Fleet All In with Record Broken, Gear Intact, and Hearts Full
In the end, it was perhaps Neptune's Daughter, straggling in at the end of the awards gala, that got the biggest cheer. As the Crealock 34, double-handed by Ed and Earlinda Polkenhorn, entered the harbor at Kaneohe Yacht Club, scores of well-wishers left the party to come to the dock. From hundreds of yards away, we could see the shock and joy on their faces as the crowd burst into several rounds of "Happy Birthday To You" (and one ragged attempt at "For she's a jolly good fellow") to honor Earlinda's birthday, which had occasioned their entry in the first place. Although Neptune's Daughter had finished last, having spend several days stuck in the windless Pacific High, she was first in the hearts of the 2008 participants.
We enjoyed the exceptionally warm reception and parties put on by Kaneohe Yacht Club. From including us in their regular events Sunday through Tuesday and then the remarkable Luau, Mount Gay Night, and Awards Gala. Outside of the events, the members and staff of KYC displayed an unfailing grace and hospitality which we mainlanders have come to know as the Aloha spirit.
Winners
While all finishers are winners in our book, the trophies generally went to the swiftest winners. Raindrop, the Cascade 36 doublehanded by Joby Easton and Bill Huseby, enjoyed a storm of hardware: First in division, First in fleet (the Pacific Cup), Navigator's Award, with permanent and keeper trophies for each. Additionally, the Latitude 38 Performance Trophy for most decisive victory over her fleet went to Raindrop. The little area around Raindrop's seats looked like a garage sale of etched and engraved hardware.
As previously announced, Sapphire won the Blue Water Sailing Family Trophy, besting the nearly third of the fleet sailing with two or more close relatives aboard. The committee was sorely tempted to award the prize to Velos on numbers alone, with four (grand) father/daughter pairs aboard, but rules are rules after all, and Sapphire's Rasmussen father/son team corrected out with the better time.
Storm Trysail Club sponsored a team trophy, engendering great interest, particularly at Richmond Yacht Club which fielded the greatest number of boats including three teams of three. At the end of the day however, it was Encinal Yacht Club's team of Azure, Shaman, and Music that took the heavy crystal trophy home. San Diego Yacht Club (Velos, Sabrina, and JWorld) took second. Richmond Yacht Club took the next three places led by "RYC Blue" consisting of Morpheus, Sapphire, and Tiki Blue.
Pegasus Flies
As had been anticipated, Philippe Kahn and crewman Richard Clarke shattered the doublehanded elapsed time record with a stunning time of 7 days, 15 hours, 17 minutes, 50 seconds aboard Pegasus (OP-50). The prior record, long held by Stan Honey and Paul Simonsen in 1992, was a bit over 8 days, 20 hours. Congratulations Philippe and Richard!
On the Podium
The results tell most of the story: Double-handed Raindrop (Joby Easton & Bill Huseby), with a bold initial southerly course and sailed by the winners of the 1988 race, reprised their victory to take first in division and first overall on corrected time. We figure we'll just invite them up to the podium to collect any prizes they care to nab.
Plus Sixteen (Paul Disario) and Giant Slayer (David Garman / Debra Lowell) took second and third respectively in Doublehanded 1. We are not sure if the screaming on Giant Slayer is for winning a trophy or a carry-over from Debra looking over as she was surfing down a wave to see a whale-sized shark paralleling the boat. We are sure, in any case, that they are glad to be on land.
Criminal Mischief bested the "big boats" division F under Chip Megeath, with Velos and Holua taking second and third.
In the hotly-contested division E, it was Sabrina, followed by Recidivist and the Cayard family's Hula Girl. With barely over an hour separating first place from third place after 2070 miles, this division, dominated much of the time by Hula Girl, provided much excitement.
Sleeping Dragon took first in division and second overall, with RYC's Sapphire in second and E.T. in third. Todd Hedin overcame the "defection" of boat designer Jim Antrim (who opted to sail on the Antrim 40 XL) and wife Liz Bayliss, as well as four spinnaker pole breakages, to snag his third place clock.
Bullet (Mike Mahoney) took the (if you'll forgive the term) bullet in division C, followed by Sweet Okole (Dean Treadway) and Bequia (Dennis Ronk). In Division B, it was Checkered Past in first, skippered by parapalegic Chris Gibbs and a crew of mostly physically challenged sailors. As Checkered Past swam past the communications boat VALIS, 800 miles offshore, we gave them a bit of a thumbs up for their splendid accomplishment as does the entire fleet. Music (John McCartney) took second, and Cirrus, skippered by Hawaii resident Bill Myers collected third.
Division A, the slowest crewed division, was anchored by four venerable Cal 40's. And it was four venerable Cal 40's that took first through fourth: Shaman (Steve Waterloo), Green Buffalo (Jim Quanci and Mary Lovely),and Azure (Encinal YC's Rodney Pimentel, organizer of the Coastal Cup race) will share the podium.
Double-handed 2 saw Bar-Ba-Loot followed by Alternate Reality and Moore Havoc as the winners.
-------Ready, Get Set, Go
Starts begin Monday and extend through Saturday, July 19. Variable wind patterns should make for an interesting race. All boats signed up are reported ready for the starting line, despite a few last-minute glitches as reported in the blogs. Fair winds to all racers...
All Systems are Go for 2008
This year's Pacific Cup will see 61 sailboats across the 2070 miles from San Francisco to Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. The first, and biggest, start will be Monday, July 14 at Saint Francis Yacht Club. Division A, consisting of a mini-fleet of Cal 40's and other boats with similar speed ratings, as well as both double-handed fleets will head out under the gate, leading the way for the faster-rated boats to start at staggered intervals on each day until Saturday, July 19.
Most racers anticipate arrival around July 26-29, with that date range varying by several days on either side depending on weather, course selection, and boathandling. This race, taking sailors about as far from land as it is possible to get on the surface of the planet, tests skills as sailor, planner, cook, engineer, repairman, navigator, and radio operator -- all of these are important to a successful and victorious race.
Records to be set?
Our division F boasts some frighteningly fast boats skippered by dedicated and aggressive racers. Philippe Kahn aboard Pegasus (OP-50) seeks to best the record for fastest doublehanded passage. As the fastest-rated boat in the fleet, he may set a pace for the rest. The other boats in Division F are fully-crewed, generally meaning they will benefit from less fatigue and more aggressive sailhandling. 70-foot sleds like Velos, Holua, and Rage will spar with Pegasus as well as Criminal Mischief and Flash, designed to take advantage of light weight, surfing all the way to Hawaii. Surfing, that is, if conditions are right.
Team Trophy, and Family Prize
2008 will see some special trophies.
Blue Water Sailing magazine, dedicated to offshore racing and cruising, is a family-run operation. They've stepped up to support a prize this year for the "Fastest Family Afloat." At least eight boats have declared as family efforts, with at least three relatives aboard, or two for doublehanders. These include perennial Pac Cup buffs Jim Quanci and Mary Lovely aboard Green Buffalo, the Jensen family aboard Alternate Reality, and the Cayard family aboard Hula Girl. Competition for the prize is expected to be spirited, but race officials do not anticipate DNA tests to prove consanguinuity will be needed.
Race co-organizer Storm Trysail Club proposed a Team Trophy. This prize will go to the three boat team from a single yacht club with combined best performances against the overal fleet and each boat's division. Over nine teams have signed up to defend their yacht club's honor.
The Pacific Cup
All monohulls compete for the Pacific Cup, the trophy that gives the race its name. This is awarded to the boat completing the course with the best corrected time. Super-racers compete with mom'n'pop for this coveted prize. In the highly variable conditions of the Pacific, and under the strictures of the race, it's as likely that the trophy will be carried away by a general purpose sailboat of modest design as it is to be taken by the all-out race machine. What's always debatable, of course, is which group of sailors had more fun!
Daily Updates
The Pacific Cup website, www.PacificCup.org, will be updated daily or better during the course of the race. Official standings, racer blogs, race commentary, and satellite tracks will be made available for the enjoyment and information of family, friends, and lovers of the race.
