. Direction and order is entirely up to you: you can start going north or south and transit the islands clockwise or counter clockwise.
5. Record your half way time passing Marrowstone Lighthouse (after you‘ve gone 100 miles) using a due east-west line (48.101 deg N).
6. Crew limit: 5 per boat in honor of Covid-19
Disclaimer: We are not a yacht club and this is not a sanctioned race. You participate entirely at your own risk.
If you are interested in participating please email us at: hamachiracing@gmail.com. If you or your organization wants to take this on and make it a formal race, let’s talk!
Stay tuned here for more updates.
Singlehanded Racing IS Social Distancing
Finally, the Seattle Laser Fleet – which also encompasses those speedy RS Aeros – is putting together some Thursday Night sailing. Not much can keep our group off the water for very long. Stop by the Seattle Laser Fleet website, sign up for the Google Groups and you’ll get the news as it takes shape.
Sailing is healthy. Racing is good, clean fun. Let’s keep figuring out how to do it responsibly.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.