Dan's Blog: Race to the Straits Day One-2May2009

Saturday was Day One of the Sloop Tavern Yacht Club's annual Race to the Straits. This is a 30 mile double handed/singlehanded race from Shilshole Marina in Seattle to Port Townsend on Saturday and return on Sunday. The classes are divided in double handed and singlehanded divisions and flying sails and non flying sails classes. 90 boats were registered. I always elect to race this race singlehanded with flying sails(spinaker).

This race is unique also in that it is a "pursuit" race where the handicaps are applied at the start of the race instead of calculated at the end of the race. The slowest boat (Coronado 27) started at 0754 and the fastest boat (Santa Cruz 70) started at 1039. My start was at 0929. You always know where you are on the course. Boats ahead are beating you and you are beating the boats behind.

Saturday was grey and rainy. The wind was south at 10-13 knots. The current was going to start ebbing at about 1100. The wind held up until three minutes to go to my start when it died to about three knots! I had already decided to fly the heavy spinaker, so it was a bit of a struggle to get clear of the line. I left a few boats that started ahead of me right at the line. As I sailed north, the wind did build. The current was still changing and it was fun trying to find rivers of current to help.

By the time I reached Double Bluff buoy(the only mark in the race), the wind was up to about 12 knots and with the full ebb underway, the speed over ground was about 7 knots. Some boats did not pay attention to the current and were nearly swept past the buoy. I pulled off several good spinaker jibes during the day.

The wind built more and by the time I went past Marrowstone Point, it was up to 16knots. At Marrowstone Pt, I had to head left and was sailing on at beam reach for the last 4 miles. It was pretty exciting. The boat was under control, and was going 8 1/2 knots through the water. One faster doublehanded boat(FARR 39) was sailing right off the my windward quarter. No way was I going to let him go by! I finished at about 1425.

As I had predicted, the race was a parade. I only passed a few boats and only a couple past me. I was third in my singlehanded class. "REV"(Tbird 26) and "Slightly Ripped"(J27) finished ahead of me. I was closing on "Slightly Ripped" at the finish, but he finished about 100 yards ahead. "String Theory"(Olson 40) started about 10minutes behind me, but I never saw him.

Sloop Tavern Yacht Club put on another great party at the VFW hall. Lots of good eats and Day one awards were presented. I was also third in the predicted log competition. This is where you predict your finishing time. I was off by 34 minutes.