Author: Kurt Hoehne

Race Week Anacortes

Kurt Hoehne Racing 0 Comment
Race Week Anacortes

The big winner for the second-ever Race Week Anacortes was without a doubt Ben Braden’s Moore 24 More Uffda. After throwing out one second place finish, More Uffda had straight firsts. John Hoag’s Shrek was also dominant in PHRF 1. The J/111s Recon and 65 Red Roses traded firsts and seconds all week with Recon coming out on top. Spyhop and JamJam finished one point apart in PHRF 4. The four boats in the cruising class ended up with totals of 10,11, 12 and 13 points, with the Catalina 30 Papillon on top. The breeze took one and a half days off, but the regatta had excellent conditions the rest of the week. .

The other winners were the Anacortes economy (hungry and thirsty crews from 61 boats) and Schelleen Rathkopf, whose efforts keep this event going along.

We don’t have a hands-on report, but to catch up on the week check out the results here. If folks have something to add to this report, please send it my way. Following is Jan Anderson’s thoughts on the race plus some of her photos. Check out the rest of the photos here.

Jan Anderson’s Observations from the Photo Boat

Well, this year’s event sure provided clarity regarding the wide range of application for the weather term “LIGHT AND VARIABLE”! One never knew what each day would present, sometimes even after the day was done! We all got schooled on lighthearted laughter, variable outcomes on the race course, rapid mood shifts when grazing a mark (or a competitor!), a variety of interpretations of which course / which flag / for which class(es) / when, in light of the complexified combination(s) of variable designs assigned to each, current events which kept sailors guessing the optimal side of the course to sail, sail choices for the light, air and tactical decisions trans-windshift! It was terrific all around to see old friends (still getting older), familiar and well loved boats getting ‘er done, and for yet another Race Week to march into history! Enjoy these photos!

West Coast Sailing and Zim Sailing Stepping Up – Again

Kurt Hoehne Community, High School Racing, West Coast Sailing 0 Comment

West Coast Sailing and its sister Zim Sailing have agreed to sponsor hight school sailing for the coming years. This, combined with their recent sponsorship of college sailing, puts them front and center for dinghy sailing for the foreseeable future. Dinghy sailing has picked up participation, and this type of support helps the many young and enthusiastic sailors take it to new heights moving forward. Needless to say, these companies deserve our support. -KH

Here’s the press release:

Zim Sailing & West Coast Sailing Announce Multi-Year Sponsorship of High School Sailing

The Inter-Scholastic Sailing Association (ISSA) is excited to announce a new five-year sponsorship agreement with Zim Sailing and West Coast Sailing. These are two of North America’s leading suppliers of boats, parts and equipment, both owned and led by active supporters of high school sailing.

As Official Supplier of the Cressy Championship, Zim Sailing and West Coast Sailing will provide ILCA boats and sails for use at the regatta. In addition to providing equipment, both companies have created a unique cash contribution campaign based on the ecommerce platforms of Zim and WCS for contribution directly back to High School Sailing. Furthermore, athletes and teams can continue to enjoy existing discounts as well as a reduced price on branded screen-printed sails. This provides support directly to the member schools and athletes, in addition to generating funds to support the operations of High School Sailing.

“It’s very exciting to  welcome Zim Sailing and West Coast Sailing as sponsors,” says Tim Hogan, president of ISSA. “High school sailing is among the fastest-growing segments of the sport, and this sponsorship will help us continue to expand and serve our member schools. In addition to providing boats to our singlehanded championships, the discounts for our teams and sailors allow their funding and focus to be on what they do best; providing amazing opportunities to sail!”

Zim Sailing, founded by Steve Perry in 2008 in Bristol, Rhode Island, provides one-design sailboats, parts, accessories, and services to the North American market. They manufacture popular scholastic dinghies (including the FJ, C420, 420E, and ILCA) while engaging in grassroots youth development of yacht club junior sailing programs, community sailing and youth racing. Zim Sailing is seen at regattas around the country, providing charter boats and onsite support.

West Coast Sailing, founded in 2005 in Portland, Oregon by George Yioulos, is one of North America’s leading marine retailers, focusing on the dinghy racing and small keelboat market with an emphasis on e-commerce fulfillment and industry leading customer service. Yioulos, a former Marin Catholic High School sailor, brought West Coast Sailing and Zim Sailing under common ownership in 2021 – with the goal to expand support for sailing in North America.

“High School Sailing changed my life – it set me on a path to College Sailing, and then the last 17 wild years in the sailing industry.” said Yioulos. “The support of the community, the coaches, sailors and volunteers to make High School sailing happen year round – is awe inspiring. Being able to give back to ISSA – is immensely gratifying to us all .”

For sailors, programs and supporters of High School Sailing, this is an opportunity to work with a valued sponsor for all boats, parts, equipment, and apparel needs. Programs can set up accounts for easy online ordering with discounted pricing at these links for Zim Sailing and West Coast Sailing. Individual student athletes can take advantage of 15% off apparel and accessories purchases to get the gear they need to get on the water at a great value. Knowledgeable sailors are on hand to provide support and answer questions. More information can be found online at Zim Sailing and West Coast Sailing.

Contacts:

Zim Sailing

info@zimsailing.com

(401) 237-6117

West Coast Sailing

info@westcoastsailing.net

(503) 285-5536

Inter-Scholastic Sailing Association

info@hssailing.org

Upcoming ILCA (Laser) Racing

Kurt Hoehne Uncategorized 0 Comment
Radials, now ILCA 6s, rule.

With all of the racing that’s happening, including the recently concluded ILCA (aka Laser) Master Worlds and the upcoming RS Aero Worlds on the Columbia River, it’s easy to forget there’s lots of ILCA racing to be done. It seems that either the old folk (“Masters”) or young folk (“Youth”) are racing Lasers in the PNW these days. That’s OK, it’s all good racing. District Secretary Mark Ross has ;put together the year’s calendar. See below.

Of particular note is the upcoming Canadian Masters Nationals this weekend at the Jericho Sailing Center in Vancouver.

REMINDER

MASTERS ONLY: Canadian Masters Nationals in Vancouver BC June 24-26.

Get your boat up there!

ILCA REGATTAS 2022 IN THE NORTHWEST (not a comprehensive list)

● MASTERS ONLY Canadian Masters Nationals                    June 24-26 at Jericho Yacht Club, Vancouver BC CANADA  https://jsca. bc.ca/event/2022-ilca-canadian-masters-championships/

● VLSC Bloomin’ Algae Regatta                                                                                  July 9 (one day) at Vancouver Lake Sailing Club, Vancouver WA vlsc.org/regatta

● WIND Regatta (D22 GP Series)                                                                July 16-17 at CGRA, Cascade Locks OR  cgra.org

● CGOD & ILCA DISTRICTS (D22 GP Series)                                            July 30-31 at CGRA, Cascade Locks OR  cgra.org

                note: points apply to the ILCA-NA Grand Prix

● MASTERS ONLY Skamania Coves (limited entry)              August 5-7 CGRA, Skamania Coves, Stevenson WA  cgra.org

● YOUTH ONLY SSP Octoberfest* (D22 GP Series)               September 10-11 at Sail Sand Point, Seattle WA  sailsandpoint.org

                                                                                                                                                                                                *SSP Octoberfest is for ILCA 6 and 4.7 only.

● Turkey Bowl  (D22 GP Series)                                                                                   November 19-20 at Corinthian Yacht Club Seattle, Seattle WA cycseattle.org

● SLF Frigid Digit Regatta 2023                                                                                    January 21-22, 2023 at Corinthian Yacht Club Seattle, Seattle WA cycseattle.org

Once again we thank West Coast Sailing for sponsoring the District 22 Grand Prix Series.

Team Pure and Wild Finishes First in R2AK

Kurt Hoehne r2ak 0 Comment
Team Pure and Wild Finishes First in R2AK
Dark Star approaching finish line.

To few peoples’ surprise, team Pure and Wild (aka Dark Star) finished the R2AK first overall by a long shot this afternoon. Don’t expect another finisher for some time. In a race that has seen several boats drop out because of logs and gear failure, the Bieker 44 skippered by Jonathan McKee pounded up the outside of Vancouver and got some favorable breeze to finish it off. We’ll get more info on the race and the Pure and Wild cause shortly.

R2AK Pure and Wild past Bella Bella

Kurt Hoehne r2ak 0 Comment

Jonathan McKee and team aboard Dark Star (Team Pure and Wild) passed the only checkpoint on the R2AK course, about 100 miles ahead of the next competiors, Elsewhere on the outside of Vancouver Island and Fashionably late on the inside. There’s still a lot of race to go, but Pure and Wild is looking very strong.

In other news, Sailish’s new adopted boatload of teenagers, Team Rite of Passage, is hanging in there in 14th and they’re just about at the west tip of Thurlow Island.

Al Clark and Bill Symes at ILCA 6 (Laser) Worlds

Kurt Hoehne Laser Sailing, PNW sailors around the world 0 Comment
Bill Symes heading into a leeward mark.

As I watched the resuilts come in from the ILCA 6 (Laser Radial rig) Worlds scores come in from Vallerta, I was certain that I’d be reporting overall wins for my friends Bill Symes in the Legends (75+ year old) class and Al Clark in the Grand Master class. Alas, a black flag DSQ in this morning’s first race and a third in the last race cost Symes the overall win. He had, after all, a nearly perfect scoreline. Clark had a tough final day as well, but finished off a hard fought victory. Congrats to both of them. Here’s the press release:

Vallarta, Mexico – Although Hurricane Blas threatened to steal the breeze, the wind gods prevailed on Banderas Bay for the final day of the ILCA 6 Masters World Championships. With the hurricane moving west, two more perfect races were completed under sunny skies and warm temperatures in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. The 10–12 knot wind put the onus on boat speed and tactics for all the divisions. Downwind technique was also critical – those able to catch the waves most efficiently could make big gains on the fleet. 

The final day brought a shake-up in the Legends division, for sailors over the age of 75. American Bill Symes who was unstoppable throughout the week, was caught over early in the first race of the day allowing fellow American Chris Boome to take the win and move into a tie for first overall heading into the last race. In the final race, Boome managed to sneak ahead of Symes and clinch the championship by one point over Symes. 

Australia’s Jeff Loosemore added to his incredibly consistent event to win the Great Grand Masters division by a comfortable 25 points over former Olympic gold medalist, Miguel Noguer of Spain. 

Allan Clark of Canada closed out a hard-fought victory in the very competitive Grand Masters division, with the overall championship decided in just the final race. After a capsize on the first leg, Clark’s victory appeared in jeopardy, but Australian David Luketima’s fourth place in the final race was not enough to close the difference for the win. 

Great Britain’s sailors Ian Gregory and Jon Emmett closed out the championship in style, winning the Masters and Apprentice Masters divisions by comfortable margins. 

A thank-you goes out to the Vallarta Yacht Club and all the volunteers, staff, and event sponsors for an unforgettable week of sailing.

For full results, see here: sailwave.com/results/vyc/ILCA6Masters2022.htm

32 R2AK Proven Teams, Ready for Full Race

Kurt Hoehne r2ak 0 Comment
32 R2AK Proven Teams, Ready for Full Race

The “Proving Ground” stage of the Race to Alaska (R2AK) is completed, with 32 teams having proven themselves ready for the full trek to Ketchikan from Victoria, starting at noon today. While it howled and thumped in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, some teams felt waiting it out was the right move. A steady stream of competitors came into Victoria yesterday, coming in before the extended deadline. From the R2AK Facebook page:

Great photo of all the teams at the lighthouse on Dungeness. Blaine, the keeper was fantastic and rolled out the hospitality cart for them. The teams are staying put until Wednesday morning to cross, but have enough people for a good badminton tournament in the meanwhile.

Teams are: Wave Forager, Oarcle, Zen Dog, Don’t Tell Mom, Let’s Row Maybe

Teams stuck on Dungeness Spit have been earning their keep by clearing the pond and lining the paths with driftwood. The spirit of R2AK is strong.

📸 Helen Baker photo

This year the course has opened up teams going up the west side of Vancouver Island. R2AK Field Reporter Jim Meyer breaks down the outside inside question here. And Seattle world class sailors Jonathan McKee and Matt Pistay discuss the safety aspects here:

R2AK Proving Ground is a Real Test

Kurt Hoehne Northwest Maritime Center, r2ak 0 Comment
R2AK Proving Ground is a Real Test
The tracker as of this morning.

The first leg of the R2AK is called the Proving Ground, giving competitors the chance (obligation) to show they’re ready for the full Race to Alaska. This year it’s been a real test, with three capsizes yesterday, four people pulled from the water from stricken boats and one dismasting.

The Northwest Maritime Center organizers saw this coming and gave competitors extra time to complete the leg, with the strong implication that if there was a doubt about going into the teeth of the winds and waves, some might think better and wait a bit. Several did. Others were set up for offshore sailing in rough conditions and made it safely into Victoria Harbour. Dark Star (Team Pure and Wild) was first in.

Here are two “mainstream media” reports on the rescues yesterday, from Chek News Media and Peninsula News Review.

This is very much a social media race, with images and reports going online in various outlets in real time. Here’s the Instagram link:

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/r2ak/

The tracker and list of current finishers is here.

R2AK is Under Way with Capsizes and Dismasting

Kurt Hoehne Northwest Maritime Center, r2ak 0 Comment
Narwhal

Welcome back from the pandemic, R2AK, and we see you have a new wrinkle. Everyone’s favorite, if not to participate in, at least to follow, is back. In fact, it’s already started with boats finishing in Victoria for the Proving Ground leg from the start in Port Townsend this morning. Tracker is here. As you may remember, this first leg must be completed if teams are going all the way the Alaska.

The new wrinkle is that teams can now go up the west side of Vancouver Island, with the only gate on the course being at Bella Bella. This means that boats like Dark Star (Team Pure and Wild) have a great option to stretch their legs offshore.

In the meantime, Victoria is going to be hopping with adventurous folk until the start of the leg to Alaska on Monday. The first leg is already not without twists. From the r2AK Facebook page: Update from the course: Razzle Dazzle, B Team, and Runaway Redux capsized, all safe. Narwhal dismasted and is safely back in Port Townsend, spirits are up. Stay safe out there. Dark Star was first in and is tied up safely in Victoria. The race committee saw this coming.

Proving Ground Update from Race HQ

With a weather forecast between seasick and dangerous for the next two days, R2AK High Command is extending the proving ground by 24 hours.

  • Race start is still 5 am, Monday 6/13.
  • Racers will need to finish in Victoria no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, 6/15.
  • No change to any Victoria schedule of events.
  • Racers missing the Tuesday skipper’s meeting will get a make up on Wednesday.
  • Second start in Victoria is high noon on Thursday.

Will it be faster on the outside? Let’s let time and Jonathan McKee answer that. McKee and team Pure and Wild will head offshore in Dark Star. She’s the fastest monohull to do the race since the race’s inception, and capable of some unreal speed.

The finish line is still far away from Bella Bella in Ketchikan and has been seen before, races can go right to the end.

Seventy48 New Records

Kurt Hoehne Northwest Maritime Center 0 Comment
Photo of the start by Dean Burke

Northwest Maritime Center’s non-sailing adventure race Seventy48 (results here) saw a record number of entries and new elapsed time record. How do folk row and paddle that fast? Here’s the recap from race headquarters and a few photos:

SEVENTY48: 2022 RECAP

In 2021, Puget Sound was vindictive—less than half of the teams rang the finish bell—enough so, that we were flummoxed at the record number of teams enlisting for 2022, until we saw names, like Paddle On…Paddle On, Ted, Bad Rabbit, and Get Kraken; all back for another try. We knew a grudge match was brewing. Puget Sound clearly had been doing burpees for a year and was ready. More like a race through a water park, rain drove through the Gore-tex layers and even the start line held sodden eagerness in every eye. We stood on the dock yearning to utter the now-familiar benediction. Namaste racers. But it was not time for that. It was time to Namasgo. And Namasgo quickly.

89 teams crossed the finish line in Port Townsend with Team Imua taking line honors and setting a new SEVENTY48 record of 9h 35m. Team Wave Forager set the solo record of 9h 39m, and Teams like Get Kraken avenged their 2021 losses—a favorite line uttered by a team was, “I gotta stop, so my daughter will still want to hang out with me in the future.”

Every team’s worst moment is different and personal, but all involve one of the universal three: broken gear, broken body, or broken spirit (preferably not more than one at a time). The inverse is avoiding those three. However, what makes success will always be philosophically and/or drunkenly debated. Second-guessing will be rampant because we are human, loving to nag on ourselves and others. The only unifying point of all the seesaw of emotion and vociferous debate is this; 116 teams decided to line up on June 10th and put their best and worst to the test. Without that kind of risk—the kind that leaves you raw and vulnerable, scared and hopeful, daring and adventurous—all our lives would be dimmer sadder copies of ourselves. And we’d have nothing to talk about today. Huzzah to the racers of SEVENTY48. We’ll always want you to stay, but will always ask you to go.

HERE ARE THE 2022 SEVENTY48 CLASS WINNERS:

First Overall: Team Imua. 9hrs 35mins
By Yourself: Team Wave Forager. 9 hrs 39 mins
Facing Forward: Team Boat. 11 hrs 6 mins
Standing Up: Team KrugerSEA. 14 hrs 12 mins

Team Boogie Barge, Photo by Kelsey Brenner
Team Dumas Bay Brethren. Photo by Audry Rogers
Team Convergence Zone, photo by Vicki Beaver