Van Isle 360 Race- Leg 9 Ucluelet to Victoria and another layday.

Leg 9 was a 100NM leg from Ucuelet to Victoria starting at 0900 on Wednesday. Much of this leg follows the return portion of a Switsure Race and I suspect most of the fleet was hoping for a downwind ride instead of the persistent head winds we had encountered.

The start was off Amphitrite Pt and is set between the point and a buoy offshore. The line is very skewed and we were forced out of the buoy end twice before we got started. Once started, we set the heavy spinnaker and had a great downwind run, once hitting 11 knots.As we started entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the winds lightened and started becoming more westerly. We were then headed down the straits with a nice reach. The wind lightened some more and we changed to the 3/4 oz chute.

Off Clallam Bay, the wind lifted, so we jibed onto port and then had a nice reach toward Race Passage. As we neared the pass, the wind built and with the flood current, we had nice speed over ground. After exiting the pass, the skipper sailed a close spinnaker reach high of the finish line at Victoria. The wind was gusty and we rounded up a few times.

About 1-1/3 miles from the finish, we sailed into a hole and after tangling halyards and sails, we sailed across the finish line with the windseeker. One boat behind(California Girl (Cal 40)) sailed the traditional Swiftsure Race course from Race Passage to the finish by sailing east a ways before heading to the finish and sailed past us while we were in the hole. We finished about 0240 Thursday morning.

Since we finished in a good time, Thursday became another lay day. The next start was not until 1500 on Friday. I stayed on the boat in Victoria's inner harbor and played tourist. I wandered up town and found a good place to eat lunch.

Red Fish-Blue Fish. A eatery built in a shipping container. Great fish tacos and good looking fish and chips. Also a very long line of customers!

Narrow alley in the international district.

Radical Departure, a One Design 35 from Vancouver. A guy I know from Silverdale said that he was going to be sailing onboard during the Van Isle, but never showed.

Boats moored in front of the Empress Hotel.

Ogden Point breakwater. This is one end of the start line.

Boats moored in front of the Empress Hotel.