Corinthian Yacht Club’s PSSR was, in many ways, epic. Last weekend’s regatta saw enough breeze on Saturday that racing was called after a couple of races when winds were heading up into the 30s. On Sunday conditions were milder and made for great racing.
The J/80s and J/105s fielded very competitive fleets, and four San Juan 24s made the trek from Lake Washington to sail off Shilshole. Erik Kristen on More Jubilee sailed another strong series to win the J/105 class while second place Jaded and third place Moose Unknown ended tied. In the J/80 class it was a dead heat between Rush and Crazy Ivan, with Phillip Dean’s Rush finishing ahead in the last race and winning the class. Ken Johnson’s Grauer Geist won the San Juan class with straight bullets..
Winners in the PHRF classes were Absolutely, Dos and Elixir in four boat, four boat and one boat classes respectively. Results here. Nine, count ’em nine, PHRF boats competed, though more were registered.
My friends Joe Cline at 48 North and Matt Woods, fleet captain at CYC, cite Easter and Southern Straits crew stealing as the reasons for the low PHRF turnout. I’m more concerned.
As a CYC member and racing evangelist, I’m alarmed. For every sailor there’s a slightly different logic to this down trend, but consistently it’s noted that the old round-the-buoys racing for cruiser/racers is way down. Too much work/effort, too time consuming, too competitive, handicapping issues are all often cited. My questionnaire of a year and a half ago revealed a few things that sailors want to see. Casual racing is a common thread.
I’m sure race organizers and my fellow sailors have a seabag full of great ideas to implement. This year’s PSSR might just be the signal that the race to get sailing back on track is starting and we better trim in and harden up.
If the last PHRF boat hits a wave, does it make a splash?
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.
Last weekend’s Southern Straits Race put on by the West Vancouver YC was neither a gear-buster nor a maddening drifter. It was just a good old fashioned fast race. Sailish’s Bruce Hedrick supplied a pre-race weather briefing that was delivered the night before to racers in attendance.
There were three courses, a 133-mile long course allowing the faster boats to stretch their legs, a 98-mile medium course that seems to appeal to a lot of cruiser-racer types and a 70-mile short course.
The coveted honors of first to finish on the long course was done emphatically by Steve Travis’s Smoke, which finished an hour ahead of the two other TP 52s. Results here. Photos here (skippers is password). Facebook page here.
We have a report from Peter Salusbury, owner and skipper of sailish-favorite Longboard, a Bieker 35. He finished third on corrected time on the long course.
Longboard‘s Race
The 2019 Southern Straits of Georgia Race will be remembered as one of the best and fastest ever! Bruce Hedrick’s pre-race forecast proved accurate (once again) with a 5 – 8 knot westerly at the start which gradually built as the fleet beat out of English Bay and tacked up the Bowen Island shore. There was a massive ebb current on the start line which really accelerated at the committee boat end and Steve Travis’s TP 52 Smoke timed the start perfectly at the boat end and jumped into a massive current ‘elevator’ before the rest of us – there’s some great drone photos and video of the start which captured Steve’s amazing start. (ed note: I’ll try to find that video and post it later)
Most of the long course fleet left the south shore of Bowen for the long starboard tack across the Strait with the TP 52’s (Smoke, The Shadow, and Sonic) along with J/160 Jam really using their long waterlines to their advantage over us tiny 35-footers to stretch out a nice lead. A few interesting wind shifts further west on the race course created some interesting passing lanes – the J/111 65 Red Roses skippered by Alex Smyth called it well by staying north, we opted to keep more west and they did a nice job getting a jump on us before Sisters.
After Ballenas the seas flattened out and the wind lifted nicely on port tack so we gained a little back jib reaching into Sisters. Smoke really legged out on the other TP’s and rounded at 1753. The leg from Sister’s to Entrance couldn’t have been better. The most amazing full moon came up right in the east and with the crystal clear sky, lit up the race course all night – truly magical to be sliding downwind at 15+ knots boat speed with an A2 on such a beautiful evening.
We caught up and passed 65 Red Roses by Ballenas so the battle was on after that! Our timing crossing Nanaimo Harbor on the approach to Entrance couldn’t have been worse as we had to douse the chute really early to negotiate our way around two large inbound ships and then got into an interesting conversation with a tug and barge coming out of Nanaimo on the beat upwind to Ballenas!
The stiff beat from Entrance to Ballenas was bone jarring for us little 35 footers with TWS hovering between 21 to 26 knots and a steep chop. The TP 52’s reveled in the conditions and rounded fairly closely at half past midnight. We were very happy in our upwind speed and legged out on 65 Red Roses to round 36 minutes ahead of them. From Ballenas to the finish line of Point Atkinson, the NW stayed in the 20+ knot range all the way home which made for an impressive, enjoyable downwind slide home.
Smoke did a nice job stretching out over The Shadow and Sonic and won line honors at 0313 – less than 3 hours after rounding Ballenas! From the results, it looked like The Shadow and Sonic had a close finish over an hour behind Smoke, finishing within minutes of each other. The always well sailed J/160 Jam skippered by Bill Fox finished a little over an hour later to take second overall on the long course. Alex and the team on 65 Red Roses did a masterful job all race and deserve full credit for finishing first overall on the long course. On Longboard, my team did a great job pushing the boat around the course to grab the final podium spot on the long course.
Ross Macdonald and his very fast X-41 Daia made short work of the beat to Sisters on the Medium Course and took line honors just before 0200 – well done to Ross who always gives an upwind clinic in these conditions! On corrected time, John Peterson’s J/109 Legacy took Division 2 (by 8 seconds over Lodo!), Steve Blaine’s Hanse 400e Rubato won Division 3, and the Dufour 34 Invictus skippered by Vern Lhotzky took Division 4 and the Medium Course overall win.
On the short course, the Hotfoot 30 XS sails by Benoit Sonrel held off some close competitors to take the Short Course line honors win. My old Flying Dutchman colleague, Huntly Gordon sailing Flyway took Division 5 and the Short Course overall win. We all had to admire those short course boats on the stiff beat to Ballenas Island on Friday afternoon/evening – tough conditions to go upwind in such small boats – really well done to them all.
As always, the host club West Vancouver Yacht Club put on a great event – thanks to co-chairs Kelly Brix and Adam Ferguson and PRO Jen Ross – and of course the army of volunteers and club members who truly make it all happen. And a big thanks to all the competitors who travel from the US and Vancouver Island for this event – it’s a big commitment and we appreciate you all making the trek to and from your home ports.
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.
Tiana Mohebi is an ambitious student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and as a project she chose to profile a fellow student doing this summer’s Van Isle 360. Tiana got in touch with sailish for some journalistic commentary, and I was happy to oblige. Anything to further promote sailing and an event as great and unique as the Van Isle….
Lousy picture of the new Monkee.
Tania along with Nikita Nayak profiled William Blouin-Comeau who is sailing on none other than the new Cheekee Monkee catamaran. Here is the website they created: https://nikitanayak319.wixsite.com/mysite.
It was fun weighing in on the subject, and Tiana did a great job of conveying some of the appeal of both the race and adventure sailing in her presentation. It’s particularly suitable for your non-sailing or casual friends who ask “why do it?” You can listen to the program here.
The front page of their website.
Best of luck to William Blouin-Comeau. More importantly, good luck to Tiana. She’s clearly one to watch. And we need to get her out on a boat!
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.
The Carol Pearl Blakely Rock Benefit Race is usually a great excuse for the casual racer to have a low-key race to Blakely Rock and back to Shilshole. It draws a lot of boats out of the woodwork for racing that isn’t considered too serious. This year it was more than that.
Ed.Note: At the end of this post is a great tack-by-tack description by winner Ben Braden, plus some thoughts on dropping out. Well worth reading!
With morning winds in the 30s and gusting into the 30s, Saturday was not the best day for casual racers. Fortunately, many decided on discretion being the better part of valor and chose to stay at the dock or head home when it seemed too much. As Bruce Hedrick said in his brief Friday, “‘The question was “How do you define heavy weather?’ The answer is that you define what heavy weather is and that is the point where you and your crew are no longer comfortable sailing in the existing conditions and there exists the possibility of hurting someone or doing damage to the vessel.”
104 boats were registered and 39 completed the course.
It was actually very interesting to watch the boats setting up before the start. The racers had their small jibs up, but many soon realized a reef in the main was also called for. That’s not something we see a lot of on Puget Sound. Boats with furling got to find out just what their headsail looked like rolled up partway.
As the classes headed out from under the lee of West Point into the teeth of the southerly, VHF channel 72 seemed an endless stream of “This is the yacht So-And-So, retiring” followed by acknowledgement by the race committee.
It was a hard beat up to Blakely Rock. Most boats held port tack to the west side of the Sound before tacking to starboard. One boat that didn’t was Ben and Jennifer Braden’s Moore 24 More Uff Da. They chose to play the east side of the Sound and it worked out great for them, launching them ultimately to first overall. Of course the conditions were Moore 24 perfect for the run back to Shilshole. Second overall was Alex Simanis and Poke & Destroy with third going to Mark Brink and Tonic.
The wind lightened up at times, but there were still some gusts to deal with as bulk of the fleet was finishing. There were a few roundups and white knuckles, but apparently no major damage. Dan Randolph aboard Nefarious reportedly “found the rock, and was glad it wasn’t a whale.” Last year he was severely injured when his boat hit a whale while motoring.
This year the race benefited MY SAIL, an organization dedicated to promote muiltihull sailing for the “next generation of enthusiasts.
Congratulations are in order for all involved, particularly for the skippers who played it safe. Results here.
Moore Fun on Uff Da
By Ben Braden
We stayed high off the start, went from near the boat end and stayed high. When it looked like I was going to get outside of West Point I tacked up towards a point halfway between the point and green marker then tacked back to port for the slog across. There was great positive current by staying high and near the point’s pressure point on the current,. And I don’t like sailing into Murden Cove. We came across at the south end of Murden cove near the pilings and then the standard westerly shift kicked in. Tonic tacked back just after Yeomalt Point after a starboard tack header and I held on just a little too long and ended up lifted back up 20 degrees so I didn’t want to tack – Tonic made out on that one and easily pulled ahead of us. One more tack into the red nun and then it was starboard tack all the way to the Rock. We were sixth around and the second spinnaker up behind Tonic, Mark Brink’s boat. Jim Marda was so far off ahead in Eye Candy we could barely see him. The wind was honking till we got the Rock – seemed to be hitting 30ish at times but we didn’t know exactly as we only have depth and a compass. Went on the fact we were twisting the sails a little for speed and there was streaking on the water as our guides on windspeed. When we rounded, the winds dropped to 12ish, just barely capping. Once we got past our disappointment about the light downwind we settled into enjoying the sun and beautiful day it had become. I stayed as low as I felt comfortable downwind, a little above Tonic’s line and we both plugged along down the Sound until about a mile or so from West Point when the next breeze came through and we moved weight back and were off on a plane through the no flying sails boats. We were zooming but the wind was super squirrelly – my helm was extremely active to keep the boat on a plane and under the spinnaker.
I can’t tell you how fast we were going in normal sailors terms (previously mentioned depth/compass only) but in Tertiary Moore Dementia Syndrome (ed. note.: well worth reading) terms we were at the two crew wahooing and another giggling speed with four big smiles zooming. The bow spray was back around the mast with the boat flat but not full on bow down planing. We caught Tonic at the mark, and I want to say that Tonic did a very impressive take down on their spinnaker with just 3 aboard. Tonic rounded just in front of us with the Gay Morris’s Thomas 35 Francy just behind for the short beat to the finish in the strong breeze. Both the bigger boats pulled away from us to weather so I think we ended up finishing 4th across the line and definitely 2nd spinnaker boat behind Tonic. It was great racing against Brink again, miss him in the old Lady Bug and notably absent was Nate’s Olson 25. My quick look at the results show me 38% of the boats finished the race and I’ve seen a number of comments online asking why so many boats dropped out as well as conversations after the race. I must say that I was very impressed with the decisions by my fellow skippers to continue the race and just as impressed with those that chose to head in or not leave the dock. I did not hear about too many issues and/or calls for assistance and that tells me the skippers that decided their boats or crew were not up to sailing in gale conditions made the difficult but correct decision and those that stayed out and finished correctly had their boats and crews ability in mind. That to me is proper seamanship in our sailing lifestyle. I commend and defend those decisions to head back to port, I understand how hard that decision can be. My boat and crew have sailed in similar conditions a number of times recently; our Nationals regatta last summer was sailed in 30 to 40 knots, so I knew we were up to the challenge. Had I a different crew with less experience my decision to stay on the course may have been different. Nate Creitz congratulated us online saying something in the order of congratulations, it isn’t your first and won’t be your last. My wife Jennifer, being the civil engineer she is, wanted the truth and looked at the past results. I thought we had won the overall once before this, she found a third. Interestingly though, two of them were quick races – 2.5 hours on the course – obviously another windy race day like Saturday. The other, the first time we won this race overall was 5.25 hours on course. Interesting.
The spinnaker is drying in the basement and the dehumidifier has filled and been emptied once and I’m sure in need of another dump – everything is back in order.
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.
Dieter Creitz has arrived in Chile for the South American Optimist Championship and is enjoying the pre-race camaraderie that goes with an international regatta. You can see from the photos what this kind of event means to kids. You can also see how serious and competitive the teams are with the measuring in process and keeping the team focused. Here’s the report from Dieter’s dad Nate (who got to race on a Soto 40!):
We are having a great time In Chile. Team USA just headed out for their final practice. Dieter is truly enjoying himself and making new friends. It’s been great to see our friends from around the globe and his teammates from Bermuda who helped him get here. We haven’t spent much time with him as he is with his team and coaches staying together.
Racing begins tomorrow and opening ceremonies are tonight with a parade through town which will be quite a show. It’s very impressive how IODA operates and the infrastructure in place for this event. Big tents, food everywhere and lots of sponsors showcasing products. Lots of flags & banners blowing in the wind. The measurement process yesterday was long and grueling. The team sat down with the committee and were briefed on the process. Dieter’s sail numbers were incorrect and had to be redone and his daggerboard was too heavy and had to be sanded down. It was surprising the deviation of equipment manufactured here in South America and how many items did not measure correctly. Boats & foils we use back home are manufactured much more consistently.
Beginning tomorrow parents are not allowed into the sailors boatyard. Parents are also not allowed access to the cabins where our team is housed.
Yesterday I sailed three races on a Soto 40 with a Chilean crew who spoke Spanish the entire race! There are feral dogs everywhere who are well fed, friendly & happy.
Thanks to Nate we’ll keep track of this one. Young sailors out there – get inspired!
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.
Our young PNW sailing hero Dieter Creitz is spending 22 hours traveling to Algerobbo Chile today, along with his parents (and amazing support crew) Nate and Wanda. Creitz is one of 15 US sailors competing in the South American Championships.
Dieter Creitz finishing at the Canadian Opti Nationals last year.
Ponder this: Creitz just came back from a National Team training session in LA where they spent four days refining Opti techniques. To say he’s fraying the sheets at two ends is an understatement. The night before last he had a 103-degree fever plus vomiting. Nonetheless, he’s “VERY excited” to be going and after a few days training at the regatta site he should be ready to go.
For those who judge the boxy, underpowered and distinctly old school Opti as somehow “hurting” sailing, I’ll just say that there are 170 kids racing in this event from all over the world. They have support from parents, coaches and national authorities, and some (like Dieter) bring along their own gear (less hull) to get every last 100th of a knot out of the boat. They are as competitive as any adult, yet there are lifelong friendships and memories being made along the way.
As Craig Leweck said in yesterday’s Scuttlebutt newsletter, it’s not about the boat. He wrote, “I do tire of hearing people compare boats and then using that as a basis for judging what is the better one design class. To me that is short-sighted chest-pounding. The purpose of a one design class is to bring together like-minded people to enjoy camaraderie and competition in a boat they enjoy and feel competent sailing. When everyone is doing the same thing for the same reason, the beer tastes better at the end of the day.” Leweck was commenting about the Laser, but I submit that it applies to the Opti as well, as long as you supplant “beer” with “juice.”
I’ll be following Dieter as he takes on the South Americans. Knowing Dieter, his attitude will ensure a good finish and, more importantly, a fun time with some new friends. In Chile! If you want to check in on the regatta for yourself, here’s the site.
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.
It’s been clear for a while that dear old Oak Harbor, home of Whidbey Island Race Week (WIRW), would have to be relieved of hosting duty. The shoaling harbor and lack of a working hoist are putting a kibosh on a 37-year old event. But in my opinion, it was time to make the change for other reasons as well.
I’ll let the press release reprinted below speak for itself. The new venue is Point Roberts, a US enclave located on the southern tip of the otherwise Canadian peninsula where Tswassen, BC. is located. It has a deep harbor, good racing areas and an enthusiastic host. The location is relatively close to Vancouver, BC but further away from Seattle.
Race Week is not alone in its challenges. Big boat race weeks have been disappearing around the country (along with lots of buoy racing) and they’re all facing different, but similar, challenges. I’m guessing anyone who’d done a WIRW has good, if sometimes hazy, memories. A host of energetic sailors and sponsors have kept it going, even with declining numbers.
Sailboat racing is changing, and Schelleen Rathkopf is determined that Race Week should change along with it. She’s made plenty of changes in the last three years making it more family and cruiser friendly while maintaining the competitive aspects.
Some of Jan Anderson’s photos from last year’s Whidbey Island Race Week.
There are a few reasons I think this is a good move. First and foremost, sometimes change (especially after 37 years) is good just for change’s sake. I’m not sure what the racing conditions are there, but the toilet bowl current of Penn Cove had been figured out long ago. The cruiser courses could be quite interesting. I love the idea of it being more accessible to Canadians. I figure a good contingent of serious Canadian racers and partyers might draw more Seattle boats. While I don’t know much about Point Roberts (yet), Schelleen’s research indicates they’ll be eager for sailors to show up.
Oak Harbor was a jumping off time for racers wanting to take the family cruise to the San Juans and Gulf Islands.. Point Roberts is a stone’s throw from the Gulf Islands, not far from Vancouver and Howe Sound and a long day’s delivery from Desolation Sound. It’s a much better jumping off point. My hope is that cruisers use the new venue as an excuse to race (in the cruising class) and that racers use it as an excuse to start the family cruise heading north.
For those wondering what other venues were in the running, it was basically between Point Roberts and Port Townsend. Rathkopf explains why Point Roberts got the nod: “There were two main reasons. To host the event in Port Townsend would have required us to move the event to late June or early September. I didn’t want to move the event out of July. Another factor is that we would only have 70 slips at Point Hudson Marina at a rate of $1.30/ft. Overflow would go to Boat Haven Marina on the other side of town, splitting up the fleets. I like that in Point Roberts, all boats are in a marina together in one big compound vs splitting everyone up ($0.75/ft).”
Of course questions remain: How many Seattle boats are up for the long delivery and return? Will the border crossings be too much of pain? Will the conditions live up to the billing? The issue of what rating systems to use remain unsettled. (that old ridiculous NW vs BC PHRF thing). At least there’s ORC for the big boats and ORC Club to fall back on) Questions aside, this is an exciting, surprising move.
SEATTLE, Washington, March 28, 2019 – Whidbey Island Race Week LLC is pleased to announce Point Roberts, Washington as the new venue for Race Week beginning in the year 2020. The event will be called Point Roberts Race Week and the 2020 dates will be July 13-17, 2020. Point Roberts Race Week will be a 5-day race event, Monday through Friday which allows for the weekends before and after for boat deliveries.
“Point Roberts has everything we need to host a world class destination regatta,” says Schelleen Rathkopf, Event Producer and longtime Whidbey Island Race Week Race participant. “It has an exceptional race area for both big boats and dinghies, a deep-water full-service marina and a comfortable Pacific Northwest summertime vibe. It’s the perfect venue for Race Week’s new home.”
The vision is to create the largest sailboat racing event on the west coast of North America that includes sailors from the USA and Canada. In addition to big boat and dinghy racing, race organizers also want to tie in a US Sailing National Championship as well as a youth event which the size of the venue supports. Plans have already commenced to have Point Roberts Race Week included in VARC (Vancouver Area Racing Circuit) Society in an effort to build participation from Canada.
“This venue will allow Race Week to grow to its fullest potential. There’s enough space to run multiple interesting and fun race circles for buoy and distance races for One Design and PHRF fleets of all sizes. The marina can handle the influx of 200+ boats, including the Transpac 52s – even at a negative tide.”
For the first year, there will be 3 race circles in 2020, each with their own US Sailing certified PRO and race committee: big boats, dinghies and a cruising class for those who want to enjoy the event with one casual distance race per day. Awards will include daily and overall awards for the top 3 finishers in each class. Additionally, Point Roberts Race Week will continue the Whidbey Island Race Week tradition with two perpetual awards that include the Philip Wise Sportsmanship Award for the crew that exhibits exemplary sportsmanship and the Molly Kool Cup Award that recognizes the overall achievement of a female skipper.
Point Roberts, Washington is a beautiful seaside community that is just 4.9 square miles and overlooks the Strait of Georgia north of the San Juan Islands and south of Tsawwassen and Ladner, British Columbia. It offers a protected 920 slip marina that sits on 155 acres and can easily accommodate an influx of sailboats of all sizes and their tenders for a week every summer in July. The marina also has a 3,000-pound small boat dinghy lift in addition to a 35-ton travel lift, a full-service chandlery and mechanic shop. There is gas, diesel, propane and water available at the marina in addition to RV and tent camping, laundry and shower facilities. There is also a US customs agent on site to assist with racers coming to Point Roberts Race Week from British Columbia or other provinces in Canada.
“Point Roberts is a perfect fit for Race Week with some of the finest sailing and cruising in the Pacific Northwest,” shares Theresa Coe, General Manager of the Point Roberts Marina. “Our location, open water immediately adjacent to the harbor entrance and fantastic spectator viewing locations make this venue great for the racers as well as families and sport enthusiasts alike.”
The Point Roberts Marina includes Breakwaters Bar and Grill, a full-service restaurant and bar that is fully equipped to handle 500-600 people for indoor/outdoor post-race parties on site. There is a grocery store nearby, and the marina is secure, pet friendly and has ample parking for trailers and cars.
There are 1300 full time residents in Point Roberts and in the summertime, this number doubles due in large part to the number of vacation and 2nd homes located there. Referred to as “Vancouver’s Weekend Playground” by Seabright Farms, the largest developer of new custom cottages built on lots along the south beach shores, Point Roberts caters to those interested in getting away from it all for R & R and memorable outdoor activities and experiences.
Point Roberts sits in a zone known for little rainfall, lots of sun and consistent breeze. This climate combined with the miles of public beaches, the gorgeous natural surroundings, and the marina services, makes it the perfect destination for racers and cruisers alike. Additionally, Point Roberts is home to Bald Eagle Golf Course, an 18-hole course and has many walking, running and hiking trails within walking distance to the marina. “We look forward to the influx of new visitors, boaters and sailors that will discover our seaside community where you can, bicycle, camp, hike, golf and play freely,” says Theresa Coe. “We love for people to discover our hidden gem.”
Getting to Point Roberts
By Car: Point Roberts is located in Washington state, but to get there by car from the US requires 2 border crossings in Blaine and then again in Tsawwassen. Driving Distances to Point Roberts: From Vancouver International Airport: 20 miles From Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia (BC): 24 miles From Blaine, Washington: 25 miles Bellingham, Washington: 49 miles From Seattle: 150 miles By Air: There is a grass landing airport in Point Roberts that offers service by San Juan Airlines. By Sea: 48 degrees 58’ 23.91” N, 123 degrees 03’ 52.20” W / NOAA Chart 18241. As Point Roberts is located in Washington state, there are no border crossing requirements for those travelling from the US waterways. Nautical miles to Point Roberts travelling at 7.0 knots From Anacortes: 35.6 NM / 5:05 hours From Bellingham: 31.5 NM / 4:30 hours From Blaine: 12.7 NM / 1:49 hours From Deer Harbor, Orcas Island: 23.8 NM / 3:24 hours From Everett (via Deception Pass): 76.4 NM / 10:55 hours From Galiano Island: 22.7 NM / 3:15 hours From Nanaimo, Vancouver Island: 38.8 NM / 5:33 hours From Oak Harbor: 58.1 NM / 8:18 hours From Port Townsend: 56.5 NM / 8:04 hours From Seattle (Shilshole via Deception Pass): 91.4 NM / 13:03 hours From Sidney (via Active Pass): 26.8 NM / 3:50 hours From Vancouver: 32.6 NM / 4:39 hours From Victoria (via Boundary Passage): 46.2 NM / 6:36 hours From White Rock: 11.8 NM / 1:41 hours.
Point Roberts is an undiscovered gem that will be well worth the delivery to get there. Recognizing that border crossings might be challenging for some crew, and the venue may require a two-day boat delivery for some Seattle boats, there are plans in the works to address these concerns. Point Roberts Race Week will arrange for a water taxi to transfer walk on crew from Blaine Harbor Marina in Washington to Point Roberts Marina in Washington. This crossing through Semiahmoo and Boundary Bay is 12.7 NM, and will take approximately 20-30 minutes.
In addition, Point Roberts Race Week will be hosting a rendezvous party in Anacortes for boats doing a two-day delivery from the Seattle area on each of the Saturday nights before/after Point Roberts Race Week. “My hope is that Seattle area boats get the party started early and share in the camaraderie of the delivery,” Rathkopf adds. The delivery from Seattle’s Shilshole Bay Marina is 91 nautical miles and for boats travelling at 7 knots, it will take approximately 13 hours. “The route is scenic and the distance doable when it’s split up over two days,” Rathkopf adds. “An alternative is Point Roberts Marina has a 3,000 pound dinghy lift and a 35-ton travel lift for boats preferring to trailer to the event.”
Accommodations There are hundreds of VRBO and Airbnb offerings in Point Roberts for crews looking for house shares. Plus, RV and tent camping will be available at the Point Roberts Marina and also at Lighthouse Park Campground, a full-service campground near the marina that will be reserved annually for Point Roberts Race Week participants. There are also several comfortable hotels nearby in Tsawwassen.
Local Hospitality and Local Knowledge Both Theresa Coe and longtime Whidbey Island Race Week racer (and the Overall Winner at Whidbey Island Race Week in 2018), David Jackson, (Dash 34, MadDash) have lived and raced in Point Roberts for many years and were instrumental in the reconnaissance to bring Race Week to Point Roberts. On the quality of the racing area, David explains, “The winds are unobstructed and the tides are predictable. For the longer races, nearby islands can be used as marks while some courses may go to the east of the point into Boundary Bay, or to the West in the Strait of Georgia. Expect a great variety of race areas and course lengths.” Concerning local racing tips, he adds, “The races will all start just 5 to 10 minutes from the marina. For the short courses, we’ll race close to low bank shores and spectators will love it because the boats get super close to shore. The water at Lighthouse park is deep right to shore so get close but the cliffs at Lilly Point can funnel and/or slow the wind, so stay clear.”
As longtime Point Roberts residents, Coe and Jackson also encapsulates the support that racers can expect to receive from the entire community. “You will not only have the support of the Point Roberts Marina,” David says. “But you will have everyone in the Point Roberts community making racers feel at home.” Coe adds, “Point Roberts is a unique small close knit, quiet and rustic community where an event like this brings new excitement and a chance where the community can shine with our hospitality and friendliness.”
History 2019 marks the 37th year that Race Week has called Whidbey Island home. It was brought to life by Northwest Yachting magazine back in the early 80s and the traditions continued with Bob Ross and Stan Stanley, followed by Gary Stuntz and then Schelleen and Charley Rathkopf and now Schelleen Rathkopf. Whidbey Island Race Week has enjoyed many years of hospitality, support and engagement in the City of Oak Harbor. But the marina’s only lift has been broken for 2 years and the plans to address a solution won’t begin until the year 2024. Additionally, the channel into the marina is in desperate need of dredging to accommodate larger boats that would like to attend Race Week but cannot due to their risks of running aground. In order to provide the best event experience on the west coast, attract boats from the US and Canada, expand our offerings to the region’s growing fleets, the event needs to be in a deep-water, full-service marina and unfortunately, that is not in Oak Harbor. The Oak Harbor Marina is owned by a tenant association (not the City of Oak Harbor) and the costs for the needed repairs and dredging is too cost prohibitive. Whidbey Island Race Week will celebrate its final event in Oak Harbor, Washington July 24-27, 2019.
New Name
Whidbey Island Race Week will be rebranded as Point Roberts Race Week and additional information will be available on the new event website, PointRobertsRaceWeek.com that will launch July, 28, 2019. Registration for Point Roberts Race Week will open January 1, 2020.
Contacts Schelleen Rathkopf / Event Producer & Owner / Whidbey Island Race Week / Point Roberts Race Week 2400 NW 80th Street #130 / Seattle WA 98117 / (206) 384-5254 / Schelleen@PointRobertsRaceWeek.com www.WhidbeyIslandRaceWeek.com / www.PortRobertsRaceWeek.com (Launch date July 28, 2019)
Schelleen Rathkopf is a Seattle native and grew up in a power boat family. She taught sailing at Malibu Club in Canada, a popular youth summer camp near Canada’s Princess Louisa Inlet during her summers in college. A graduate from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, Schelleen majored in Art History and then pursued a career in marketing and promotions in Seattle area media houses including KING TV and Seattle Magazine for over 20 years. Schelleen served as the Sponsors Coordinator for the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition on Mount Everest in 1999, where she worked on sponsor procurement and fulfillment on Mt. Everest. Schelleen has raced on a variety of boats including J24s, SJ24s, C & C 32, Olson 30, Cookson 12M, and a Star. She also owned and skippered her own boat, Isaura, a San Juan 28 for several years. From early 2000, Schelleen’s interests turned towards race management as this was a way to be involved with racing while raising two small children. For 16 years, Schelleen served on race committee as the scorekeeper and timekeeper at Corinthian Yacht Club in Seattle and also at Whidbey Island Race Week, prior to taking over ownership of Race Week in 2015. In addition to her work on Race Week, Schelleen is a certified professional organizer through NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) and in 2017, created her own home organization business, Stuffbusters of Puget Sound. She lives in the Ballard/Crown Hill neighborhood in Seattle with her two children. Theresa Coe / General Manager / Point Roberts Marina / 713 Simundson Drive / Point Roberts WA 98281 (360) 945-2255 / tcoe@pointrobertsmarina.com / www.pointrobertsmarina.com
Theresa Coe, General Manager of the Point Roberts Marina, has been a resident of Point Roberts since 2008. She brings extensive management experience, a diverse background and a passion for boating to her position. She has worked in air traffic control in both Canada and the US, is a licensed PADI Dive Master and has been a volunteer member with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary SAR team operating out of Point Roberts. She has a plethora of boating experience in both sail and power and bought her first boat at age 16 in Florida, where she taught herself how to sail. Theresa has raced lasers, catarmarans, and a 50’ Beneteau out of Davis Island Yacht Club in Florida and later raced a 31’ Evetts in the Pacific Northwest with the Deep Cove Yacht Club and Point Roberts Yacht Club. Currently, she enjoys boating on DevOcean, her Bayliner 38 that she keeps at the Point Roberts Marina.
David Jackson / (360) 945-0450 / david.a.jackson@snapon.com David Jackson has lived and raced in Point Roberts for 19 years and has a long history of sailboat racing since he was a young boy. He sailed sabot prams, lasers, fireballs and tornados before landing on his favorite big boat, Mad Dash – a Dash 34. Mad Dash has been in David’s family since 1984 when his parents and his sister (who were all on Olympic sailing teams) wanted a boat that the entire family could race and cruise on. His parents have since retired from racing, but David and his kids have continued the family tradition and have enjoyed a lot of success on the podium. As a longtime Whidbey Island Race Week racer (and the Overall Winner at Whidbey Island Race Week in 2018), David has also participated in club races, J24 Worlds and Vic-Maui. Links Point Roberts Marina https://www.pointrobertsmarina.com/ Point Roberts Yacht Club http://pointrobertsyachtclub.com/ Point Roberts Now https://pointrobertsnow.com/ Lighthouse Marina Park Campground / RV Park http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/1956/Lighthouse-Marine-Park Blaine Border Crossing http://www.blainechamber.com/border-crossing-info/ Point Roberts Border Crossing https://pointrobertsnow.com/border-crossing-information/ Breakwaters Bar & Grill (Post race party venue at Point Roberts Marina) https://www.breakwatersbargrill.com/ Westwind Marine at Point Roberts Marina http://www.westwindmarine.net/ Bald Eagle Golf Club https://baldeaglegc.com/ Seabright Farms http://seabrightfarmcottages.com/
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.
Update: LaserPerformance, or as I prefer to think of them, Lazy Performance, is not going quietly. Here’s their apparent response to the ILCA terminating the contract: “ILCA statements are falsehoods and defamatory. We will fully protect and enforce our intellectual rights property, including Laser intellectual property. ILCA offices, now located in Austin, Texas, USA, should be moved back to the UK or EU, where over 75% of active Laser class members and sailors reside, managed by a full-time professional team paid for by the builders through increased plaque fees. LaserPerformance is proud and determined to continue to support Laser sailors and community around the world.”
Their suggestion that the ILCA offices be financed by the builders is as transparent as Trump lies. They seem to want full product control and want to marginalize the sailors and the association. It appears they enjoy fighting with Laser sailors a lot more than buckling down and just building a good boat. I’ve said it before, the Laser has a habit of surviving even if it appears dead. I anticipate this will be no different.
Shhhh. Listen very carefully and you’ll hear the sound of carbon fiber tiller extensions tapping lightly on fiberglass decks, making that reassuringly hollow sound the Laser hull makes when used as a drum. It’s the sound of happy Laser sailors, kind of like clapping.
The International Laser Class Association (ILCA) just told Laser Performance Europe (LPE) that it can no longer build Lasers. This decision ostensibly came because LPE did not allow a factory inspection. In reality, this was a long time coming. In fact, LP has stymied inspections for several years.
(Full disclosure, I’m the ILCA District Secretary for D-22 (WA, MT, OR, ID) I also own an LP built Laser that literally came apart at the seams. It’s fixed now and sails just fine.)
I believe it when ILCA class president Tracy Usher tells me it was about the contractual inspection, but in the meantime here are some of the things leading up to the ILCA’s move.
First and foremost, parts were becoming scarce. Dealers were having a hard time keeping vital parts in stock, or finding them at all. There’s not much to break on a Laser, but everything is vital. Rumor has it suppliers weren’t getting paid.
There were quality issues. Serious competitors tended to go for the Aussie-built (non-LP) boats. It’s a bit like 1984 – some Lasers were “more equal” than others. To many of us who’ve sailed Lasers for decades, we didn’t give this too much thought; there always seemed to be ebbs and flows in quality, and the differences weren’t so great as to make a huge difference for the casual racer.
But the most public LP atrocity, and one that stabbed the heart of Laser sailors, was the feud with designer Bruce Kirby. LP decided it just wasn’t going to pay Kirby for the design any more. The resultant court battle legally allowed them to do this. But the entire sport will always owe a debt of gratitude to Bruce Kirby, Ian Bruce and Hans Fogh for coming up with the boat that has put so many people on (and in!) the water. Most of us associate the Laser with racing, but I’d venture they’ve been sailed as much just for fun.
Anyway – going after Kirby the way they did was going after something sacred. It showed zero respect for the sailors, the class and its history.
More recently, Julian Bethwaite and the class were developing, with LP’s knowledge, a new rig called the C5. Other rigs were in the works. The development wasn’t fast enough for LP, so they came up with the ARC rigs in the last few months and leapfrogged the ILCA’s 4-year development. They put out a video and social media blitz that basically screamed out to the world – “Hey, look at what WE did. Don’t look at what the class is doing.” It muddied the waters for the future of the class, and it happened right before the singlehanded Olympic Boat trials so anybody paying attention could see some other really fine boats without that kind of class/builder confusion.
LP was the tail trying to wag the dog. They also undermined the Sunfish class, trying to replace the existing International Sunfish Class Association with its own International Sunfish Class Organization. The ILCA had to be aware of this apparently calculated plan to marginalize an existing class structure.
Lasers are found everywhere from big ocean swells to mountain lakes.
It comes down to this. The sailors are taking back control of the Laser, wresting it from the grip of a company that probably shouldn’t even be building strollers. They never appreciated what they had, namely a strong class and a history. They saw it simply as a product to squeeze as much short-term profit from as it could. LP did just enough to keep the Laser in the World Sailing, Olympic and national authority good graces.
That’s not to say the ILCA can’t learn from all this. If a manufacturer isn’t doing the job, don’t wait – find one that can. You’re the dog and they’re the tail. Secondly – this debacle has changed the seascape entirely. The Laser is a great boat, but it’s certainly no longer the one and only any more. It’s not as fast as the RS Aero, Devoti or Melges, but there’s a lot going for it already.
All the changes over the years – new hardware, new sail cloth and design, new boards, new top section have made the boat better. The sailors accepted them, and the boat is better than ever. We can promote the boat with renewed energy. And if there are changes forthcoming, we can move forward with confidence.
The Laser may or may not be the Olympic class for 2024 and beyond. But with the class back in control, I have confidence there will be great Laser racing for the foreseeable future.
This also screams loudly to builders of one design boats. You may make the money off this game, but it’s in your interest to work with the dog, not try to wag it.
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.
The US Youth Championships registrations are open – but close in April so if you’re young (don’t turn 20 by the end of the year) and are chosen, it’s a chance to attend a regatta won years ago by Dalton Bergan, Charlie McKee and Carl Buchan. NOR here. Entry and selection guide here.
Ed. Note: Alert reader and fellow dinghy sailor Mike Johnson points out that PNWer Emery Wager also won the US Youth champs. How can I forget Emery? I spent enough time watching him sail farther and farther ahead. Mike found an interesting paragraph on Emery’s US Youth Champs exploits:
2003 In his fourth time to the US Youth Championship, Emery Wager of Seattle, WA, dominated the Laser fleet from the first day. Emery scored eight bullets a fourth and a fifth for 17 total points. He was so far ahead that he didn’t have to sail in the final race. Wager credits his win to good practice. “In Seattle, we can sail year round. I can practice in a variety of conditions on Puget Sound as well as Lake Washington.” Former U.S. Youth Champion and Olympic medalist Carl Buchan is one of Wager’s role models. Wager says that Buchan advised him, “If you want to win, it’s not enough to just sail fast, you have to be tough.”
Junior Women’s Championships
I’m sure our many talented young female sailors already know about this, but maybe not all. If any young PNW women out there want to start making waves at the national level, these are good events to apply for and attend if possible. (By the way, let us know if you’re going so we can keep track!)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2019
Bristol, R.I. – Registration is now open for the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship and U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship.
The U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship for the Leiter Trophy
is scheduled for July 8 – 13, 2019, at Richmond Yacht Club (Richmond,
Calif.). The U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship for the Ida
Lewis Trophy is July 19 – 24, 2019 at the San Diego Yacht Club (San
Diego, Calif.). Both of the championships will feature two days of
clinic instruction led by US Sailing endorsed high-performance coaches
and three days of competitive racing.
New fleet additions for the 2019 Championships include a Laser 4.7 fleet
for the Leiter and a 29er fleet for the Ida Lewis. Other fleets
represented at the regattas are Club 420s and Laser Radials.
Ida Lewis has allocated 30 spots for Club 420 registrations and 10 spots
for 29ers. Ida Lewis is expected to include up to 80 athletes ages
13-18. 60 spots are allocated for Laser Radial and 4.7 sailors at the
Leiter, sailors ages 13-18.
“The addition of Laser 4.7’s and 29ers into the existing U.S. Junior
Women’s Championship is a great step forward for these events”, recalled
Alana Marks, head coach for both championships and past Olympic
campaigner. “We are excited to get more competitors on the water while
using the Ida Lewis and Leiter regatta structure that works so well. The
new fleets will further add camaraderie of the championships”.
The C. Thomas Clagett Trust graciously funds the U.S. Junior Women’s Championships.
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.
And this just in – our California neighbors are trying to track down their remaining Kettenburg offspring – the venerable PCs. As I understand it, the PC can stand for Pacific Class or Pacific Coast One-Design. Regardless, they’re fine looking boats. Get in touch with Danielle if you find one hiding out in the Northwest:
Dear
Pacific Northwest Sailing Leader,
I’m looking for help locating any of the remaining Kettenburg PC’s that
may be located in the Pacific Northwest. This year is the class’s 90th
anniversary and we are trying to find the status of all our missing
boats. A list can be found here and
any information/questions can be directed to Danielle Richards, Class President, danielle.richards.1936@gmail.com
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.
