Race to Alaska and a listing of race entrants so far

In case you didn't track down the unfortunate foiled misery.
This race is no mean feat and long before over.

In the top 10 Roger Mann seem to be going along just fine alone in his Hobie Adventure….. Man…..

http://smallcraftadvisor.com/our-blog/?p=4448

 

A bit on Elsie Piddock's already historic win in 5 days and 55 minutes, for sure a challenge to beat in the next race.
What surprised me the most is they just look like friendly, normal, human beings.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/race-to-alaska-race-won-by-seattle-based-team-in-5-days-55-minutes-1.3112249

 

Boy oh boy the guys at the back are in for a tough time, straight into the teeth of the hiding.

 

Alaska

------------------
Thanks for that story. I don't think I'd try a race like that in a Rave foiler but these guys trained and must have figured they could make it.

 

59th

Hey HAYSB, I'd just use the Nicol because it would be most interesting to me. It doesn't have the speed of a carbon Farrier but it is a nice cruising platform for these waters. The last couple of years we have been vacationing in the Johnstone area as a example. The key word for me though is cruise, our sailing instructions are to work in harmony with natures rythms. Racing requires an attempt to ignore or conquer them which is a bit contrary to our mission objective. If I ever did race it would most likely be as an unofficial entry for fun. I'd hate myself for paying in $600 rather than spending it on the boat outright. I'd like to rig up a pedal drive anyway as we often paddle from zepher to zepher to avoid starting the engine for 10 minutes. I think the winds in June will be a challenge for rowers but if they ever get a calm they'll be the winners.

 

OK. Thanks Cav, very much appreciated. Savvy.

Think I wouldn't mind participate in this race one day.

 

Many congratulations to Team "Elsie Piddock" for winning the race by a massive margin

We all knew they had a very fast boat (it won many big PNW races under its previous ownership) and the new crew were very experienced tough sailors

The only reason I had MOB down as the boat to beat was because of Elsie Piddock's lack of multihull racing experience. They certainly have that now! and I look forward to racing against them again soon.

Team Por Favor was unexpectedly fast, but they are also a very tough, experienced crew with a comfortable boat (one of the few with a cabin heater for example). They overtook us when we anchored for the night off Hardwood Island, as we didn't fancy another 40knot windward night-time bash - they did!

More posts later, meantime I have just uploaded three short videos of our race on Golden Oldies

Rowing into Victoria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wzBkGRgn50

Seymour Narrows twice in 2 hours https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yJZQAlXopA

Cruising home under headsails at 15+ knots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KiDDOJTZzo

we had three GoPros running 24/7 so eventually will have more videos online

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

 

Richard, thanks for chiming in,

The vids, especially the one about Seymour Narrows, are very much appreciated.
Pity you guy's weren't able to fix the halyard. It looks, from here I know, such an, sorry to say, silly way of retiring since you entered the race so very good prepared.

OK. thanks again.

 

We had already 4 major gear/boat problems, the main halyard was the final straw. The halyard was new for the race. In fact new halyards were delivered to the Pt Hudson marina office on the day before the race. With all the panic of the last day we forgot to pick them up before the office closed. Fortunately the race officials knew the marina owner so was able to get them out of the office that night.

You saw the conditions we were in. If you can suggest how we could reeve a new halyard on a 55ft fractional rigged mast with no way of getting to the masthead I'd appreciate knowing, because we couldn't think of a way

It later took all 5 of us an hour to do it when moored in the calm of our marina on Saturna.

I broke a main halyard during the 1987 AZAB and since then have always fitted a topping lift that would double as a main halyard on every boat of mine. But of course GO was not my boat...

We were not at all ready for the race. I had not sailed the boat before grabbing the tiller as we left for the start, even the owner had only sailed it once. With a few months more preparation we'd be really ready, but then so would many other boats. Its significant that none of the new boats did well.

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

 

OK OK. No offense meant, whatsoever, at all. Just armchairing at the moment.
The opposite in fact, but are you suggesting now that the halyard wasn't the real problem?
And perhaps even more intriguing, will you guys participate next year? But then better prepared.

With all respect as I stated above and still lousy armchairing and contemplating on the other side of the globe.
Adding this after posting when realizing I'm also a bit surprised that so many very, very, experienced sailers underestimated, is that the right word, this race.

 

I asked myself in following the progress (and retreat) of "Golden Oldies", if there wasn't the opportunity to fix the halyard in one of the many towns (probably with ports/marinas and corresponding facilities) along the way and afterwards continuing with the race.
Considering the shore times of almost all crews (excluding "Por Favor" and "Elsie Piddock") I would have expected "Golden Oldies" to be competitive even with a 24 hours repair stop at least for the steak knives - given the proven speed potential of the boat and the track record of the crew.
But I don't know nothing... .

 

Richard, another question if you don't mind.

The choice of rowing on GO looked pretty solid but how was the comparison to other teams who choose pedal drive and would you change anything now in hindsight.

 

Remember we had no mainsail and no engines. So we would have to sail into any marina or harbour under headsails. We didn't go too well under jib alone, but surprisingly did tack through 90 deg under screecher (according to our gps track). However it took a long time to complete each tack so was not very manouverable up wind. Thus we did not feel confident going into a marina. Campbell River and Nanimo weren't possible, nor were Powell River or Comox because of the approach to the marinas.

I was surprised how well our rowers could row a 38ft catamaran. The transom scoops made fitting the seats an easy option, each was held on by three bolts and both were removed in 20 minutes on our return. Pedal drives would have needed more modification and didn't appear to be any more effective. Several F boats had them

The person making the custom pedal drives for other boats had material supply problems and so didn't get them finished in time for the race. He sails a 45ft trimaran and lives locally so I may see a finished example soon.

Other problems we had included delaminating carbon mast and mainsail, beam bolts moving 10mm and a cracked gooseneck

Like many other teams some of our crew had limited vacation time and could not sail indefinitely

RW

 

@Richard
Ok, thank you for this insight! Didn't think of the problem of going into a marina without main.
I just interpolated the situation in Victoria (where each participant had to go into the harbour without sail and motor) to the other harbours under way - but this was another place and other circumstances I guess.
But if you had to quit the race by using outside help anyway, why didn't you use the tow into a harbour earlier on your way back. Wouldn't it have been a much more enjoyable journey home or was it just an experiment about how the boat behaves under these conditions under headsail alone?

 

OK, sounds like you guy's had some serious trouble on your hands.
Thanks for sharing Richard.