Van Isle 360-Telegraph Cove to Winter Harbor

Here are more of my random thoughts about the Van-Isle 360 race.

Day 6-Telegraph Cove to Port Hardy: After an early morning breakfast and coffee, we started the race at 0900. The wind was light and after 4 hours of racing, the fleet started motoring the 25 miles to Port Hardy. The race ends at 1800 and if 50% of the fleet cannot make it on time, the race is abandoned. There are no throw outs for this race and each race is "weighted" more as the races get tougher.

Day 7- Port Hardy to Winter Harbor: This is a 69 mile race and is the first foray into the ocean. It leaves Port Hardy, crosses the Nahwitti Bar, rounds Cape Scott and ends at Kains Island at the entrance to Quatsino Sound. The winds were light, but the day was sunny. We managed to get over the Nahwitti Bar and into the ocean before the current changed. We had a light beat across the north end of Vancouver Island and rounded Cape Scott as the sun went down. We beat into light SE winds and when the sun came up, we were 7 miles from the finish. It took us untill 0930 to drift across the finish line.

Winter Harbor is a small isolated community. The people are friendly and welcomed us here.


Tomorrow, the longest race to Ucuelet starts at 0700. This race is 139 miles. Gale warnings are forecast.

Telegraph Cove

Presenting the daily race flag to the city of Port Hardy

Port Hardy

Cape Scott, the most northwestern point of Vancouver Island. This was my third rounding of this notorious point of land.

Crewman Rob exhausted after the long race from Port Hardy

View of Winter Harbor from the house we stayed at

Boardwalk in Winter Harbor