Many of you will remember that time in COVID when races were being cancelled and others trying to take root as alternatives? One of them, the Salish 200, has taken root with Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle. The press release below explains the event. A couple of things to note – if you want to do half the course, sure thing! Also, double-handed boats will be scored in their own class in addition to overall. Sounds like fun to me. Watch for further information in an upcoming issue of 48 North.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle (CYC) is excited to announce that it is adding a signature distance race to its 2024 racing calendar. CYC has agreed to become the Organizing Authority for the Salish 200, a 204-mile distance sailboat race starting in Port Townsend.
The Salish 200 began in 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic when sailing as we knew it was put on hold. Local sailors Shawn Dougherty and Jason Andrews, of the J/125 Hamachi, cooked up the idea to host a low-key, fun, local adventure race. The idea was simple, two-100-mile courses around the Salish Sea that create a figure eight around the San Juan Islands and Vashon Island, do one or do both! But this wasn’t a “sanctioned event” – it was a seat-of-your-pants-affair where the racers were the race organizers and start committee, and everyone self-reported their finish time.
This race quickly gained popularity amongst the top Seattle-area teams and has now outgrown its roots as a “pick-up game of sailboat racing.” Now CYC is excited to bring the Salish 200 race to their calendar, where it will use its expertise and resources to host the race as an official event and hopefully as a new namesake in the Pacific Northwest racing scene.
Jason Andrews from Team Hamachi said: “We are super excited by this development and for what it will bring for PNW racing. Further, by being sanctioned, it will now count as a qualifying race towards larger offshore events such as Transpac or the PacCup.”
The Salish 200 race is scheduled for June 21st – 23rd. Boats start at 7pm on Friday June 21st in Port Townsend and can either go North around San Juan County or South around Vashon as they make their figure eight for the 200-mile race. Boats finish in Port Townsend by 7pm time limit on Sunday June 23rd.
Registration for the Salish 200 race will open May 1st and is open to monohull and multihull boats with an ORC or PHRF rating.
A new CYC perpetual trophy that pays homage to the Coast Salish People of which the waters sailed and the event itself is named after, will be introduced for this race.
Visit www.salish200.com for more information about the race and for the links to register.
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.