If ever there was an entry list of who’s who in Seattle dinghy racing, one doesn’t really have to look further than the Tasar Worlds entry list. The regatta started today off Shilshole, and goes through next Saturday.
For those unfamiliar with the Tasar, it’s a 15′, 150- lb. 2-person skiff. With it’s light weight, fully battened main and rotating mast, it rewards excellent crew work and weight placement. The best sailors are those that work closely together. It’s not a boat that requires extraordinary strength or size, and is designed so that couples can be competitive.
As is most often the case, the real strength of the class isn’t the boat, but the people. It’s a tightknit group of enthusiasts that keep the class vibrant despite limited numbers and the distances between active fleets. Over the years, the Worlds have been on the Columbia River Gorge and Esquimalt in BC. They have also been in the UK, Japan Thailand and Australia.
The boat has been around since the mid-1970s and has been a mainstay of the Northwest most of that time. World. Major international regatta and Worlds winners from the PNW include Jonathan McKee and Libby Johnson-McKee, Charlie and Becky McKee, Jay and Lisa Renehan, Carol and Carl Buchan and Anthony and Haley Boscolo. Others on the podium include Dalton and Lindsey Bergan and Mike Karas. Teams from Australia and Japan have also made the trek to Seattle.
Looking to this year’s Worlds, most of the usual class suspects are tuned up again, with many of them shifting their focus from singlehanding at the RS Aero Worlds at Cascade Locks this summer to sailing with a partner for this regatta. Other strong entries from the area include Stasi Burzycki and Sophia Kasper. and Dieter Creitz and Sam Bush.
If you want to see dinghy sailing at its finest, and the current sailing conditions hold fast this week, a day watching these Worlds may be well worth the time.
Results from today’s practice race.
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.