Family Affair Finishes Under the Cover of Darkness
by Richard Ballantyne, July 22nd, 2012
Family Affair, a Beneteau 45f5 skippered by Tom Buus out of the Milltown Sailing Association of Everett, Washington, crossed the finish line on a perfect star-lit evening. For Tom and his family (for Family Affair was truly a family affair with no fewer than half of the crew named Buus) it was the fulfillment of a dream to tackle a big adventure like the Vic Maui. There were a few bruises along the line, such as tearing up their big spinnakers early in the race and having to suffer from a lack of horsepower just when the heavier winds started getting light, and problems with a macerator pump that those in the know will fully understand how troubling this could be.
But the boat served them well, speeding them to a finish with an elaspsed time of 14 days, 17 hours, and 49 minutes, despite the handicap in sail area. Like all of the other boats, Tom mentioned that it was a great sail, but the skill and attention required to keep the boat on course on cloudly, moonless nights in total blackness was something he had not appreciated before.
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Red Sheilla (2022)
Type: Beneteau 49Skipper: Jim Innes
Port: Vancouver, BC Canada
Blog: 1 articles posted
Red Sheilla is the first boat to enter the 2022 Vic-Maui!
Red Sheilla previously competed in the 2010, 2012 and 2016 Vic-Maui races. In July 2022, Red Sheilla skipper Jim Innes will sail in his fifth Vic-Maui, following the pioneering course sailed by his father JG (Jim) Innes in 1965.
The first Vic-Maui was sailed in 1965. The race was a dream of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club member JG (Jim) Innes who, at that time, was a Captain for Canadian Pacific Airlines. Jim convinced three other skippers to start with him off Brotchie Ledge in 1965. With Jim in his Lapworth 36' "Long gone", there was Lol Killam of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club with the 45' sloop "Velaris", Ron Ramsay of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club with the 45' ketch "Norena of Wight" and Boo Paskel from Seattle Yacht Club with his 73' ketch "Tatoosh". The 1965 race and weather were typical; Westerlies in the Juan de Fuca Strait, a left turn down the coast to about the latitude of San Francisco, followed by a right turn under the North Pacific High and a gybe with the Northeast trade winds filling spinnakers for the sunny run to Maui. "Long Gone" won the first Vic-Maui with a time of 15 days, 6 hours and 55 minutes. Records have been broken many times since 1965.
The current record holder is "Valkyrie", skippered by Gavin Brackett of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, who completed the race in 8 days, 9 hours and 17 minutes in 2016.
Follow Red Sheilla on Facebook (including her blog posts) at: http://www.facebook.com/redsheillasailing.
This fall, Red Sheilla will be entered in Cascadian Convoy, Round The County followed by 2022 Southern Straits, PNW Offshore and Swiftsure.
In 2022 Vic-Maui will be marking the next 50 years of Vic-Maui. We invite you to join us!
