RACE TO ALASKA 2018 and Seventy48 Race

Saw most of the racers while they squeezed between Victoria and Trail Island on Sunday at the end of my 80 mile fathers day weekend run. Impressive seeing the self-powered crews, considering how worn out I was after pulling crab pots and looking after the family in luxury.

One rower/sailer seemed to think the long way around trail island was the way to go and the SUP fellow was among the leaders. Hats off to each competitor and of course to your favorite Harvey, Great to learn about his cause.
 
WOW, Monohulls are doing it. And Sail Like A Girl is screaming out there. What a race. And what endurance.

Yes, Team Operation Torrent message deserves to be shared.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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The leaders have averaged 4.75 mi per hr so far, and with 140 or so to go, should finish in about 30 hours, or about 6 am Pacific Coast Daylight Saving Time, plus or minus a few hrs., Sunday morning.

Go Girls!!! :lol:

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Joe, thanks for doing the math and the prediction.

Here is another live camera link. This one is from Robson Bight, which is almost directly across from the Cracroft Point camera I posted earlier. It appears to be on a slow scan of the Strait, so one or the other should be able to pick up the boats as they traverse Johnston Strait. There should be lots of race traffic across these screens today.

https://explore.org/livecams/oceans/orc ... bson-bight

I love the sounds of the water, eagles and the occasional boat. (Although power boats owned by John Q General Public are not allowed into the Bight itself -- Orca preserve -- you can hear them go by the opening. Robson Bight has a big rocky beach and is a popular whale rub beach.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Looks like Matt Pruis on the TRAK Kayak, (Which is an interesting vessel)< is going to “portage” the tidal flats between West and East Cracroft Islands. Lagoon Cove Marina is on the north end, Port Harvey Marine Resort is at the south end. Hope he got some Sticky Buns and Pizza.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

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Harvey-

Looks like they're only able to average about four knots across the Dixon Entrance, which means the winds are very moderate / gentle.

Puts the leader into Ketchikan about mid-morning tomorrow. Will there be a live cam in Ketchikan?

Would be great to witness the first finisher crossing the line, etc.!

Go Girls! :lol:

A taste of the FUN (Day 3): https://r2ak.com/2018-clip-of-the-day/

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
At about 1800 race time, there is less than 50 miles to go for SLAG, and they are 10 miles ahead of the next boat, an Olsen 30, going 7 knots. The SOG will vary thru the night, because of currents and probably diminishing winds, but 10 miles is pretty significant lead at this point.

In all of the years past the dock cam at Ketchikan harbor, as well as at least one in the straits has been on and captured the finish. SLAG may have gotten some "messages" to keep the stern out of the water, and she has been sailing faster since Shearwater/Bellabella, check point. With the 8 crew members and at many times 2 of them on the pedals or in the cockpit the boat has been stern heavy, slowing her down.

On edit, after looking at a recent video posted by SLAG, they have two gals on the stern peddling and 5 in the cockpit,plus dumping water--to "lighten the boat"...it could be longer than they think, and I sure would not dump water until I was in sight of the finish line! I think it is their race to loose at this point.
 
...they have two gals on the stern peddling and 5 in the cockpit, plus dumping water--to "lighten the boat"...it could be longer than they think, and I sure would not dump water until I was in sight of the finish line!
Click to expand...

Dr. Bob, can you explain this to me in English?
 
I'm not Bob but I might be able to help.

From one of the video interviews Sail Like A Girl did, their human power is a bicycle peddle system driving underwater propellers. If their sailing speed is 4 knots or less they have two peddling stations that they run. There are 2 peddling at a time, and 2 sleeping at a time and they rotate through their stations with the exception of the helm station, where they are rotating 3 gals through.

I don't think they dumped all their water, they had enough for 10 days. Also, their boat uses water ballast.

They did have a scare with a floating "tree last night" so they are reducing some sail during the dark, and increasing their deck watch.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Here's the #6 web cam in Thomas Harbor that Bob mentioned:

https://webcamketchikan.com/alaska-sized-view-cam-6/

Here's the master cam page, try looking around for the best view of the finish as they get to Ketchikan.

https://webcamketchikan.com/

Besides the issue of whether or not to dump the boat's water supply and/or ballast water, the other remark Bob made was about dragging the stern.
It's extremely slow to sail a sailboat in light air with the transom corner (where it meets the bottom) below the level of the water.
The sharp ~90 degree corner, if below the water level, creates turbulence behind it which induces serious speed robbing drag on the boat, and especially so, in light air.

Go Girls! :lol:

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Thanks for finding that link Joe. Looks like it is still light up there.

As to the heavy stern drag, I can't speak to that as it was never addressed in anything I saw. I believe that their peddling gains them about 1 to 1.5 knots when they are below 4, and they are a pretty astute bunch so maybe they have the ballast/balance thing figured.

From the last Tracker check a few minutes ago, Team Sail Like A Girl is only about 7 miles from the finish and they are doing 6.2 knots. Looks like they will be at the table for a good hot breakfast come morning. ETA finish (my guess) will be around 0200 Sunday morning.

The second boat, Lagopus, is about 8 miles behind and doing about 5.6 knots. I don't think they have ever been more than about that far apart from the get go.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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At 0110 Sunday Morning, Team Sail Like A Girl is showing 100% complete on the Tracker, but they are still moving at 4.9 knots and they have about a boat length to go on the screen yet. I found 4 people on one of the Ketchican city cams on the street but no activity at any of the other cams or on the dock. I don't think all those cameras are on real live time.

Maybe they sneaked in :roll:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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At 0013 Alaska time, after 6 days, 13 hours and 17 minutes, Team Sail Like A Girl completed 710 miles from Victoria to become the first Monohull to win the R2AK. They were met by an very exuberant dock full of people, and I doubt if there is anybody still sleeping in Ketchican after all the celebration noise.

710 miles from Victoria, BC in 157.26 hours give them an average of 4.5148 miles per hour over the distance. Not shabby by any means for 6 and a half days of steady sailing is somewhat less than perfect conditions.

Way to go Girls :thup :thup

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Thanks for the report, Harvey!

Congratulations, girls!

And also to all the competitors in this crazy race!

Maybe now e all can get some sleep??? :lol:

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Harvey, thanks for the info--you guys stay up later! Sorry about missing the link on the cameras in my post.

Sail Like A Girl wins,--...So they moved fairly well thru the night. Well sailed! The Olsen 30 was also in before 5 AM--with the Santa Cruz 27 having a little ways to go.

In very light conditions, the ultra light mono hulls beat the multihulls. The human propulsion had a lot to do with that also. Very interesting race--not as much drama as in some past years, but still a very telling race--and a lot of fortitude for the winners---and all of the racers. Especially the SUP, which will probably finish (I hope) before the Grim Sweeper heads North to pick up the stragglers. Torrant, the stand up paddle board, is well ahead of some of the sail boats and other rowing vessels. He is moving at 3.5 knots at 5 AM. Very impressive. The Melges 32 (SLAG) has a performance handicap rating of 24 to 33 seconds a mile, the Olsen 30 has a rating of 108 seconds per mile. By that rating system (imperfect) the Melges 32 should have beaten the Olsen 30 by 15 hours and 40 minutes. But this is no ordinary sailboat race!

As for dragging the stern. when you put weight in the stern of an ultralight sportboat, you bring it off its lines, and increase the wetted surface area. These sportboats have a very broad transom, with actually is mostly out of the water at low speeds. By depressing the stern, you decrease the speed significantly. This is discussed at length on sailing anarchy. I raced in several early ultralights and some dinghy classes, this is a well known fact. The "Sportboats" are basically enlarged racing dinghies. There are times you want the weight aft--and that will be in early planing and surfing conditions. None of these conditions were present in this race. If there was a question about dumping the water--the 6 gallons of water dumped (if that was all of the water) is not significant in boat speed. If for some reason they lost speed, and there was no water left, there could be serious health risks, considering that the girls were still peddling the props, and were changing peddlers frequently to get maximum power out of the human powered element.
 
All righty then, the 10 Grand is taken, and the stake knives too, but there is still a ton of racers on the course, lots of mini races still going on. And Doc Rat has no choice. He has to make Ketchican to pick up his boat engine. He shipped his diesel up there before the race started. Others have other personal goals. It isn't boiled down to being first, but getting through to the finish.

Just checked the cam at Cracroft Point. Looks like radar weather. Still plenty of R2AKers to pass there.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Just got back from a couple of days hiking in the Olympics so I missed the finish, but what an effort by those boats! I saw the crew of SLAG in Port Townsend before the race - a really enthusiastic, but business-like, and determined bunch.

PT Watercraft continues to impress. A solo sailor who is closing in on the finish line. That shows some unreal skill and endurance! The winning boat had a crew of 8, I believe, and I think all of the boats ahead of PT Watercraft have crews of at least 4.
 
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