The wind this year has favored the front of the fleet, with today’s leaders seeing about 4 kts more than those in the back of the fleet. The wind direction is allowing front-runners to point straight to the finish, fueling Mas! and Wolfpack with VMG speeds akin to the Santa Cruz 50s.
The first boats in the fleet will cross the 200 mile mark tonight, triggering the transition of the YB Tracker from a 6 hour delay to real time.
Standings as of 0800 PDT
In addition to remaining first in the overall Pac Cup, the PHRF group and their Kolea Double Handed 1 Division, Mas! looks set to break the long-held Moore 24 Pac Cup record set in 1998 of 11 days 9 hours, 48 minutes, 25 seconds. Mas! now has an estimated arrival of July 22, for an elapsed time of 10 days, 19 hours, 48 minutes, and that’s with having had some on-board calamities. In addition to blowing a guy and a stanchion, the duo has had a solar panel failure that has forced them to drive without instruments in the daytime to conserve power. Their biggest concern: being penalized for missing daily check-ins.
“Mark and Ian have been preparing for over two years for the Pac Cup. They took the Moore 24 to new places, experimenting with new sail designs and ultimately a couple of different asymmetrical kites. They proved successful in all of the offshore races. Everything they've worked tirelessly for, combined with really great conditions, and expert navigation look to be paying off,” says Karl Robrock, a past president of the Moore 24 class who double handed Moore 24 Snafu in 2014 and was 1st in division and overall PHRF. “We don't know yet if they'll clinch the prize, but they are on target to beat the record if they can keep it together a few more days. We've been glued to YBTracking for a week. Yes, it’s exciting!”
Sitting second in The Kolea Division is the other Moore 24, Evermoore. A budget they’ve described as “half a shoestring” has meant making do with their limited sail inventory. “Reaching with a sail designed for upwind is not ideal. The foot scoops up a ton of water and it's tough to control the twist. They used what they had,” says Robrock, who recently sailed on Evermoore for a Richmond Yacht Club beer can race. “Martin (Gibson) was proud that not one new block on that boat was purchased for Pac Cup. They used all 'recycled' parts. At times some of the rigging in board looked, let's say, unusual. When they explained that they used what was lying around, it made perfect sense! They will have a record of their own that should be recognized. These guys are living the dream on the boat that was accidentally purpose-built for this race. Who better embodies the fun race to Hawaii?” Evermoore may not hold on to second place for long, though. Nozomi is only two hours behind, having had a 191 day run with VMG of 8 kts.
In the North Sails Double Handed 2 Division, Wolfpack remains in first – heading to catch Mas! with a day run of 245 miles and VMG of 10.2 for the day. Wolfpack is closely followed by the other two top boats in the division – Sailing for ALS (aka Thirsty) and California Condor. Wolfpack’s estimated elapsed time is currently 9d 11:49:47 – carving almost three days from their time in 2014 that won them division honors. California Condor and Sailing for ALS are also estimated to cut three days each from the length of their 2014 passages.
Redhead continues to dominate Honu Division A, with a day run of 199 miles and VMG of 8.3. Windswept Lady remains in second, followed by Cassiopeia.
In Weems & Plath Division B, Tiki J remains ahead of Encore and RV Aloha. Tiki J and Encore have chosen a course above the rhumb line which has served them well. They each had VMG speeds above 8.6 which resulted in day runs of over 200 miles, compared to RV Aloha’s VMG of 7 kts and a day run of only 167.
Limitless still has a strong lead in Alaska Airlines Division C and the Express 37 fleet. Their course is below the rhumb line, as is second place Sweet Okole and third place Elan. Each of the three boats had day runs of more than 200 miles and are within six hours of each other. With the conditions somewhat calmer, the fleet is finding time to report in, often with gear casualty reports. “Along the way we have had to say our good-byes to gear, lost either to damage or to the sea. Some examples: one spinnaker sail (blown out), two head lamps (lost to sea), two expensive shackles (for our spinnakers, broken), one jib sheet (lost to sea), one Panasonic "Toughbook" (broken, got a little wet), two watches (broken, got wet), one seat cushion (lost to sea), and one spinnaker guy (broken by chafing),” reported Express 37 Bullet, via their blog. “We repair anything we can while underway, whether it’s the the boat’s systems (i.e. engine), sails or rigging -- remember, we always keep moving no matter what. Some stuff we can fix, others we can not.”
It’s getting exciting in Pasha Hawaii ORR Division D. J World’s Hula Girl leads the division and the Santa Cruz 50 fleet, but Oaxaca is closing in, and as of 0800 PDT today they’re only two and a half hours behind. Oaxaca had an impressive day run of 275 miles, topping Hula Girl’s 254 miles. Adrenalin moves to third, with Surprise dropping to fourth. Chasch Mer has reported they're using their emergency tiller after their wheel had a total spoke failure. Practice made perfect: From the time of failure they report that it took them 90 seconds to install the emergency tiller. According to their report: "All is well.”
For the big dogs of BWM of San Rafael Division E, Pyewacket still tops the leaderboard for both division and ORR group honors with a VMG for the day of 12 kts and a day run of 312. Runaway was sailing faster, but is almost a day behind.
All eyes remain on Rio 100, who had a respectable day run of 420 with VMG of 17.5, although it was below their one-day high reported on July 17. Based on today's standings, Rio 100's estimated finish on Wednesday, July 20, at 5:14 p.m. PDT gives an elapsed time of 5 day, 6 hours, and 4 minutes - only half an hour off of Mari-Cah IV's record set in 2004.
Varuna VI’s is also on a remarkable pace, with an estimated elapsed time of 5d 19:19.
Getting Ready for the Racers
Kaneohe Yacht Club has been preparing for more than a year to welcome the racers, recruiting some 380 volunteers who are very dedicated to the safety and enjoyment of the Pacific Cup racing crews, their boats, their family and friends. The compressed arrival time means everyone – from the escort boat drivers to Leis & Trays greeters to the event staff – will be particularly busy this year.