Testing, Testing: The Fleet Powers Up for the Start

-- News

With the start just days away, the Pacific Cup fleet spent the holiday weekend doing the quiet, unglamorous work that makes an ocean crossing possible: firing up radios, pinging satellites, and making sure that when the boats are a thousand miles offshore, their words still reach home. Over the past few days the race committee inbox has filled with comms checks, position-report tests, and check-ins from boats up and down the dock — a fleet clearing its throat before the gun.

PRE-RACE HIGHLIGHTS

  • The start is just a few days away — boats are completing final communications checks dockside.

  • Starlink has emerged as the fleet’s primary link this year, backed up by Iridium, sat phones, Garmin inReach, SMS, and SailMail HF radio.

  • Cal Maritime’s Oaxaca will forward daily position reports to the school’s friends and family ashore.

  • Team Chinook filed a float plan with emergency contacts and the race committee.

  • More than two dozen boats have checked in and confirmed comms are up and running.

 

“See You on the Start Line”

The mood is unmistakably eager. From Oaxaca, Cal Maritime’s entry (USA 8927), the crew sent a test run of the daily position report they’ll forward to friends and family of the program ashore, keeping the school informed all the way to Hawaii.

“We are excited for our start and are keeping a close eye on the weather! See you in a few short days on the start line!” — Oaxaca’s Crew

The July 4th holiday found plenty of crews already aboard. Viva, John Bonds’ Cal 40, checked in over Starlink with a seasonal note.

“Happy 4th. Hope you enjoyed some fireworks.” — John Bonds, aboard Viva

The Year of Starlink — With Backups

If there’s a technical theme to this year’s check-ins, it’s the arrival of Starlink as a fixture of the fleet. Boat after boat reported testing position reports and messages over Starlink WiFi — among them Freedom, Recidivist, Ventana, Maritimo, Dorado, Moonshine, Such Fast, and The Kodiak Express.

But blue-water sailors don’t trust a single link, and the reports reflect a healthy belt-and-suspenders discipline. Crews confirmed layered backups: Iridium Go units, satellite phones, Garmin inReach devices, SMS from phones in airplane mode, and the venerable SailMail HF radio network. Moonshine summed up the approach, noting a test sent “over Starlink and airmail (which would also work over our Iridium Go).” Maritimo confirmed its email source over Starlink with an SMS-and-sat-phone backup, and Keaka put its backup Garmin inReach through its paces.

Checking In From the Dock

Many boats simply raised a hand to say they’re here and connected. Wolfpack checked in with a cheerful one-liner. Ragtime (USA 7960), Zaff (56272), Shake and Bake (USA 38135), Bazinga (Hobie 33), Duende, Akumu, Med Viking II, Stargazer, ‘io, Shark On Bluegrass, and Lightspeed all confirmed their communications were up and running. Marisa, the SC40, filed a tidy initial comms check complete with a real position fix off the city front. Over on HULA, crew members Rob Reis and Shad Lemke sent inReach check-ins — Reis’ message the kind every shore team likes to see: “I’m checking in, everything is okay.”

Not every test went perfectly, and that’s exactly what tests are for. From Keaka, Chris Maher reported a puzzle after setting out his tracker and driving home.

“My tracker shows I’m in Marin? Could I have the wrong tracker?” — Chris Maher, Keaka

Mystery solved: Keaka’s original tracker was suspected to be defective and left at home. The new one had not completed registration on the system.  All good now.

A few crews also crossed the t’s on safety and logistics. Team Chinook — Noah, Bryan, Kristin, Cherise, and Renee — filed a float plan for their emergency contacts and the race committee, earning a “Very responsible. Thank you.” in reply.

Ready on the Water

Taken together, the weekend’s traffic paints the picture of a fleet that is organized, connected, and itching to go — foulies packed, watches assigned, and every antenna tested twice. The racing hasn’t started yet, but the fleet is talking, and everyone is pointed at the same place: the start line, just a few short days away.

— Pacific Cup Communications