J/Teams Cruise Southern Straits Race

(Vancouver, BC, Canada)- “The 48th Annual Southern Straits Race, hosted by the West Vancouver Yacht Club, was basically a “cruise” up and down the Straits.  While the winds were definitely on the lighter side, the fleet had a spectacular spinnaker start for the 2nd year running, with “HMCS Orioles” magnificent sail drawing an audible gasp from the crowd gathered on the shore as the breeze filled in,” commented Sonia Telford, the 2016 Southern Straits Race Chair.

She goes on to say that, “The rain held off until the last few hours of the race as the wind filled in to bring the last racers across the Finish Line. Competitors remarked that they saw more sea life on the course (dolphins, sea lions, killer whales and a massive grey whale) then they have ever seen before.

A total of 83 boats competed on the four courses offered, with the last 3 competitors sailing on the Medium and Long Course right until the final minutes of the race.

Thank you to the WVYC Staff and 108 Volunteers that have put their heart and soul into this amazing weekend of sailing!”

The 138nm race takes place in the Southern Strait of Georgia Race over the Easter weekend. There are three turning marks, the race starts at the Point Grey Bell buoy, the first mark is Entrance Island, the second is a lighted buoy 1.5 miles south of Pt. Roberts, third mark is White Islets, and the finish is at Passage Island. It has become a popular race for the Pacific Northwest offshore sailing fraternity.

John McPhail’s mighty blue J/160 JAM from Gig Harbor YC took home the silver in Division 2, rounding the track in 44:01:51.  Just behind them in their first major offshore race ever was Bron Miller’s brand new J/122E JOY RIDE from Seattle YC; finishing the race in 45:42:33 and taking third place.

In Division 4, sailing the 98.1nm Medium distance race, was Bob Brunius’ J/120 TIME BANDIT, easily eclipsing their class with an elapsed time of 36:44:40 and winning on corrected time by 87 minutes!  As was told to HM Queen of England after the Americans won the 100 Guinea Cup, “there was no second, Your Highness!”

Mimicking their 120 colleagues were the J/109s in Division 5 on the same Medium Distance track.  Winning class was Jim Prentice’s J/109 DIVA with a course time of 37:18:09, winning by an hour corrected time.  In fourth place was Mark Hansen’s MOGO and in fifth place was Tom Sitar’s SERENDIPITY.

The sole J/crew on the Short Course of 66.4nm was John Tulip’s J/35C IRENE II, taking sixth in Division 8.  For more Southern Straits Race sailing information


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