Day 11 - How Do You Spell Relief
by Race Committee, July 11th, 2018
We are now eleven days into the 2018 version of Vic-Maui and finally the fleet is getting into the promised trade winds. Not strong, but consistent enough to get everyone sailing with spin up and pointing towards Maui. The boats are reporting wind over the port stern quarter somewhere between 10 and 19 knots.
Race Committee has beaten the fleet to Maui and took Roll Call sitting on the beach at Kaanapali – the paradise that awaits the sailors in next few days. And the next few days will be fun as the fleet is very much bunched together and the race is still too close to call.
At Roll Call, Firefly is 614 miles to the finish, with Joy Ride a consistent 20 miles behind. Followed by Salient +107, Kraken +149, Turnagain + 167, Anjo +232, Oxomoxo +275 and Serenite (in Cruising Class) at +268 miles.
Gemini’s Dream is back in home waters approaching the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and will be home on Thursday.
Right at Roll Call yesterday, Oxomoxo reported diverting to free a sea turtle struggling to swim wrapped in fishing net and plastic. It was an excellent gesture for sailors concerned about the amount of plastic they see on the way and certainly worthy of the social media attention the story is getting. We are not sure whether it is Oxomoxo or the lucky turtle that has accumulated 42,000 friends in last day.
As mentioned above, the race is too close to call. The 20-mile lead for Line Honours Firefly enjoys over Joy Ride is nothing with miles of ocean racing left. And the present YB estimated time to finish also shows a dead heat between Salient and Joy Ride for the overall corrected first place. But this is a highly variable figure and there will be more than a few wind and tactical surprises on the last few days left leaving Kraken and Turnagain still having something to say about who gets on the podium.
TODAY'S FEATURED SPONSOR:
Pacific Yachting |
For 40 years, Pacific Yachting has been the voice of boating in British Columbia. Good luck to all Vic-Maui participants! Website: http://www.pacificyachting.com/ |
Featured Sponsor
Shackles & Cotterpins
Featured Yacht Profile
Annie M (2022)
Type: Amel Mango 52Skipper: John McCarthy
Port: Santa Fe, NM
Blog: 1 articles posted
The Annie M crew has a wealth of experience to contribute to the Vic-Maui 2022 race. John McCarthy, the captain of Annie M, is a lifelong sailor with experience racing Snipes and J24s, as well as cruising on a Swan 47 and, of course, an Amel 52, the Annie M. His boat has been beautifully restored and named after his beloved wife of 60 years.
Steve McCarthy brings years of racing and cruising experiences from sailing many seas. He’s also a sailmaker and, since 2004, owner of Hogin Sails located in Alameda, CA. In addition to working with sail lofts from Seattle to Santa Cruz, he has raced on Moore 24s and J24s and cruised on a Swan 47 across Europe. Our sails are in good hands with Steve as a sailor since he was a wee one.
Steve Summers is an instructor at Seattle Sailing Club, an Outward Bound teacher, and a National Outdoor Leadership teacher with experience sailing long voyages requiring an excellent ability to handle a variety of conditions and personalities. He’s also a Wilderness First Responder and a well-respected navigator in the Pacific Northwest. A calm soul called to the wild, Steve seeks adventure, and Vic-Maui is one of the adventures he’s ready to tackle.
Callum Hally is focused on sailing when the opportunity arises. In the past five years, he’s sailed more than 500 hours on a variety of boats such as a Catalina 22, J35c and an Andrew 53 to name a few. Through his previous job with Seattle Sailing Club supporting the customer’s experience, he became passionate about being on the water. He’s an excellent crew member with an insatiable thirst for reading, which makes him a fascinating conversationalist, wise beyond his years.
Bill Busch participated as “old goat’ status for Mackinaw races. He’s had a 1st place PHRf overall, 1st place in j105 class, 1st place j120 class. He’s looking forward to sailing a long ocean passage. He recently completed his International Offshore Safety program at St. Petersburg Florida Yacht Club. Bill is known for his kindness and patience.
Sarah Mackay, a lifelong sailor who learned at a young age the art of not getting seasick and never getting bored. She’s a crew member, communicator and, on occasion, cracker of jokes at which she’s the only one laughing. She has raced on J24s and J30s, crossed the North Sea and cruised throughout Europe on a Swan 47, and explored the Pacific Northwest on an Amel 52 named Annie M.
We are busy preparing the boat (and ourselves) for this epic journey. This year, Annie M will be entered in the Pacific NW Offshore Yacht Race and the Swiftsure Yacht Race leading up to our start date of the Vic-Maui International Yacht Race in early July.
