Race to Alaska Escort Boat Service: PT to Victoria 6/4/15

I am impressed by team Elsie Piddock in the F 25C--about 50 miles ahead of the competition, and thru Seymour Narrows! Pretty talented crew--and the 6x Van Isle 360 experience seems to be paying off!

Here is the "resume":
Former USCG Officer
2 X Annapolis Newport- Bermuda Race
3 X Singlehanded Transpac
3X Pacific Cup
5X Hawaii to Seattle delivery
6X Van Isle 360

I noted that several of the teams (including soggy Beavers) spent a fair amount of time on the beach (no progress thru the water), got under way, and now is back on the beach. Hopefully there are no serious issues, either with people of the boat.
 
A good place to get more "news" is sailing anarchy.:

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index. ... 707&page=7

Also : http://48north.com/r2ak_reports.php?report_num=4

The Cat Turn point and Proa Pure and Wild have both dropped out of the race. The Proa team felt that they didn't have enough time to sort out the issues with the boat--items were breaking, they felt that 3 crew would have been better, since it took 2 to sail the boat, and with only two --no rest.

One of the sailors on Sailing Arnachy made a very interesting point. That these low budge extreme events are the new frontier of boating. Include in this the WaterTribe Everglades Challenge. The sport of one design or offshore racing has become so expensive, that participants are dropping out. For example the Newport to Enseneda race used to have a limit of 500 entrants. Nowadays 200 entrants is a struggle.
 
Hi Bob, and thanks for those links.

I watched Team Elsie Piddock go through Seymour at 29 hours into the race. They are screaming -- but the race is not over. Sorry to see Proa Pure and Wild drop out. They are not the first to make that choice for one reason or another.

I also noticed that there were several boats showing 0 speed for a while. Thinking, (hoping it was tide and wind conditions) not injury or equipment failure that put them their for strategy not rescue.

Is Water Tribe going to re-run do you think? The last I saw on that the USCG shut it down due to too many rescues.

On another line, USCG got credit for picking up the survivor of a capsize. some reporter really didn't have their facts down. It was a USCG Aux that had the tri under tow, and the Sheriff's Marine Patrol picked him off the Tri before it turned over.

Enjoy this, It isn't going to last long.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Yes, thank you for the links. Bob!
Now have the charts out and following the race and coments of those more knowledgable of the area than I. Good stuff and great fun, much more stoked by this than the Americas Cup last year! Wish I was younger and could be there! As a outrigger canoe racer I'm patriicularly interested in the progress of Team Soggy Beaver(??). They're doing well to this point but to get proper speed out the canoe they need the full crew and getting rest becomes an issue. 2-3 knots is going to be the speed with only three or four paddlers working. Sailing with 3 people so at least one can be resting most of the time seems to be working well for the leaders.
 
olsurfdog (By the way, I had a black lab which loved to body surf with me, and then she learned to wind surf, lying on the board while I sailed it…) I used to be a dory rower--but those guys are out…The soggy beavers have a lot of fortitude. There is a lot of strategy involved. The trimaran which is ahead, had done the Van Isle race 6 times. So they have a lot of experience on the first half of the race. They are also a group of three very talented sailors!
Incidently the Van Isle Race just lapped some of the second and 3rd place boats in the Race to Alaska.

Team Elsie Poddick, F25c, is only a few miles from Bella Bella--and she is way ahead by almost 90 miles by a series of straight lines, not counting tacking--well over 100 miles counting tacks, and detours for rocks and Islands. The second place boat is a Hobie 33 monohull.

I agree with you, that this is a great race--just wish there were more photos (some over on Sailing Anarachy). I find myself checking every few hours, and figuring out which way I would have gone.
 
Sorry I have been missing out today. Kind of did my own marathon type thing. Should have some time to get back with it tomorrow.

The 48" North link is a good one with sat phone connection to several of the race boats. I agree, this one is so much more fun than the America's Cup. It would be really great to be able to see more pix, and other info besides just the position, direction and speed. (Goals for next year -- IF)

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Unfortunately these races get both experienced and inexperienced entrants.
We have had a week solid of strong winds out of the NW
Local knowledge says AVOID as in stay away from the lee shore that is the mainland and upon penalty of disaster avoid Sandheads!!!!
Huge volumes of water out of the Fraser meet 25 knots of westerly and you are going to not enjoy your day! We had a race in the '70's that had 1/4 ton IOR boats in 50 knots and 30 ft seas at Sandheads, they didn't stop surfing till the got upriver to New Westminster
Sailors know to keep to windward, that means HUG the Island get in tight and beat to windward tack when seas too big
The lead few boats did that, Elsie Piddock was/is superbly sailed and will be the benchmark for future R2AK they are going like a train (10 knots )outside will likey finish Saturday if not before, outstanding seamanship!
We will see more multi's in future
George
 
Very well said George! My bet is some time before sunset on Friday. She is about 150 nautical miles from Ketchikan currently. The wind will shift more to the North, so there are some tacks. Also the wind profile shows some lighter airs, and even a couple of holes later today, and tomorrow. I still think she can make the distance tomorrow. I agree that this will be a record.

Also superb is the navigation. Look at the minefield at the entrance to Hunter Channel she traversed on the way to waypoint Bella Bella. We always went inside of Calvert Island, inside of Hunter Island, and then into Lama Channel.

It is so easy being an "arm chair sailor". But I would have had a multihull class, a monohull class, and a rowing/padling/sail assist class. OK no glamor of the $10,000 first to finish! Also I would have the boats using DeLorme Inreach which allows 160 character messages, and we would have much better updates from the boats.
 
Good thoughts ,Bob--I was thinking 2 divisions but at least three would be better. I don't know much about tracking systems, be nice to have some commentary from entrants if and when they could though.
Getting this race together was a big project- if they do another I'm sure they will do even better. I'm still lovin following along and reading all the coments I can find. Hope there is future for the race!
 
Another way to divvy into two or three classes: Racers and Entrants. A lot of people would just want to do the course, or part of it, Their fees would help with support costs. This could be an annual or every other year thing.

The STP (Seattle to Portland bicycle event) is a Sat-Sun run, really serious bikers may do it in one day, most 2. The house we are about to sell was along the course, we generally put up 2-8 people - it was a lot of fun.
 
Elsie Piddock is in Alaska waters, with less than 50 miles to do. Still doing 6.8 knots, so there is still enough wind to move. I suspect that she will slow down when closing on the finish, between the Islands. Still a lot of races within the race, but it looks as if EP will take home the cash, and most likely the Hobie 33 the steak knives (second place).

Some really magnificent boating!
 
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Finished--don't know the exact time, but some were about 1:55 PM PDT.

When I linked the photo the boat was just entering the yacht basin. By the time I finished typing, the boat is tied up to the dock--just by the crowd at the end of the float!

What a tribute to man's ability--and about 18 boats still underway--each story will be as exciting as these three. Plus the boats which have withdrawn all have even more impressive stories. Dismasted, not able to make way, good judgement calls!
 
Jaw dropping performance! Small boat, 750 miles mostly upwind in fresh to strong breeze, current passes, rocks! Tight channels, open sea and in 5 and a bit days, totally outstanding,
George
 
My apology, it appears that I did not post a static photo, but the image for that address will update about every 2 minutes, so the winning boat will not appear there.

It looks as if the #2 and #3 boats are going to rest for the night--and the only ones moving (at 2.6 knots) are the paddling canoe, "Team Soggy Beavers". They will probably be the first (and maybe only paddlers to finish, in the time limit. A sweep boat leaves Port Townsend on June 24, and arrives in Ketchikan on July 4--if the competitor is passed by the sweep boat they are DSQ--race is over.
 
Yes it's refreshing, low budget regular guys just blowing everyone's ecpectations! Just like the early days of solo transatlantics, or transpacs
Por Favor is being chased hard by Team Mob,
I have a feeling MOB is partly disabled as thier sppeds have been so low
Up to 6.2 now but for an up to the second custom Tri and that crew, its very slow
They are not quiters and even if they were severly banged up they'd continue
Wonderful stuff!
George
 
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