Race to Alaska and a listing of race entrants so far

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by Corley, Apr 6, 2015.

  1. HASYB
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    HASYB Senior Member

    Hear hear.

    Fascinating & interesting race & territory, please keep sending ins & outs.

    The proa cause are indeed in need for some nice results for their own good.
    Although Russell Brown claimed he was, albeit not participating in the race, way faster than Golden Oldies, the first to arrive, in the preliminary race to Victoria.
    But than again you might expect Russell to have sorted his proa very well after 30 years.
    The opportunities for the proa's are seeming to be there somewhere.
     
  2. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Maybe Russel will give us some inside info on the proa non event.

    Elsie Piddock is back on the move sensibly using the morning to head to the next hurdle at Race and Current Passages, it can be smooth there if the wind is down but the current runs strong, like 5 knots. Right now it looks like they are half way down the North section of Johnstone past Knox Bay moving fast.

    Golden Oldies and Kohara still slumber at Harwood Island, a place we anchor at times while Por Favor, the Hobie 33, and Broderna trade tacks lying second and 3rd.
     
  3. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Elsie Cleared the hurdle at Race and Current Passages and is on track to clear Johnstone Straight and enter Queen Charlotte Straight. This is a big step as the wind will downgrade a whole notch without the venturi effect of mountain lined Johnstone Strait. Instead of gale force winds you get strong winds. After Queen Charlotte Straight is the open ocean till you get to the Queen Charlottes or Haida Gwai depending on how old your Charts are. Here racers can choose between ocean routes or inside routes to suit their craft and conditions, everything is easier but stay aware as going down one of the long dead end inlets could cost days. I put Elsie one day ahead when they cleared Seymour Narrows, if they clear Johnstone Straight it could be 2.

    Team Broderna looks to be clearing Seymour Narrows while behind Golden Oldies finally woke up and are making the dash to the Narrows behind Por Favor, right now the door is closing with the next turn at 5:39 pm Pacific Time. This may not put them behind Broderna if the afternoon gale in Johnstone makes Broderna wait for the morning window at the top of Discovery Passage like Elsie the day before.
     
  4. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Elsie is getting clear of Johnstone but the next wave has made it to the start of Johnstone Inlet so I'll keep the lead at 24 hours for now and check in later. Por Favor is still going, now in 2nd and Mau is getting through the gate at Seymour Narrows.

    But what is going on with Golden Oldies? They are heading south out of Discovery Passage towards Georgia. Could this mean more weenies for the roast?! And such celebrated batch too. Better butter these buns well....hopefully it is a pit stop but we've seen this march before. I'll check in later to see what has sorted out.
     
  5. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Elsie is well out of Johnstone and off Alert Bay. Here and on up to Port Hardy are the last chances on, or just off in the case of Alert Bay, Vancouver Island for stores, pubs etc....if you need provisions these are the places to check out.
     
  6. philSweet
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    philSweet Senior Member

    No truer words were ever said:D:D:D
     
  7. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    TV weather is often better....Speaking of weather and currents I think we better review some things. There was some excited posting on the R2AK website that makes me think the organizers are a bit green. Hand wringing over the conditions and amazement at Elsie powering against the current blast of Seymour Narrows.

    1 This is late spring people, winds happen like this even in the middle of the summer, get a grip. Anchor someplace cool to explore or reef down and bang into it but above all make sure you have a boat that can take it.

    2 Current in hell holes. Yes there are these places but use the current tables and rule of 12s when sizing up your chances. When Elsie butted through Seymour the max that current would become was about 10.5 knots. The big tide 17 knot ones happen at the big tides... use the current tables....here is how it works. the first hour 1//12 of the water flows, the second 2/ 12s, the 3rd 3/12s, the 4th 3/12s the 5th 2/12s the 6th 1/12. Roughly of course. So translated into speed at the end of the first hour you are seeing a bit more than 3 knots, end of 2 hours over 6 knots, end of 3 hours into the beginning of 4 we achieve our peak speed of 10.5 then it starts slowing down again the same way it sped up. If you are getting 7 knots of boat speed and can handle the rips, eddies and overfalls 2 hours late you are still making hay but it is taking a calculated risk. Being there you can see if it looks feasible, cruisers shouldn't bother.

    Multihulls handle these things far better than monohulls as the spread out stance helps them stride over the turmoil. When I was on a 60 ft Seine boat in Johnstone coming back from Alaska one of the 60 footers was rolled over by a current eddiy in Johnstone. Top heavy, 1 hull = no balance.

    In conclusion - The natural world has no idea what is going on on the web. It doesn't care what people have convinced themselves of or calculated as "normal". Until we get satellite weather control Mother Nature is offline, just responding naturally to changing planetary conditions. I see this every year and wonder what the fuss is about but I never invested too much in internet driven expectations. While it is fun to dream waking up is a necessary part of real world adventures.
     
  8. HASYB
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    HASYB Senior Member

    GO are reported to have lost a halyard and are out.
     
  9. Russell Brown
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    Russell Brown Senior Member

    Don't really have any insight.... except the lack of time to work out the bugs... and that maybe it's sometimes better to avoid attention while getting your ducks in a row and maybe hold your mouth just right sometimes too, if you know what I mean...

    Team Kohara is pretty impressive eh? Ancient boat, no sponsors, no local knowledge, young guys.
     
  10. Russell Brown
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    Russell Brown Senior Member

    Sorry, never said that. We lead for the last half or two thirds of the crossing, but Golden Oldies snuffed us at the entrance to Victoria harbor.
     
  11. HASYB
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    HASYB Senior Member

    No, no, I'm sorry to have misunderstood you, I was reacting , interpreting, your post in SA:

    "No, we weren't really racing. We were signed up as a chase boat (for the Victoria side) and started late and to leeward of the fleet. Once we got going though, it was obvious that we needed to let the boat out of the barn as the conditions were perfect for us.
    We had some technical difficulties and stopped a couple of times (besides being half cocked to begin with), but still found ourselves above everyone else by about the halfway mark and led the rest of the way.
    The Crowther cat, besides having high freeboard, is a rough water machine (with a 55 foot Marstrom mast) and was powering through the square waves without slowing down. They caught us at the finish because I was too stupid to look at a chart and my crew was on the floor next to a bucket.

    There were some really quick boats in this race and yet my 21 year old cruising boat (with 21 year old sails that have been halfway around the world) was faster upwind.
    Maybe proas deserve a closer look. That's all I'm sayin'.
    Russell"
     
  12. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Not sure I understand holding the mouth just right Russell. I took a Gary Baigent correspondence course in inducing blunt vocal force trauma as a substitute for sensitivity training. What some of these teams have done is standard business practice for promotion, advertising and fund raising so perhaps should be excused as a norm.
    I'm sure my own "what were they thinking" comments have ruffled a few tail feathers but there are a lot of geese getting cooked here.... I'm sure everyone will learn a lot from the race, the sponsors, organizers and participants will all improve if it continues...
     
  13. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    I'll practice my new found restraint by trying not to lay an egg...The Golden Goose is out because of a broken halyard?.... my own ducks, who hate line ups, let alone rows ( they don't give a flock) are dragging me off for the night before I can say more....
     
  14. HASYB
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    HASYB Senior Member

    :D

    Learning & enjoying, not only about the race, a lot.


    Cav, hey Cav….. got a rope for me?…….. Please!
     

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  15. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Elsie is continuing the Ocean sprint, they and Por Favor who are doing well in Johnstone Strait continued through the night. I'd put their lead at about 12 hours now. Further back Broderna and MOB are in the Race and Current passage area. Broderna might be at Helmken Island, one of my favorite places to stop in the maelstrom. MOB is the only other boat moving North of Seymour Narrows, the Soggies got through the gate at some point and are catching their breath.
     
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