Scheleen Rathkopf and her team are putting on the Whidbey Island Race Week for the last time before moving it to Point Roberts. Looks like there was one race in a Southerly in Saratoga Passage on Wednesday (yes, that has happened before) and lots of races the last couple of days.
I’ll try to get a report and Jan’s pictures out when the fat boy has sung. Charley Rathkopf is posting live results, so you can follow along tomorrow at work when you’re not working.
In the meantime, here are the results.Mad Dash and More Uff Da are dominating, but there’s close competition in the other classes..
If any of you folks have some pictures from the racecourse to share in the next couple days, please send ’em here, not just Facebook!
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.
You’re late. Well, not really and even then not by much. Registration opened yesterday for this year’s Whidbey Island Race Week.
WIRW’s Schelleen Rathkopf continues to adjust the Race Week recipe to make the “adult summer camp” appealing. And, much to her credit, instead of dolling out yeah, we know what sailors really want, she asks them.
If you’re an area racer, Schelleen wants to hear from you!
It’s a short survey, and will help shape what WIRW looks like moving forward. In particular, I would love to see all the out-of-the-box ideas you come up with in the comments section.
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.
This year’s Whidbey Island Race Week will probably be known as much for the unusual sailing conditions as for Schelleen Rathkopf’s ongoing makeover to keep the event fresh. The usual Penn Cove westerly took much of Race Week off, but there was still hard-fought and meaningful racing. Between the change to a 4-day regatta starting on Thursday, and the weird conditions, there was plenty to talk about this year. And once again kids were on deck enjoying both the sailing camp and fun ashore.
The Makeover
The jury’s still out on the change from a race “week” to a 4-day event. Some boats were lost, some new ones gained. Certainly fewer days but some more pressure on PRO Charley Rathkopf to get as many races off in whatever conditions there were. And this year, the pressure was on as a potpourri of weird conditions took over for the week.
Of course sailors are pretty good at entertaining themselves even if there’s no racing. Aboard Jerry Diercks’ Delirium it was all about the water. “When the chips were down on Team Delirium, swimming in Penn Cove after racing made everything better. Seeing the smiles on my crew’s faces playing in the water made all the work worthwhile.” Diercks was OK with the schedule changes, but suggests maybe a Wednesday to Saturday schedule might work better, leaving Sunday for a delivery home. “If a different schedule can continue to bring new participants, it is a no brainer. I just hope we keep having a 4+ day regatta in Penn Cove.”
John Hoag, skipper of Shrek, has done every Race Week since 1988 and shows no sign of breaking the habit even thought he’s not enamored of the new schedule. “Hats of to Schelleen (Rathkopf) for trying something new with the shortened version but I really prefer the old week. Having the weekends to deliver the boats and setup camping was so nice.”
Click to enlarge any of Jan Anderson’s photos. The full gallery is here.
J/80s at rest
Mad Dash controlled PHRF 5 with five bullets.
PHRF 1 start
Teddy Bear is second in the cruising class.
Wicked Wahine
Just a way cool shot by Jan.
It’s now a summer camp for kids too
The Racing
By all accounts, there was no time off for the tacticians the first three days.
Hoag, whose 18-year-old daughter JJ drove every race, explains. “Racing-wise this was definitely the strangest year I can remember. Gone were the 10-20 knot westerlies in the afternoon. We actually started and finished a race with a light easterly. Then there was the northerly and the southerly, and a race that was started in Saratoga Passage that we started in a northerly then continued downwind in some sort of dying easterly to sit at the finish and wait for a westerly on which to finish. Not good. Finally on Sunday we started two races in 8 knots of breeze! Wow, did Shrek like that.”
Shrek, a perpetual Race Week winner, liked it to the tune of third place in PHRF 1. In first was Darrin Towe’s Melges 32 Wicked Wahine, and Farr 30s were second, fourth, fifth and sixth.
The overall win was awarded to the Dash 34 MadDash, in from Canada. It would be hard to deny them that honor after having managed 4 wins in class PHRF 5 over the consistently well-sailed Here and Now and Gaucho. Stephanie Schwenk won the Molly Kool Cup award as outstanding female skipper for having won PHRF 7 with Wild Rumpus.
Diercks, who won the 10-boat J/105 class, was still left pondering a few things about the strange conditions. “The one day in Saratoga Passage in a northerly, turned easterly, turned drifting in current, was our worst day. Lesson learned, study the currents in Saratoga….I would also like to learn how to cover your two closest competitors when they go in opposite directions. Playing the middle did not work.
2019
Schelleen Rathkopf is (and has been) thinking about next year:
For 2019, the venue is Oak Harbor but the dates for 2019 haven’t yet been confirmed because I want to hear from racers first. This year marked the big shift from a 5-day (Mon-Fri) race event to a 4-day (Thurs-Sun) event and I want to hear how this did/didn’t work for people. It has been suggested that we stick with a 4 day plan but run it Wed-Sat instead to ease up on delivery issues. So I’ll be soliciting opinions/feedback until Aug 20 and once we have processed all this — a 2019 will be announced.
The important thing here is that there WILL BE a next year, and there are a lot of people trying hard with open minds and creative ideas to keep it going well on into the future. So if you have some thoughts, email Schelleen. Both the kudos and complaints.
Personally, even though I didn’t make it to the event, I’m impressed with the efforts and am encouraged by the changes. Racing is struggling in our modern culture, largely because of time pressures. It’s amazing how a family’s calendar fills up and how, before you know it, it’s impossible for many of us to block off a week. Making this an event the entire family can reasonably do among the many other activities may be the key to its survival. And having the option of a cruising class opens the event to those who can’t spend the time making a cruiser into a racer for the regatta or training up a full crew is a winner.
For those wanting more, here are links to the excellent daily paper put about by Vicky MacFeidh and Liza Tewell:
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.
Schelleen Rathkopf is facing quite a challenge. When she and then-husband Charley purchased Whidbey Island Race Week, aka The Adult Summer Camp, the event had struggled through different owners and managers, hanging on as an event but with extinction always seemingly just one dropped sponsor away. When you think of it, kudos to all those who have taken WIRW on and kept it alive. Most other race weeks around the nation have met their demise.
And then there’s Oak Harbor. Despite the history, the Oak Harbor Marina has allowed their hoist to fall into disrepair and has failed to dredge the channels, and apparently has no plans to solve either problem.
Not one to shy away from a challenge or make bold move, this year Schelleen’s made the bold move to shorten WIRW to four days over a weekend. She’s added a cruising class with less crew work-intensive courses. And in recent years she’s added a kid’s camp. And, brace yourselves, there’s a real possibility the event could move away from Oak Harbor. To her great credit, Schelleen is putting it all out in front of the PNW sailing community so we can discuss and help. But let me get out of the way and let her tell all:
Sailish: What are the changes for this year? What classes taking shape?
Schelleen Rathkopf
Obviously the big change up this year is the shift from a 5-day regatta that runs Mon-Fri to a 4-day regatta that runs Thurs-Sun. For years, people have suggested that a shift would help skippers find crew so people would have to take fewer days off work. We’ll see if this shift works to build the boat count. It is interesting to note that when we look at all the competitors at Race Week for the years 2016 and 2017, the shift has attracted 16 new boats who are brand new to Race Week. The other change is that we added a casual cruising class to the mix in an effort to attract sailors who just want to come up and have a casual distance race each day. As the event has a 35-year history of buoy racing in Penn Cove, attracting the cruising classes out there will take some time. But, we currently have three boats signed up for this new class: Pearl Jem (Jeanneau 42DS) Pangaea (Baltic 39) and Vela Volta (Bav 35 Match). Of course we’d like to see 6-10 boats in this new class. Additionally, we added a new overall trophy to this year’s mix: the Molly Kool Cup, a perpetual trophy to recognize an outstanding female skipper.
Classes taking shape: Last year we had 13 J105s and 8 Melges 24s but so far this year 6 J105s and 2 Melges 24s are registered. The word on the street is that some skippers are not pleased with the 4 day shift Thurs-Sun due to delivery challenges (despite early delivery options being offered the weekend before WIRW this year). Also, many Melges 24s are racing Worlds and then headed to San Francisco so WIRW not part of their program. We have some efforts at play in the J80 fleet and hoping to get at least 5-6 boats this year. Our PHRF registrations are shaping up as well with the addition of 16 brand new boats.
Penn Cove is an absolutely stunning place to sail but we’re facing some very real challenges to grow the event in this venue which may necessitate a venue change in the future. The hoist at the Oak Harbor Marina is no longer functional (and there are not plans to fix this) and the channel into the Oak Harbor Marina can be very shallow at the negative tides that hit in July. These two challenges prevent us from appealing to those boats on trailers and also to the big boats who need more water to move about safely. We’re committed to staying put in Oak Harbor through 2019, but are seriously considering a new venue starting in 2020 that can deliver on what is necessary for us to include more sailors in the Pacific NW and provide a wonderful summertime destination that the entire family can enjoy.
Sailish: What are the lessons learned in the last couple years?
The last couple of years have been tough. It’s no surpise that Charley and I were divorced in 2016. And when we agreed to take WIRW on, our partnership was very strong as he brings the rock solid race management experience to the table and I brought event marketing and promotions experience to the table. With me taking on the business as sole producer following the divorce, I’ve had alot to learn. Thankfully, Charley and I have a fine working relationship and he continues to be the event PRO and is part of the Advisory Board for WIRW.
Other things I’ve learned:
-Fleets want to have their own events. Despite WIRW offering up an amazing infrastructure and race management model, many fleets still want to conduct their own Regionals, Nationals or NA Championships. We’re continuing the efforts to talk about this as it can save so much time and $ if fleets used Race Week as a turn-key approach to their own events.
-People want a fun, destination in the summertime! Don’t necessarily need expensive regional bands (tho we have these again in 2018, including the Paperboys out of BC) but they want a fun party where they can chill out and have fun after racing.
-Racers are also looking for something new and fun. The events that are growing are interesting and fun. Buoy racing is great, but it would be nice to expand our offerings at Race Week to include some fun and interesting distance races vs. windward/leeward races.
Ultimately I’d like to see 4 race areas at WIRW: dinghies, big boats, youth sailing and a fun casual cruiser class.
Bodacious in 2017, all photos by Jan Anderson.
Mike Goldfarb’s War Canoe had a stellar 2016 week.
No explanation necessary. Race Week. 2016
Great action when the wind was up in 2016.
The J/105s had a big fleet and close racing. – 2016
Slick and Here and Now rekindled their rivalry. -2016
Sailish: What are your thoughts about race weeks generally? Why does Charleston succeed?
Participation is down nationally (internationally). It’s an expensive, time consuming sport. And there is a huge learning curve required to be successful (for those wanting to be on the podium). There are more demands on people’s time than ever. My gut tells me that people still want to sail, but possibly not at the same level of intensity. And I think as a whole, the sport targets a very specific demographic and people age out of that demographic, start families, and priorities change. I also think that boats are super expensive and require seasoned crew and “keeping up with the Joneses” when it comes to boats is daunting for many and frustration happens when the same boats win over and over and over again. There’s been alot of debate around ORC, PHRF and handicap scoring systems as we all try and make things as easy and accessible and fair for racers in a sport that is full of rules and regulations governed by the RRS that already can make things fairly complicated and intimidating for the new racers to break in.
This “keeping up with the Joneses” thing is really interesting as we look at OD fleets that come/go. I can still remember the days when the Olson 30 fleet in Seattle was the largest fleet racing! And then there was the Nationals hosted here and almost overnight, the fleet just went away. It was replaced by the next, sexier boat. What happened to the Farr 30s? J80s are growing steady here but not nearly as quickly as in other cities. J24s are solid (though they seem to prefer lake sailing) The current sweethearts seem to be the J105 fleet, as it’s a great boat for the PNW and there is a tight community of boat owners who know and respect each other. The fleets that seem to succeed for the long haul are those who recognize that iron sharpens iron and they’ve formed a cohesive community that encourages each other to get out and go racing.
Events that are succeeding are those that offer a fun destination experience for racers looking for something new and perhaps even some untraditional courses that shakes up the competition and gives more skippers a chance of winning.
Sailish: Why have Key West and the Seattle NOOD regatta failed?
I think Key West went away because of proximity for racers was time/cost prohibitive. NOOD? My understanding that it went away (in Seattle) because of WA state liquor laws – not that the OD participation wasn’t there. The costs to produce a regatta are super high – costs that many don’t even think about: staging, tenting, registration software, website development, special event permits, special event insurance, regatta insurance, security, fencing, liquor, permits, portable toilets and handwashing stations, race committee assets, awards, staffing, security. It takes alot to produce and event sponsorship $ is getting harder and harder to get (especially when boat numbers are under 100 boats). No one who produces Race Week events are making any money. And it takes alot of work throughout the year to get it done. Working with local jurisdictions can also add to some of these challenges and in the case of Key West, there was definitely some politics at play that made producing the event cost prohibitive in the end.
Given the history of this event in the PNW, we’re doing everything we can to continue to offer up a great event that appeals to the longtimers (who build their summer plans around WIRW) and at the same time draw in new players to the sport. With our reputation for superior race committee and race management work, combined with excellent post party events, we want to see more fleets using WIRW’s established infrastructure to conduct their own regional or NA Championships in future years. And ultimately, we’d love to offer a dinghy and a big boat race experience and I’ve always wanted to add a youth sailing component.
Final Kurt Words
Few events have the history of WIRW. From the IOR days ’til now, the Adult Summer Camp has entertained thousands. Trophies have been won, rum consumed and children conceived (yes, fact). And really, Penn Cove is a great place to race in summer. But 3/day buoy racing and bacchanalian excess have both lost a lot of their appeal, and the organizers and sailors haven’t nailed down exactly what to put in their place.
With the announcement that WIRW was going to a 4-day weekend format, there was the expected groans from the hard core racers. And while Schelleen’s efforts to make the event more family and kid-friendly have succeeded, they haven’t yet convinced enough sailing families out there to produce a big fleet.
That all said, if my family was into racing (it isn’t – yet) I’d set aside time to do WIRW this year in the cruising class. I’d carry the cruising gear onboard and head for the San Juans immediately after. –KH
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.
Whidbey Island Race Week is in full swing, and entering Thursday with nine races in the books. Sixty-two boats are racing, and from the photos there appear to be great conditions. Borrowing from Thursday’s edition of the Race Week News, which Liza Tewell and Vicky MacFeidh are putting out:
Can you feel it? Have you experienced that transcendent, middle-of-Race-Week feeling where you remember that you’ve forgotten about the world beyond the beautiful borders of Penn Cove? That decompression isn’t the marine layer dissipating in the late morning above Puget Sound, just over the fescued berm to the west, it’s Whidbey Island Race Week. And it’s why we come back every year. Hard to explain to coworkers, hard to let go of, it’s kept nonetheless in a treasured spot deep inside. When folks ask how you make it through yet another relentlessly gray PNW winter, you smile to yourself, reach down and think, Race Week is coming. Day three of WIRW 2017 was as magical as the past 11 and a half months that our our memory had glorified it to be: blue skies, 8 to 10 knots, 72 degrees (Fahrenheit, for you Canadians). The CYC race committee shot off three races, and when we crossed that finish line for the third time on Wednesday we were happy knowing that we’d get to do it all again the next day. Thursday evening the Oak Harbor Yacht Club is serving up bbq ribs for dinner. Yum. Sorry about that for you vegetarians, though they also offer field burgers at the grill. Thursday is also the CSR party featuring the reggae music of Yogoman, so break out your aloha shirts and stretch before and after racing—the dance floor will be standing dancing room only. Crabbing for the week is also open—enter your recipe in the Haggen Northwest Fresh Crab Cake Cook-off.
While I’m not on hand to check out the competition (or bands or ridiculous amounts of fun), from the results a few things are apparent. First off, the J/105s have a huge class, and the racing must be great. With the downwind angles on the asymmetrical chutes, playing Penn Cove must get really interesting. Kathy Kushner’s Melges 24 Cool Beans out of Canada is going very well. Wicked Wahine may topple the mighty Shrek in the “big boat” class. The two Farr 30s in class 3 are having a mighty battle and there’s a fascinating duel between the Beneteau 35s5 Bodacious and the Martin 242 Crazy I’s. The tightest class of all is the small/slow boat with the two J/24s Amuse Bouche and Roshambo and the San Juan 24 Ehu Kai all within two points.
Congratulations to Schelleen Rathkopf for successfully putting on the event once again! The event continues to evolve into much more than just racing, with a Kids Camp and other fun activities.
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.
A fleet of 64 sailboats traveled to the Oak Harbor Marina July 11-15 for the 34th running of Whidbey Island Race Week (WIRW) hosted by the Oak Harbor Yacht Club. The nation’s only true race “week,” WIRW gives sailors from the United States, Canada and Europe the opportunity to test their racing skills on both short and long courses in Penn Cove and Saratoga Passage. The event, which includes nightly awards and live bands, kicked off Sunday night as sailors sized up competition and rekindle friendships at the traditional Sunday meet-and-greet.
Mike Goldfarb’s War Canoe had a stellar 2016 week.
Focused trimming on 65 Red Roses
No explanation necessary. Race Week. 2016
Great action when the wind was up in 2016.
The J/105s had a big fleet and close racing. – 2016
Slick and Here and Now rekindled their rivalry. -2016
Kids in the Camp enjoyed some Opti sailing. 2016
Other kids crewed. 2016
The camp kids had a great time. 2016
Every kid had a string to pull aboard Suma.
Race Week had great entertainment. 2016
Dictated by the tides, this year’s event was held mid-July in cooler than normal temperatures and lighter than average winds. Nonetheless, Race PRO Charley Rathkopf and his committee from Corinthian Yacht Club Seattle finished eight to nine races during the five-day regatta. Nine classes, including three one-design classes, vied for daily honors, class overalls, and the Tesla boat-of-the-week title. Not your usual pickle dishes, daily awards sponsored by Ullman Sails were useful beverage glasses. Class overalls were hand-blown glass trophies commissioned by Seattle artist, Veronica Margarito Lopez.
Short courses on Monday and Tuesday established front runners in all but the 13-boat J/105 class, which saw flip-flopping finishes and the week’s sole DSQ. Wednesday’s Z-course ping-ponged racers around Penn Cove like a pinball-machine, while treating spectators on the Coupeville dock to a colorful spinnaker parade across Penn Cove.
Unconventional courses continued Thursday with a marathon distance race sending most of the fleet off Saratoga’s southern horizon near the island town of Greenbank. The race scored doubled with only half of the day’s total qualifying for a throw-out, either damning some who found themselves on the wrong side of he 180 degree shift or cementing a win for those who landed on the right side of the roulette wheel when it stopped spinning. Dodging holes, boats created a confusing spectacle as they raced side by side, heading in the same direction, with some flying spinnakers while others held jibs. The larger the class, like the 13-boat J/105 class, the bigger the discrepancy of the day’s tally, with the week’s win for the one-design 105s going to David Cohen’s Inconceivable. Just two points separated the next three boats, with Delirium placing second and James Geros’ Last Tango winning the tie-breaker for third over More Jubilee. On Friday, the RC finally called uncle on an overly persistent easterly and set a windward-leeward, only to have it fade, abandoning the week’s final race for five of the nine classes.
Stalwart front runners managed to escape Thursday’s race wrath and held on to class overalls, including John Hoag and his 1D/35, Shrek, in PHRF Class 1, which, after a string of bullets, had to swallow one of their freak double-fifth-place points; Mike Goldfarb, with longtime crew Mark Brink, on War Canoe, in the one-design Farr 30 class; Kevin Welch’s one-design Melges 24, Mikey, helmed by Olympic medalist Jeff Madrigali; and Chris White and crew aboard his Martin 242 , Crazy I’s, which stayed atop PHRF Class 8 with just 7 points and took boat-of-the-week honors thanks to straight bullets.
Tight PHRC racing gave the Left Coast Dart, Ogopogo, a one point lead in Class 3 over Brad Butler’s Sierra 26x, Uno, who landed unusually near the back of the pack on Thursday, forcing them to keep one of the double 4s on their scorecard. Though they horizoned Class 4 during Wednesday’s racing, Stuart Burnell’s J/109, Tantivy, faced some fierce handicaps and fell by just two points for the week to the J/90, Eye Eye. Also missing the week’s overall by just two points, Pat Denney’s J/29, Here & Now, in Class 7 fell to sister-ship, Slick, who was able to throw-out one of the two 4-pointers from Thursday. Keeping with the two-point theme, the Wylie 25, Exodus, won the week in Class 9 with 11 points over the 13 points earned by Ron Ernst’s Martin 29, Ignitor.
Racers took advantage of the light air which tended to arrive later in the day by rafting up to the dock at Coupeville’s Red Barn and stroll the old-timey boardwalks of Whidbey Island’s historic and picturesque Penn Cove town. Racers ducked into establishments such as the newly remodeled Front Street Grill for lunch, or waited willingly in line for ice cream from Kapaw’s Iskreme Worldwide Headquarters, a few step away from the original Stewart brother’s Wet Whiskers ice cream shop which sparked America’s obsession for espresso in 1969.
Though the local breeze was less ample than desired, one indigenous delicacy was in abundant supply—Dungeness crab. Boats setting traps on the run out to the day’s course were rewarded after the day’s racings with overflowing traps stuffed with one of the Pacific Northwest’s favorite bounties. For the second year in a row, the Crab Cake Cook-Off, judged by Oak Harbor Yacht Club Vice Commodore, Avis Berney, Oak Harbor Mayor Bob Severns, among others, was won by the culinary crew of Rex Dupuis’s J/30, Gadzooks.
Shoreside, the bands Kickin’ Dust, Rabbit Wilde, Jones & Fischer, Gertrude’s Hearse, Maggy’s Fury and Original Jim rounded out this year’s live-music line-up. Princess Bride was the feature for movie night, and the Oak Harbor Yacht Club’s offered famous Penn Cove mussels Monday and Wednesday evening. For those not into the fresh bivalves, the OHYC grill fed hungry sailors all week with mouth-watering burgers and corn on the cob.
While mom and dad raced beyond the breakwater, children spent the week making memories at the Brenda Van Fossen, MD Kids Camp. Morning activities at Kids Camp headquarters on the yacht club lawn included learning knot-tying, how to craft a make-shift safety line, building model boats, and creating marine-themed jigsaw puzzles before heading out for the daily field trip which included exploring the Fidalgo tidepools, climbing the Fort Casey lighthouse, hiking down world-famous Deception Pass, painting pottery and making glass art. After a hearty lunch campers spent the afternoons racing Oak Harbor Youth Sailing’s fleet of Optimists at the entry to the harbor’s marina. A highlight of their summer, every camper from the inaugural year returned for 2016, plus some, and even more have committed to next year’s Kids Camp 2017.
New for 2016 was the presentation of a Sportsmanship Award honoring Phil Wise, WIRW board member and long-time racer in the Puget Sound sailing community who passed away in August 2015. The first recipient of the perpetual award was the alternate RC vessel, Gopher Baroque, who suffered some cosmetic damage while helping to pull Steve Johnson’s White Cloud off Oak Harbor’s mucky sea floor. Rather than accepting compensation for the repair, Gopher Baroque requested the amount instead be donated to Oak Harbor’s youth sailing program. Narrowly missing the callout for exemplary sportsmanship were the young men on Ryan Conner and Hendrick Reidel’s Melges 24 up from Tahoe, Blue Dream, who worked long and tirelessly to put together a junior sailing campaign based on elbow grease and hard work.
Mark your calendars for the 35th anniversary of Whidbey Island Race Week, scheduled for July 10-14, 2017.
Ed. Note: This looked like a great deal of fun. Thanks Liza for the report and Schelleen and Charley for all you do to make this regatta happen. They have really made it appealing for families as well as racers. Schelleen is putting a call out for fleets “who want to use the infrastructure of Race Week to conduct fleet local, regional or national championships.” I can think of several fleets that might use this event as a springboard to light a fire their fleets’ keels.
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.
