Not that fall is a bad thing but cooler weather is on the way just not with the usual moisture. The reason for the heat this weekend is a thermal trough that will be developing along the coast and higher pressure inland which will cause an offshore flow. This will bring a strong easterly flow through the gaps in the Cascades and as this flow develops, the downslope flow will create compressional heating. By late Sunday it will all be gone as the trough becomes a weak (1000MB) low-pressure system off of the central Oregon Coast.
Today’s sat pic is spectacular as the new, high-resolution picture allows us to zoom in to our area and clearly show the Cedar Creek fire in central Oregon and the offshore flow driving the smoke out over the Pacific. It also shows the smoke from Eastern Washington blowing over the central Sound. Air quality is already deteriorating on the East side of Lake Washington. Then if you compare the sat pic with the surface forecast and the 500MB chart you will see that there is nothing to move this low-pressure system very far or very fast. As a result, we will have a strong southerly breeze along the coast that will travel inland to the Sound on Sunday. This will persist until Monday when this low will start to weaken and drift away from the coast.
For the inland waters, we can expect 15-20 knot northerlies in the Central Sound south to Pt. Defiance. As southerlies develop along the coast, the northerlies will ease over Central and South Sound before becoming southerly early Sunday morning. For Admiralty Inlet and the East end of the Strait of JdF conditions will remain light for the weekend.
Sunday will see the start of a downward trend in temperatures as we head towards next weekend. Rain chance will increase into the low 20% range by next Friday. So really, plenty of nice weather to continue boating into our Indian Summer.
Sail Sand Point, Seattle’s local non-profit small boating and sailing center are hosting Octoberfest on September 10-11 which is the final (and largest) youth regatta on the 2022 Northwest Youth Racing Circuit (NWYRC). This series is put on by local clubs and sailing centers with support from numerous volunteers and families. Youth sailors are encouraged to register asap for this fun event and everyone is welcome to come down and watch from the best regatta viewing locations in the region directly adjacent to SSP– Magnuson Park’s public pier, or from the deck of the Magnuson Brewery and Cafe.
Sail Sand Point is a local treasure introducing countless youth, new sailors and underserved communities to sailing every year and their one month long summer fundraising campaign ends on Labor Day weekend. This year contributions will help provide funds for new equipment, sail and powerboat parts, and much needed repairs to their fleet of vessels which are used by over 12,000 people each year through camps, classes, racing, rentals and free community events. Each year SSP spend roughly $27,000 on keeping their boats on the water and in great condition and they are hoping to raise that through this campaign! Secure donations can be made at: https://www.sailsandpoint.org/donate/
Once again we are quite lucky compared to the rest of the country, especially the folks in California, who are baking, running out of water, and running out of electricity all at the same time, YIKES!
The Pacific High is in its weak phase now with a thermal trough inland. This will keep the onshore flow cooling us down, 57° F now here on the Straits, with some breezy westerlies tonight. After that conditions will remain light for the rest of the weekend over most of the Salish Sea with some 15-25 knot southerlies along the coast lasting until mid-day Sunday.
As a weak system approaches the coast on Saturday, there is the possibility of some brief drizzle and fog in the morning. This will not last long. High pressure will rebuild over the area Monday and Tuesday.
The sat pic for today shows the marine layer along the coast and the approaching system. It also shows the fire in Central Oregon with the smoke going north until it gets to the Columbia River and meets the onshore flow coming up the Gorge when it blows the smoke into Eastern Washington.
The other chart of interest today is the 500mb, upper level, chart which shows a small, cut-off low off our coast. It won’t last long but the upper-level charts also show the jet-stream starting to move south. This will also allow more storm systems to move into our area from the Gulf of Alaska. Just not this weekend.
Plenty of sailing going on this weekend and the weather will co-operate, certainly on Saturday. The surface analysis chart and the sat pic show the reasons for our late start of sun today. Today started cloudy with some light mist and tomorrow will start the same way. Onshore flow will increase today bringing strong flow down the Strait of JdF and strong NW flow in the Strait of Georgia. Look for Small Craft Advisories and potentially gale warnings. This will continue through the weekend with the gradient easing on Sunday.
Sunday will see an easing of the pressure gradient over the entire area with lighter NW breeze coming to the coast and the Strait of JdF. For the Central and South Sound conditions will remain light and variable for the most of the day until a weak northerly fills down the Sound in the early evening.
The other charts of interest are the 500mb or upper level charts which show the jet stream starting to make its way south. This will allow more storms out of the Gulf of Alaska to make their way into the Salish Sea. Something to watch.
Local Seattle sailor Craig Horsfield has added another feather to his singlehanded racing cap, and this is a big one a victory with Oliver Bond in the longest leg of the initial Globe40 race. We’ll hear more from him soon, “Craig is very chatty so I’ll have him call you as soon as he’s slept and the time difference works,” according to his wife Carolyn who took these photos. In the meantime, here’s the press release.
Craig Horsfield
After 35 days 10 hours 42 minutes and 42 seconds of navigation, Craig Horsfield and Oliver Bond reach Mauritius as the winner on this second and longest leg of the GLOBE40. By crossing the finish line this Monday morning at 2 hours 42 minutes and 42 seconds (UTC), the American crew treated themselves to a finish under the magnificent colors of the Mauritian sunrise. From Cape Verde in the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, passing through the Doldrums, the Equator, the Saint Helena High and the Cape of Good Hope at 38° South, the sailors of the GLOBE40 experienced a veritable epic of 7,667 nautical miles (14,200 km) worthy of the greatest tales of sailing around the world.
“It’s been a long trip so far, longer than we had planned before departure. We managed this big step by cutting it into 4 pieces. The stage seemed so huge to us before the start that it was necessary to manage the events one after the other. The first piece was a quick little regatta through the Cape Verde archipelago that lasted 2 days. Excellent moments of gliding, only happiness. On the second part, the South Atlantic and the Saint Helena high, it was necessary to show good strategic analysis to cross this level crossing. The third part, with the circumvention of southern Africa and the passage of the Cape of Good Hope, was physically tough because we encountered difficult sea conditions and sometimes very cold temperatures. The last piece in the Indian Ocean was very difficult. In fact we thought it was going to be the easiest part of the stage, but it was the hardest. »say the two sailors after touching down.
A victory acquired in a very good way by the American skippers. In the right tempo from the first miles, they have rarely accumulated more than thirty miles behind the rival and Japanese leader Milai throughout the descent of the South Atlantic. They didn’t give up, despite the hardness of the stage on a physical and mental level due to its long distance, the harsh sea and weather conditions encountered and the technical problems faced. In this mano a mano on a planetary scale, the American-British duo benefited from the South African pit-stop operated by Masa Suzuki and Andrea Fantini to take the leadership of the fleet as they passed the Cape of Good Hope, without stopping never give it up to the turquoise Mauritian waters. This victory on this major stage with a coefficient of 3.
“Our strategy was to stay in contact with the front of the race. When we were off Brazil, turning to Cape Town, we wanted to be among the best. The next strategy was to pass the South without incident and then finish at full speed in the Indian Ocean. In practice, we had to adapt. We accelerated a little more than expected during the crossing of the South by being in contact with Milai. Then, when we took the lead, we managed the sequence of events more. We changed our plans to preserve the boat, while the others tried to catch up with us. Our roadmap evolved according to the race situation. Twice we changed options to join another competitor’s route. We lost half a day to find ourselves in a position that prevented them from overtaking us. It would have been faster to go east but if there had been a problem, we offered them the opportunity to win so we decided to come closer to take that option away from them. This is how we managed the finish. Even if it forced us to navigate more slowly at times. »analyze Craig and Oliver on the spot before continuing by emphasizing the excellent spirit present between the competitors. “One of our best memories is the communication between the boats. Especially with Masa (Milai) and Mélodie (Whiskey Jack) trying to solve their technical problems. Despite the fierce competition, even if we like confrontation, it’s nice to share. We appreciate helping each other. If a problem arises, if someone breaks something, we are sorry for him. »
After another very fine sail, the Dutch duo aboard Sec Hayai are on a favorable run-off to clinch second place on Tuesday 23rd August.
Our better-than-average summer will continue this weekend with some areas getting some drizzle tomorrow from a weak but persistent low-pressure system just offshore. This will keep a weak onshore flow over the area, increasing in the Straits tonight as a trough moves onshore. This will be good news for the Northern Century Race as the fleet should have a downwind start in 5-15 knots of SW and a beautiful full moon to sail by.
The rest of the Salish Sea will have light air but sunny conditions on Saturday and light air but cloudy on Sunday. Still better than most of the rest of the USA.
In today’s sat pic you can see how clear it is over our area however right offshore you can see that weak low-pressure system that will bring S-SW breeze to the Northern Century Race. Also visible in the sat pic is the smoke from the fire in northern California. In today’s surface analysis chart you will also note that the Pacific High continues to be weak and unstable as it is now being pushed around by the next low with an attached frontal system coming across the Gulf of Alaska.
As this weak trough moves onshore tonight and through the area tomorrow it will have the effect of easing the pressure gradient over our waters. For the Northern Century Race you will want to finish before 1100hrs Saturday morning or you will spend some time going very slow until the onshore flow comes back down the Straits in the early evening on Saturday.
Tides aren’t terrible for the Race however the lack of a pressure gradient combined with the big ebb on Saturday lasting until Saturday mid-afternoon will stall the onshore flow in the Straits.
Ever since my friend and Laser regatta roommate Todd Willsie imported his RS Aero into the Seattle dinghy racing scene, one of the fleet’s questions has been “when will Kurt make the switch from Laser to Aero?” It was a question only because I was often the loudest cheerleader for the Laser fleet.
It wasn’t long before the dam broke and the remnants of the struggling Laser fleet made the switch as well. The Laser Performance vs. ILCA feud helped anyone on the fence make the move. (ILCA triumphed and if I were enlightened, I wouldn’t call them Lasers, just ILCAs.) This new Aero boat drew out new blood and some former Laser sailors from the woodwork.
At least the grown-up crowd made the switch. Covid breathed some life into the Pandemic friendly sport for kids and many were introduced to Lasers. They were available and not too expensive. And they were still an Olympic boat after all. I remained a cheerleader and honestly optimistic that the Lasers and Aeros could not only co-exist, but maybe even help each other thrive.
Fortunately, local dinghy and rigging company (and Sailish sponsor) West Coast Sailing saw things the same way. They continued to support Lasers while doing their utmost to establish and support the Seattle RS Aero fleet.
Largely, that symbiotic relationship between the classes has continued. And it’s a very good thing for the future of sailing and sailboat racing.
The evidence is in the summer of Columbia River Gorge sailing. In the recently concluded RS Aero Worlds, 54 sailors duked it out in near perfect conditions, including some “epic Gorge conditions” of around 30 knots. The boats held together, and the out-of-country visitors will no doubt go home singing the praises of the conditions and level of talent making the trek down from Seattle.
Embracing the Dark Side
Watching my friends beat up on each other in Aeros was a little hard to watch, so I finally made the switch this year. Hence My Aero’s name (suggested by fellow Laser sailor Mark Ross) being Dark Side.
I’ve sailed the Aero several times, and it’s taken all of them – and probably more – to flush some old Laser habits out of my system. RS Aeros are undeniably different. On the obvious side is weight of the boat (and particularly the spars). The flat aft sections of the Aero versus the rounded Laser sections certainly provide a different feel.
On the practical side, the Aero has several advantages. It’s easier to rig – especially when it comes time to hoist the sail. No more lugging the big sail around before putting it into the maststep. It’s substantially lighter to move around on shore. And it’s faster, particularly downwind when the wind picks up.
However, the Lasers (OK – ILCAs) still have some advantages, especially for youth sailing. They are certainly more rugged. Even with modern materials, you don’t get rid of that much weight without affecting the ruggedness factor. My experience capsizing an Aero (and I’ve had fair amount already) is certainly scarier than capsizing a Laser. First off, the Aero might just decide to drift away from you faster than you can swim to catch up. Hang on to that mainsheet when you go over. Secondly, the most consistent way to get onboard is over the transom. Coming in from the side on a righted Aero will likely mean it will capsize toward you. If you stubbornly try to come in from the side, as I did once, 50-degree water will zap your strength in a hurry. Right the boat and promptly make your way to the transom.
And then there are the fleets. The ILCA class remains strong, particularly for youth. There are fleets all over the world, plus world championships and Olympics. At the other end of age spectrum, Master racing in this class is unparalleled. The RS company does a great job of supporting their boats but it will be a while before Aero’s are a mainstay like Lasers.
Sailing an Aero
For those wondering about the transition, I’ll put it this way. Remember when you first sailed a Laser and everything seemed happened twice as fast as you were used to? And then eventually you got the hang of it and the rate of things was the new normal? Expect the same evolution in Aeros. Damn, things happen fast. And of course, Aeros like to move – they have to move for the high efficiency foils to work. Speed supersedes pointing. Downwind, they’re quick to react. When starting, you can’t remain quite as static as you did while holding position in a Laser.
If my 11 or 15 year old boys were to take up singlehanded dinghy racing, I’d point them at the Laser. Actually, I’d just have them use mine – I’m keeping it in case there’s a masters regatta I can attend. I guess I’d have to buy a new sail with that ILCA logo so I don’t stick out.
As long as I’m quick enough to keep the boat upright I’ll be racing the RS Aero against my old friends.
Craig Horsfield is racing a Class 40 boat around the world in the Globe 40. Here’s his report from partway through Leg 2. Following is a more recent update – they’re leading!
Amhas
“Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast”
We are 8 days and 1500 NM in with no breakage or damage.
July 17 was the start of the longest ever class forty race leg, covering over 700 miles with 3 oceans and one cape.
With limited experience, we elected to start conservatively down at the pin end where there was no traffic and the risk of been rolled was low. The mark was a reach, then you can go inside the mark and south past Sao Vincent to Port or Round the mark and go North around Sao Vincent a longer route. Why would anyone do that? We all took the latter as the wind shadow on the south option was an issue and we could use the acceleration on the east side of the island. We started with 1 reef and a J2 up. Most other boats were J1 and Code 0 quickly coming out. Our simple start took us to the mark and in 3rd place before rounding and going upwind. However, we needed more sail and had to change from J2 to J1, dropping back on the few mile beat around the north side. Our goal for Day 1 was to sustain no damage and just to stay close to the fleet.
With more than 20 Knts in the acceleration zone we set up for a very slow and safe first hoist of a spinnaker. We set an A7 – a new fractional all-purpose spi. Other boats went for full size masthead A2 spi. We thought we would be left behind but found ourselves safe on auto pilot, doing about 15k nts downwind while other boats around us rounded up and had issues. As night fell we were surprised to be right with most the fleet despite our simple start, which built our confidence into the night. Late into the night, we started to feel the impact of the wind shadow to our port and we could see on AIS that the 3 other boats to our port had started to slow. We gybed west to stay in the wind corridor, making a gain that would later put us in the lead. The next decision was whether to go inside or outside the island of Pogo, a large southern Cape Verde island. We decided to stay inside, on the east side, again looking for acceleration as we had still been using the smaller A7 and needed pressure. Mostly the east/ west split on Pogo was a wash in the fleet and we later crossed gybes with the Dutch who went the other way. Then it was a long haul to the SE on starboard, waiting for a SE wind shift we could tack on and get south. The shift came in and we went for it 3 hours after the shift and were again the first boat to change course. This turned out to be bitter sweet, as we drag raced south and won the race to the equator but we are more west and have west current set. This with the wind not lifting enough we are sailing close haul almost currently on the 1800-mile port tack to the South Atlantic High and the Southern Ocean. Overall we are going to have to pay a 12 – 18-hour penalty for this westing for sure.
Long hot days in the sun, currently passing 4 deg S. All is well onboard. The teams have all been very collaborative and supporting; it is good to know that they are nearby, both pushing us and supporting us.
Following are late-breaking updates from Globe 40 headquarters:
GLOBE40 IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
Amhas (purple) leading around Africa
This day at 12H44’23” UTC AMHAS skipped by Craig Horsfield (USA) and Oliver Bond (UK) was the first GLOBE40 competitor to reach the length of Cap des Aiguilles and therefore to return to the Indian Ocean. A strong moment for racing as it certainly was for the skippers and especially South African-born Craig Horsfield.
AMHAS had also taken the lead of the race this morning, a constant presence in the forefront since the departure from Cape Verde, away from the Japanese competitor MILAI Around The World having rarely exceeded 20 miles for the last 3 weeks ines. 5,000 miles have been covered since departure from Mindelo at an average of 9.3 knots and about 2,250 to go before we see the silhouette of Morne Brabant in Mauritius, superb promontory to the south of the island.
A course that will not be risk-free over the next few days with a weather situation set to deteriorate. MILAI following unidentified noises at the level of its bowling, although not directly struggling at the moment, has made the prudent choice of a technical stopover for control in Cape Town or it should arrive in the night. SEC HAYAI, WHISKEY JACK and GRYPHON SOLO 2 will also have to negotiate this hectic passage over the next few days to the dreaded Indian Ocean.
THE GLOBE40 IN INDIAN OCEAN
This day at 12:44’23”UTC AMHAS skippered by Craig Horsfield (USA) and Oliver Bond (UK) was the first competitor in the GLOBE40 to reach the longitude of Cape Agulhas and therefore to return to the Indian Ocean. A huge step for the race as it has certainly been for the skippers and in particular for Craig Horsfield of South African origin.
AMHAS had also taken the lead in the race this morning, a constant presence in the foreground since the start from Cape Verde, the gap with the Japanese competitor MILAI Around The World having rarely exceeded twenty miles for 3 weeks. 5000 miles have been covered since the start in Mindelo at an average of 9.3 knots and there are still around 2250 before touching to see the silhouette of Morne Brabant in Mauritius, a superb promontory in the south of the island. .
A course that will not be without risk in the coming days with a situation expected to deteriorate in a few days. MILAI following unidentified noises at the level of her keel, although clearly not directly in difficulty at the moment, made the prudent choice of a technical stopover for checkpoint in Cape Town where she should arrive in the night. SEC HAYAI, WHISKEY JACK and GRYPHON SOLO 2 will also have to negotiate this turbulent passage towards the formidable Indian Ocean in the coming months. ·
On Monday, June 6, multiple generations of Husky Sailing alumni and supporters celebrated the collegiate team’s new fleet of Flying Junior sailboats with a christening ceremony in the Sail Sand Point boatyard on the shores of Lake Washington.
The 12 new boats, a huge expansion for the Husky Sailing Team, represent a major achievement for the Husky Sailing Foundation (HSF), a recently formed nonprofit dedicated to supporting collegiate sailing at the University of Washington.
The fleet represents a renewed dedication from the team and its supporters to continue a long and valued legacy of competitive sailing and a well-rounded collegiate athletic experience at Washington. With valuable insight from recent graduates, HSF identified the club sports program’s critical needs, including funding for equipment and coaching. The Jeff Wright family turned these needs into reality with several generous donations
Dozens of other supporters joined the cause, donating at various levels to name or dedicate the boats. As donors christened each boat, inspiring stories of female sailors, strong mothers, deep friendships and silly moments surfaced. More photos of the event available here.
Almost 70 people attended the event organized by HSF vice president Carol Buchan (‘80), which created a welcome crossroads as the current team mingled with donors, alumni and family. Mark Laura (‘75), a college sailing All American and HSF board member spearheading development, welcomed attendees and spoke about the ambitions of this new Husky Sailing partnership.
Husky Sailing team co-captain Sam Delasanta spoke, he will be the team’s fleet manager next year. The event also coincided with Maya Outhred stepping in as the new team captain and the ongoing expansion of the Husky Sailing Foundation’s board, led by president Brian Thomas (‘79).
This day at 12H44’23” UTC AMHAS skipped by Craig Horsfield (USA) and Oliver Bond (UK) was the first GLOBE40 competitor to reach the length of Cap des Aiguilles and therefore to return to the Indian Ocean. A strong moment for racing as it certainly was for the skippers and especially South African-born Craig Horsfield.
THE GLOBE40 IN INDIAN OCEAN