Race to Alaska underway (R2AK)

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by Corley, Jun 8, 2017.

  1. Corley
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Corley epoxy coated

    The R2AK is underway with all of the boats underway on the first leg between Pt Townsend and Victoria. Oar was greater than sail on this leg with the Liteboat team coming in first in the very calm conditions.

    The tracker is here:
    2017 Race to Alaska - Stage 1: Proving Grounds http://tracker.r2ak.com/

    The R2AK website:
    Race to Alaska | No motor, no support, all the way to Alaska. http://r2ak.com/

    The R2AK facebook page:
    Race To Alaska by Northwest Maritime Center https://www.facebook.com/racetoalaska/
     
  2. Corley
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Location: Melbourne, Australia

    Corley epoxy coated

  3. Corley
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Location: Melbourne, Australia

    Corley epoxy coated

  4. Doug Lord
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    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Thanks for the updates , Corley!
     
  5. cavalier mk2
    Joined: Mar 2010
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    It will be interesting to see how the Gougeon 32 of Russel Brown stacks up with the Farriers.
     
  6. ondarvr
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    ondarvr Senior Member

    I enjoyed following it, thanks.
     
  7. rapscallion
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    rapscallion Senior Member

    The F25c can beat the G32 in heavy air. In light air, a well sailed G32 has an advantage - especially with Russel's carbon mast and pedal drive.
     
  8. Corley
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  9. Richard Woods
    Joined: Jun 2006
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    Location: Back full time in the UK

    Richard Woods Woods Designs

    This is what I just posted on my FB page (with photos) Richard Woods Designs https://www.facebook.com/richard.woods.designs/

    Saturna Island to the rescue!

    June 11th was also the restart from Victoria of the Race to Alaska, the R2Ak, that now infamous "no motors allowed" 750 mile race. After our 4 hours of rowing Saturnina we were tired, so I had second thoughts about going down to East Point to see the R2Ak boats drift past. But it was just as well I did. A group of local residents watched as Triceratops and PT Watercraft struggled to get past Boiling Reef in zero wind and against a 3 knot current that ripped through the narrow gap. Eventually Tr chickened out, turned round and went the safe way outside the reef. Russell Brown has a very sophisticated pedal powered boat and was able to just scrape past and then anchored for the night off Tumbo Island.

    The next boat to appear was the trimaran Big Boderna "they are cutting it close", we said, "Cannot they see the reef ahead, why are they paddling not pedalling?" But they had a plan and much to our surprise they came right under us, beached the boat, jumped ashore and said "Our prop shaft has sheered, any chance someone knows where we can make a new one" Talk about being in the right place at the right time. "deja vu all over again" I said to Lars, for exactly the same thing had happened as he had tried to overtake us in Bad Kitty in last years race just yards from the Victoria finish line.

    Fortunately for Lars, one of the other spectators was Priscilla Ewbank, the Saturna Store owner and she went with Lars and I to her friend, John Gaines' house, who hunted through his huge scrap pile and found a 10ft x 3/4in steel rod, an ideal replacement shaft. He also gave Lars a paddle, some threaded rod and lengths of pipe and tubing as "they may come in useful". Then it was a fast 20 minute drive to the other end of the island (at twice the legal speed limit) to Bob Bruce who has a very well equipped workshop and is an avid R2Ak fan.

    By now it was pitch black outside, Lars and Bob worked away while I stood around looking pretty. They cut the shaft to length, ground one end into a square, drilled out the prop and make a collar. Finally they made a basic bearing from the scrap tubing, two hose clamps and some wood blocks

    Then at 11pm, a mad drive back to the boat where we found the Big Boderna crew still patiently holding the boat off the rocks. Another frantic hour of filing and fitting and the new shaft was declared "good to go". So at 12.30am I watched them drift off, to head north up the Strait of Georgia.

    Bed for me, a pedal hard all night followed by a beat into a rising wind for the BB crew. Despite the 4 hour delay, as I write this they are in 3rd place, just behind Bad Kitty, the Saturna Island 35ft catamaran.

    Richard Woods of Woods Designs

    www.sailingcatamarans.com
     
    ondarvr and Tiny Turnip like this.
  10. ondarvr
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    ondarvr Senior Member

    I enjoy the play by play, and color commentating.
     
  11. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Ha Richard, it highlights the rural nature of the event when you are the local beauty! In defense of the magic of Saturna a local siren did take my son and I out to dinner one year after we met biking on the island. She got a sail of course but had to be lonely to chat up a scruffy Yank with a venerable trimaran..

    For my money I'd avoid the early approach to Georgia around the South side of Saturna and stay in the Gulf Islands to avoid the slop if the wind is light. I'm glad to see people were going through Dodd Narrows. We sail through often if the wind is with us, an hour before the slack with the current with gives a nice push. We did spin a 360 once hitting a eddy exiting on the Nanaimo side when the wind was light.

    Getting through the Seymour Narrows gate then the current at Race and Current Passages is the big door, nice to see Bad Kitty and BB still in the chase. You really need enough crew to keep going 24/7 to be competitive. And to stay warm and dry, the Pear Shaped tri dropped out for this reason.
     
  12. Corley
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Corley epoxy coated

  13. Corley
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Location: Melbourne, Australia

    Corley epoxy coated

  14. upchurchmr
    Joined: Feb 2011
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    upchurchmr Senior Member

    Who ever writes that stage report sure does like the sound of their own voice.
    Those reports are the worst report since I was just on Yahoo.
    The whole thing is teaser soundbites with no facts.

    Someone thinks their artsy BS is interesting.
    Count me out.
     

  15. Corley
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Location: Melbourne, Australia

    Corley epoxy coated

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