Author: Kurt Hoehne

Salish 200 Update – also the Salish 100!

Kurt Hoehne Corona Virus Break, Racing 2 Comments
Salish 200 Update – also the Salish 100!

Ed. Note It seems that this non-race scheduled for June 26 is evolving on the fly. This from organizer Jason Andrews: “Kurt – As FYI only, we’ve expanded the number of “courses” to get some of the smaller boats involved:(see  https://www.facebook.com/pg/sailhamachi/posts/?ref=page_internal ).“

There are now also two optional 100-mile courses utilizing our natural (island) buoys – so cool. Here’s the text from the Facebook post:

SALISH 200 UPDATE: Thank you all for the interest and comments. In an effort to increase participation for all boats, we have increased the number of scored courses:

Puget Sound 100: For boats that start off of Point Hudson and complete a circumnavigation of Vashon Island finishing off of Marrowstone Lighthouse.

Salish 100: For boats that start off of Point Hudson and complete a circumnavigation of the San Juan Islands finishing off of Marrowstone Lighthouse.

Salish 200: For boats that start off of Point Hudson and finish off of Point Hudson after rounding the San Juans and Vashon Island.

The rules are still simple:

Start line: off of Point Hudson Marina pier (Port Townsend) taking the pier to port and a mark to starboard.

Start time: Friday June 26th at 7pm GPS time (0300 Zulu).

Finish cut off: Sunday June 28th at 9pm (50 hours of racing)

Crew limit: 5 per boat in honor of Covid-19

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.

Marks: Boats shall record their GPS time by taking a picture of a GPS enabled device when passing any of the following weigh points:

– Patos Island Lighthouse: crossing Longitude 122.95 deg W north of Latitude 48.79 deg N
– Neil Point Vashon Island: crossing Longitude 122.49 deg W south of Latitude 47.33 deg N
– Marrowstone Lighthouse: crossing Latitude 48.101 deg N after rounding one of the above marks
– Point Hudson Finish: crossing Longitude 122.75 deg W between Latitude 48.113 and 48.116 deg N after round all marks listed above

Scoring: All boats must record their times when passing the marks listed and email them to hamachiracing@gmail.com. Finish order (time adjusted based on PHRF) will be posted for each boat that completes one or more of the listed course. Boats that do the Salish 200 will be scored in either the Puget Sound 100 or Salish 100 depending on which one they complete first.

Trophies: There will be virtual trophies listing the top three finishers for each course.

There are promises of a web site – when I get that info I’ll pass it along.

Socially Responsible Racing

Kurt Hoehne Corona Virus Break, Racing 0 Comment

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.

Pacific Northwest Offshore International Yacht Race (Oregon Offshore) 2020 Race Report

Kurt Hoehne Corona Virus Break 0 Comment
Pacific Northwest Offshore International Yacht Race (Oregon Offshore) 2020 Race Report

I’m not exactly sure if the Raucous Bowman is a politician, rapper or some kind of gang banger, but one thing for sure, he was on top of the Pacific Northwest International Yacht Race, previously known as the Oregon Offshore. Your editor wasn’t even aware it was on yesterday….probably too busy pulling his hair out from the kids being home all the time. At any rate, here’s what the race was, at least in one raucous imagination. Let’s start thinking about next year. -KH

Pacific Northwest Offshore International Yacht Race (Oregon Offshore) 2020 Race Report

By the Raucous Bowmen

For those of you in the know, the Oregon offshore started off with a real bang this morning.  Beautiful weather, a strong offshore wind, and a slightly reduced fleet signaled the beginning of another epic journey North.  Rouge Brewery had heard the racers were in town, and due to rumors of raucous bowman roaming the streets, smartly closed shop and boarded up their doors and windows. Not to be deterred from a good time, the crew members hijacked the Astoria trolley and finished up a few bottles of rum while riding the rails.   

As dawn broke, many were a bit under the weather and many more did not show up.  The West Basin at Astoria was strangely empty…The other boats must be launching at Ilwaco, we thought and headed out.  The bar crossing was lively. In usual Oregon offshore style, many crew members began jettisoning their internal ballast.  This symphony of gut-wrenching, ab strengthening delight, is considered a badge of honor for many a racer.

As always Mustang Sally, the committee boat, was on station and at exactly 9:32:43 the race was on.  Immediately there was separation in the pack. Panama Red, the Mum 36, headed out…Way out. Riva, the J121, had a great start but Soufflé, the ultralight Cal 34 Mk I, was to windward. Bob Perry noted that the Cal’s signature low aspect main and over lapping high cut genoa was optimally suited for the reaching conditions. When will J/Boats learn? 

The J105 Free Bowl of Soup, after arriving in Astoria decided that nothing goes to windward like a fifth wheel and proceeded up the I-5 corridor. They were last reported making good VMG with light traffic near Seattle, a first for many.  As day one of the race ends, race leader Velocity, the J/42, is squarely in the lead. Rage, which finished six hours ago, will likely lose on corrected time when Velocity finishes sometime next year.  Anything can happen during the night, so as always sail fast, and stay safe racers.  Happy Oregon un-Offshore 2020, we can’t wait for next year!

  • Signed, The Raucous Bowman  

Ed. Note. Come on folks, we’re waiting for reports from the Geriatric Grinder, Nervous Navigator and Hermaphrodite Helmsman.

Screen shot from the tracker

More Screen Racing for Lockdown

Kurt Hoehne Corona Virus Break 1 Comment
More Screen Racing for Lockdown

Well, fellow PNW sailors, Bruce called it weather wise and we can all look outside today at the rain and say “Well, I’m glad I’m not out in that.” Or not. At this point, there are very few of us who wouldn’t choose to be out in that on our way north in the Race to the Straits. A lot of us would be happily struggling to make headway in the light southerly. About now, some of us would be contemplating the iron genny and the party in Port Townsend.

Firefly in the SYC Vashon Race, in 2018 before she raced to Hawaii.

Jan and Skip are sharing a look back at the SYC Vashon Island races this weekend, and they are all great photo albums. It’s fun to look back at the some of the boats, some we haven’t seen in a while and others off to other pastures. How about the dueling One Design 48s Flash and Glory. Neptune’s Car. Wasabi. The old Absolutely. My old mates aboard Double Take. Shoot the Moon. White Cloud.

Things are opening up gradually, which bodes well for our season. I’ve seen a race north of the border for couples and families – I’ll try to get details. Seems to me that would be the most appropriate way for us to get going in, some low key shorthanded races where to participate is to win. Save the club parties for another time.

Here’s the report from the 2018 SYC Vashon Island Race.

And here are all Jan’s photos from several recent editions of the race:

2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018.

Bob Perry, Anarchist

Kurt Hoehne Pacific Northwest Sailing Industry 0 Comment
Bob Perry, Anarchist

All of us who stop by Sailing Anarchy regularly know that the Pacific Northwest’s own Bob Perry frequents it as well. Here, Sailing Anarchy editor Scot Tempesta interviews Bob. For those who have never heard Bob speak, here’s your chance! For that matter, here’s a chance to listen to Scot. They both have something to say!

Stay well everyone. -KH

Regatta Retrospective

Kurt Hoehne Corona Virus Break 0 Comment
Regatta Retrospective

For all of us sitting at home, Jan (photographer) and Skip (Boat Boy) Anderson have provided some more links to past events. So, instead of sitting around lamenting the lack of racing during this Corona Virus break, let’s sit around lamenting the lack of racing while looking at some great photos. Just click on the links. KH

This week’s retrospectives include:

The 2013 Sperry Topsider (remember their sponsorship!) NOOD regatta. What’s notable here is how many classes there were, and what a variety. 6 Meters, A-Cats, Stars, J/24s, sport boats. And of course Lasers. And more! The results and report seem to have evaporated from the web, but from the photos it looks like great racing.

The second event we have here is the high school team racing championships, though I can figure out what year it’s from. (Can anyone out there help with the year?) Over the years, posting coverage of the high school events has been one of the pleasures of doing this blog. The photos show young sailors focused, engaged and above all happy. I’ve had the good fortune to engage with some of them, and as they start managing the sport I’m confident it will be in good hands. Supporting high school sailing should be a focus of all us old sailors.

Finally, we have the 2014 Black Star Regatta. For those unfamiliar with it, the Black Star Regatta is a low-key regatta centered around the South Sound Star fleets. These old primarily wooden Star boats have been resurrected and raced on a regular basis, wet sailed and often made available to introduce people to the sport. Stars are great boats, no matter what the age. A few dedicated enthusiasts kept the game going with enumerable volunteer hours.

New Sailing Thoughts on the Corona Virus

Kurt Hoehne Corona Virus 3 Comments
New Sailing Thoughts on the Corona Virus
Ugly

This morning I received an email from Alert Reader Dave Brede, included below. He brings up a great point – while sailing may seem like the right thing to do right now (I wrote so myself) it really does put others at risk. We need to keep the broader picture in mind. There’s a reason Governor Inslee wants nearly all of us all to stay home. In this critical moment, staying holed up on shore seems like the right thing to do. We in the Northwest were hit early and hard, but we’re doing very well at slowing the spread. The sooner we get on top of this, the sooner we can enjoy some bracing days on the water, bobbing at anchor and lee-bowing that starboard tacker who’s just asking for it. -Kurt

There are better days ahead for some crowded mark roundings.

Dear Kurt,

I love Sailish and read Bruce’s Briefs with caffeinated fervor – so thank you for your support of our fantastic Salish Sea boating community and making us all a little smarter. And I think we both share Noj Henderson as a good friend.

Some of Noj’s Facebook posts about Covid-19 in New Zealand have sobered my thoughts about going on the water during these critical weeks of the pandemic.

The NZ Coast Guard has recommended all boaters stay off the water. While
our National Message is confused and our National Coast Guard can’t make the same statement, we can understand the NZ logic. In NZ, they rescue about 4000 boaters per year. Say 10+ per day, and that requires many boat crews working together, and then returning to their homes and families. It is safer for the NZ Coast Guard crews to stay home, but that requires the boaters to stay home.

Like our noisy 8 pm celebration of the Medical Professionals, let’s have a loud tribute to the real brave men and women in our local floating Police and Coast Guard, (and private towing, gas dock, marine industry); our tribute is to let the Salish Sea look like it did 1000 years ago, no boat traffic.

– Just the incredible beauty of an undisturbed natural wonder. It could be our SALUTE. I know I will go sailing soon – but not right now. I could sneak out, go anchor and hang out and safely not be with anyone – but if all my fellow sneaky boaters do this with me then we have an unnecessary
number of people put at risk. And those are the very people that are there to save us – the coast guard, just like the doctors and nurses.

Let’s be proud of the empty waterways for these short weeks – they will be there for us when we return.

Fewer boating families will be touched by the loss of a beloved companion or mentor or friend if we act aggressively to minimize not just our own personal contact with the virus, but minimize the need for all the individuals who support our love of the sport of boating to stay safe.

Stay Home, Stay Safe, do your boating exercises, freeze up some provisions, plan your summer trip, watch sailboat racing on YouTube. I think, as a strong voice in the Salish Sea boating infosphere – you have a chance to aid our best chances.

Like a puff that hits right when you needed it.

Respect,

Dave

Sailing May Not be the Cure, but it Will Help

Kurt Hoehne Sailing's Great 0 Comment
Sailing May Not be the Cure, but it Will Help

The Seattle Laser Fleet (Lasers and RS Aeros) is just finishing up its 19/20 season today. In the last couple of days an email flurry has been going on about whether or not to hold event in light of the coronavirus. It’s not a huge fleet (<30 boats), but there is a gathering afterward in the clubhouse where there could be contact between the sailors. There isn’t enough manpower to have a race committee, which has never stopped the SLF from thrashing about on Puget Sound, so rabbit starts were agreed upon.

Derek Bottles hiking an RS Aero down.

Some sailors have opted out, and one doctor who is on the front medical lines weighed in with some reassuring words about the likelihood of transmission. Obviously, everybody who had any indication of being sick decided to stay home. And my guess is handshakes and hugs will be minimal, if at all. Hoorah for the SLF.

Yesterday some intrepid South Sound racers tucked reefs into their mains and zoomed around the Islands racecourse in seriously gusty conditions.

I expect as the weather warms this week we’ll see a lot more sails dotting the Pacific Northwest waters.

Hychka, Sweden 36

I make no claim of medical expertise. Obviously, we don’t want to do anything to spread the coronavirus. And we don’t want to get sick ourselves.

However, here is my pitch for us all to go sailing, especially if we have some time on our hands. Boats these days seldom require a large crew. Most cruisers sail with 2-4 people.  Even large raceboats have a limited number of people on board. Usually, after sailing, the boat sits for a few days during which the virus will die.

And of course, if you’re single handling even a few feet from shore, well, I can’t imagine a much safer place.

But getting on the water and feeling the wind on your face, the pull of the helm and the tug of the sails filling will raise anyone’s spirit and should convey a feeling of optimism that we all sorely need.  I can’t speak for anyone else, but when I’m in despair, a gull’s cry, sea lion’s bark or the smell of saltwater can pull me right out of it.

And for racers, effectively lee-bowing someone or nailing a takedown injects some serious endorphins.

Sailing gets you outside into the fresh air in about as safe (for both you and others) a way as possible. More importantly, it can renew one’s optimism and mental health. We’re lucky, we get to do what we love.

Blakely Rock Abandonment Explanation

Kurt Hoehne Uncategorized 0 Comment

Matt and Charley explained what happened Saturday…..

CYC Race Committee Statement
On Abandonment of
2020 Blakely Rocks Race

As all participants are aware, the 2020 Blakely Rocks Race was abandoned by the RC. As the first boats reached the north mark (mark N) scheduled to be located 1 NM East of VTS lane marker SF, the RC was informed that the mark was drifting. The RC immediately dispatched a whaler to check on the mark, but before the whaler arrived on station, subsequent communication from the fleet indicated that the mark was, indeed, in the shipping lanes.

As the whaler was dispatched, approximately 4 miles south of the mark, a Matson container ship was northbound, moving at roughly 20 knots. As Principal Race Officer, I made the decision to abandon the race for safety and USCG permit compliance reasons.

As conditions were ( clearly ) ideal for racing, our initial thinking was to stage an abbreviated race with a course like SWNF or SWQF. Unfortunately, the Sailing Instructions precluded any starts after 1400 hours. This situation was unanticipated in the SI’s.

Both CYC and I are always learning from conditions and situations that arise to ensure better race experiences for the community. We are aware that the N mark has posed challenges in the past, and have been able to address them. Saturday it did not work out in our favor. The sound is very deep in that area, more than 700 feet in many locations, and that combined with scope means that there is 1,000 or more feed of line between the mark and the bottom weight (a 30lb lead ball). That much line itself creates a lot of drag in the current, and kelp or other things also get caught on it, breaking the anchor free and causing unpredictable movement. We are discussing moving the location of this mark further east into shallower water.

We will explore maintaining a whaler in the area to observe the mark. There are significant challenges with this that we will need to work through. The whalers are exposed, and 2 or 3 hours minding the mark in this location can be conditionally challenging. Out of prudence, approximately 1 hour before the abandonment, the RC dispatched a whaler to confirm the status of N, which was confirmed. In the interim, the mark must have moved.
Action items from lessons learned include:

Altering SI for this event to allow for restarts post-1400 hours.
Utilizing alternative locations to the North in more manageable locations.
Altering anchor configurations for deep water deployment.
Maintain whalers on station at said marks to ensure SI and safety compliance.

You have my personal apologies, and on behalf of CYC, for the outcome of Saturday’s race. We look forward to seeing all of you on March 21 for the Scatchet Head race.

Sincerely,
Charley Rathkopf CYC Senior Principal Race Officer
Matthew Wood CYC Race Fleet Captain

Safety at Sea, the Seminar

Kurt Hoehne Sailing Education, Seamanship, Swiftsure Yachts 0 Comment
Safety at Sea, the Seminar

If you haven’t signed up for The Sailing Foundation’s Safety at Sea seminar on Bainbridge Island this coming weekend, you’re out of luck. It’s all full up. But it’s worth a look at what you’re missing so when the next one comes around you can get in on it.

The big news here is that there’s a three “tracks,” from which to choose, depending on how much coursework participants to do. There’s a renewal track, 2-day track and hybrid track.

Saturday’s sessions will include crew overboard, search and rescue, communication, heavy weather techniques, etc. On Sunday there will be a pool session on liferaft use and a flare session outside.

Presenters include Margaret Pommert, Ken Fabert, MD, Sailish‘s Bruce Hedrick, Swiftsure Yachts‘ Ryan Helling and Bob Schoonmaker, Bruce Brown and Carol Hasse.

Being prepared for an emergencies through is the most important aspect of handling them. And knowing what to do is every bit as important as having the right equipment on board. We’ll have a wrapup of the seminar after the fact. If any Sailish readers want to know anything particular, please send me questions, and I’ll pass them along.