RACE TO ALASKA 2017

Ok just looked again and now bad kitty is making speed in the right direction and the track no longer shows the u turn?????
 
Tom the tracker updates about every 10 minutes (they can be set for different intervals). But it shows what the course, and speed is at the instant of transmission. Often times if the boat is tacking, you will see aberrant data, as you saw with "Bad Kitty".
 
After a full day, the multi's are taking over with the ability to run through the night. (Imagine sailing through Seymore Narrows after dark, a following light breeze, and running with the tidal current at near 10 knots.) Yikes. And then the sound of breaking waves somewhere beyond the range of the head lamps.

The rowers SUP's are still in the race, but it all depends on weather still. Bit of a blow last night took out one of the boats. I saw a not about that but not sure who/which it was.

Some gutsy, crazy, talented and capable crewing.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

DSC_4180_1.thumb.jpg
 
Significant breeze coming from the S. The 3 leaders are opting to tuck inside--They should make Bella Bella today--but hard to know exactly how much wind inside vs the known about outside. It is possible that they can ride the Southerly up to Ketchikan by the end of the week before it shifts back to more normal Northerly patterns. I don't know the condition or strength of their boats/rigs--but I probably would have gone outside to get the 20 knots.
 
Looks like "Pure & Wild/Freeburd" (the leader) went outside Calvert Island last night, but the next two boats appear to be going east of Calvert this morning. I haven't checked the tides, but Johnstone and Queen Charlotte straits look good for the smaller and combo boats right now. Of course by the time most of them get there . . .
 
Since motors are not permitted and human power so miniscule in comparison to the task, I can't see anything other than sail power being adequate to the task...
Click to expand...

Ditto. Especially, unassisted with no support boat. I wonder what safety precautions have been mandated and what the Canadian Coast Guard thinks of all this...
 
Storm Warning predictions for western Queen Charlotte Strait, and gales for the rest of the area starting tonight and continuing thursday. I think thats why they picked the inside route. Winds from the SE, seas up to 5 metres.

Ditto. Especially, unassisted with no support boat. I wonder what safety precautions have been mandated and what the Canadian Coast Guard thinks of all this...
_________________
Click to expand...

I'll bet they have the "fast rescue" boats ready to head out at a moments notice. Fast is all relative since it would take at least 2 hours to reach a boat in trouble off Cape Caution. Especially in 4-5 metre seas.

I wonder if the 3/12 Aussies and Ketch me if u can, will try to make it across Queen Charlotte given the weather predictions.
 
i Should have been more specific about "outside"--I was referring to going outside of both Calvert and Hunter Islands. The first 5 boats are all multihulls, and IF in good condition should be able to handle gale conditions. The ones I would be most worried about would be the cats. All of these boats have very experienced crews--but Ketchmeifyou can, only has 2 crew and is a beach cat--which has participated in a number of open ocean 1000 mile races--the others have 3 crew--which allows for a lot more sleep/rest.

As far as "rescue" I suspect these guys all know what is involved if they break down--There are no requirements for life rafts or exposure suits, so they are on their own. I don't know how many patrol boats Canda Coast Guard has on the coast currently, but remember there is the around the Vancouver Isle race going on as well as R2AK boats scattered over several hundred miles. Probably not going to be an asset close to the leaders, unless out of Prince Rupert. Their CG RIBS can go fast in smooth conditions, but in gale force, if they go...they are not going to be fast. (When we were cruising this area there were only 2 cutters and each had a RIB. I got a chance to have their crews aboard our boat for happy hour--and talked about their capabilities--at that time.)

From the R2AK site
Must have:
VHF radio
Sound signal
Navigation lights
An approved method for signaling distress at night
An approved PFD (lifejacket) for everyone onboard
A throwable floatation device

Suggested:
PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) -these save lives and take the Search out of Search and Rescue. Very strongly recommended.
Emergency smoke signals and dye markers
Radar reflectors
Emergency shelter
Sufficient water and food
Clothing and shelter systems that will retain heat when wet
Adequate first aid supplies
Charts and navigation equipment
Anchor and line
Redundant systems for safety, navigation, and emergencies

Notice no life raft in the list. Many boats have full floatation.., but hypothermia will kill fairly quickly in those waters.
 
Sailing multihulls of the size in the race, is those windy conditions could be very exhausting if the storm lasts more than 2 hours. Let's hope the can find safe harbor
 
Pedromo":8vezgxqb said:
Sailing multihulls of the size in the race, is those windy conditions could be very exhausting if the storm lasts more than 2 hours. Let's hope the can find safe harbor
Click to expand...
Which may be a rationale for staying "inside". I suspect that these guys will keep sailing based on their past performances (most have broken boats in the past in heavy conditions--thus the caveat on condition of the rigs and boats.) They know that the gale force conditions are a reasonable possibility when they start the race.

The first boat is thru the "gate" at Bella Bella, and heading for an area currently showing 28 knots out of South East. The wind direction should keep the seas down fairly well, close to land. One of the problems with the "Reaches" inland waterway, is that on occasion the wind my reverse 180 degrees as you round a corner.
 
IMG_6223.jpg

Now here is an interesting photo! This is a Contour 30, folding Tri. Name Harbinger. I noticed yesterday that she had pulled into Vancouver city....The deck let go in 25 knots of breeze, in Active pass. They decided that a "big city" was the best option for a fix--and sailed all of the way to Vancouver. Problem is that bilge pump was not working--at night--yep--must have been an 'interesting" sail.

My observation--is that the forestay is still well attached to the boat--thru the deck, and into the hull itself--not the deck. If the forestay had been tied onto the deck--most likely the whole rig would have come down! Looking at other Contour 30's it appears as if the bow sprit is retractable , or at least un-boltable. Some boats have a bob stay, fixed to the hull. In this boat, there is a tackle, with line--(which will stretch) instead of the bob stay. Also, there is no re-inforcement of the hull to deck joint--a bit frightening to me. The hull to deck joint is a simple shoe box joint--and there appear to be zero fastenings! Probably just 5200 (?) Remember that our C Dorys have the hull to deck joint glassed over--much stronger than this one.

There is a daily "pod cast" by the race boss, which seems to address some of the boat issues along the way:

here is the second one.
 
Should be a close race to the finish today. Good breeze from the South. Pure and Wild Freeburd, is still ahead, with Big Brodema only a few miles behind and coming fast. Many boats stopped for the night because of the heavy weather.
 
Wow!! That deck to hull joint does not look like it was all that robust. It appears to be a chemical only bond. Do you know if the bowsprit was a modification? I'm glad they made it safely back to Vanvouver.
 
Wandering Sagebrush":1qz4am50 said:
Wow!! That deck to hull joint does not look like it was all that robust. It appears to be a chemical only bond. Do you know if the bowsprit was a modification?
Click to expand...

Steve, I believe that it was a modification, which was not factory. The sail plan does show a sprit and a asymmetrical spinnaker. (Larger than the rest of the working sail area.) I found several Contour 30s which did not have the bow sprit, and others rigged differently. The audio report states that one of the whisker stays (apparently dacron rope) gave way, or slipped. Most splits have "whisker stays" (to the side) and Bob stays (downward), which are SS cable. In the past some cutters used chain with a 4 to 6:1 block and tackle. In this case it was all 2:1 rope, with an attachment point above the forestay attachment thru the hull., It should be down by the waterline, to give a better angle.

Many sport boats have retractable bow sprits--which are carbon fiber, and ride in tubes which are glassed into the hull. These are very stiff, and the hull tube is also very stiff, so no stays are necessary. A traditional bow sprit which retracts would be a substantial solid spar, running out thru "irons", perhaps with rollers, and tackles to set up the chains once pinned in place to a structural part of the vessel.....plus these guys had gybed twice quickly a asymmetrical Spinnaker in 25 knots of wind; way too much sail for those conditions!
 
For those interested, it is going to be a very close finish--only about 18 miles to go and the boats are within 1/4 mile of each other.
 
Anacortes boys won the steak knives (2nd place). Race continues until all finish or drop out, IMHO
 
Team Pure and Wild?Freeburd are on the dock in Ketchakan for first place. Second Place, from Anacortes according to Chromer, Big Broderna is on the dock just minutes behind. After 750 miles, not more than 10 minutes between the first and second place. That's a race.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

JC_Lately_SleepyC_Flat_Blue_070.thumb.jpg
 
Some interesting side bars. The team that won, had raced last years in a cat with 2 brothers. This year, the borrowed a trimaran and had 3 brothers!
The winning boat was borrowed, and the owner had just bought it several weeks before the race. He had raced last year--was commenting regularly on Sailing Anarchy, and then outed himself as the owner, just before the boat won. He will be sailing her in the race next year!

The second place boat had taken 4 hours to repair the drive shaft on their single prop, which was peddled by two bicycle arrangements--one on each side of the boat.

There is still another $10,000 on the block. There is an offer to buy one of the boats which finishes for $10,000. There are several boats which cost less than $10,000, and it will be interesting to see which boat sells. There are 3 more boats coming up. Bad Kitty took a night off--apparently no damage, but figured could not win, and so sat it out.

There are a number of boats, including one stand up paddle board which are thru Seymour Narrows, but waiting weather in Johnstone Straight. We should see a number of boats on the move tomorrow, and I think we will see a Stand up paddle boarder --or maybe 3 SUP finish this race. Still a lot of interesting racing to come.

Looked pretty cold in Ketchikan this PM! Brings back memories for us!
 
thataway":2l67a3vc said:
. . .

Looked pretty cold in Ketchikan this PM! Brings back memories for us!
Click to expand...

Indeed. We spent a week holed up there on one of our Inside Passage trips. The peak wind (in mph) was twice the low temperature (in degrees F) - On The Fourth of July! There is no way to make those numbers come out friendly. Gusts at Ketchikan airport hit over 80. The temperature dipped to 40. Did I mention the rain?

Last look at the north end of Vancouver Island showed winds of 37. The Heart of Gold SUP guy reported having to spend a lot of time paddling from his knees in the Strait of Georgia. I hope he (and the rest of the fleet) really pay attention to setting out around Cape Caution.

Great race.

Bill
 
Back
Top