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Charley Rathkopf To Return As Race Week Pro

Race Week in Anacortes is a healthy blend of the new and the traditional, with its familiar format in a new venue. Fans of the event can plan for a couple of extra doses of the traditional Race Week experience in 2023, which runs from June 26-30. First, the well-loved post-race parties will return for the first time since the event moved to Anacortes in 2021. And second, longtenured Race Week PRO, Charley Rathkopf, is set to re-take the helm of the race committee for this summer’s regatta. Here's a snippet of Race Week's press release about Charley's return:

“It’s critical for the growth of Race Week to get our Race Committee (RC) dialed in, and Charley and his team have delivered exceptional race management at Race Week for over 20 years,” shared Event Producer Schelleen Rathkopf.

Charley’s team will include Race Officer Paul Evenden from Vancouver, BC, veteran scorekeeper Christine Bounds-Poulin, and timekeeper Deb Prince. Mark set drivers will include Tim Dorwin, Dave Faulknar, and Arden Rathkopf; all experienced RC drivers.

“I am excited to get back on the water at Race Week with my team,” says Charley Rathkopf. “We’ve loved this event for so many years, and are looking forward to putting the band together and doing what we do best at the best adult summer camp that’s out there!”

» www.raceweekpnw.com

"LIVE ON THE EDGE" MULTIHULL CLINIC AND REGATTA IN EUGENE, OR

The days are getting longer, the sun is getting a bit warmer, preparations for the new season at Eugene Yacht Club are on their way, and the dates for the 2023 "Live on the Edge" Multihull Regatta and Race Clinic are set.

Race Clinic - June 8 & 9: This year's Race Clinic will be coached by Ken Marshack, an accomplished multihull sailor in various classes with a very impressive sailing record! You may remember Ken from prior Live on the Edge events, sailing his foiling A-Cat. He will focus on boat trim, tactics, and speed.

Live on the Edge Multihull Regatta - June 10 & 11: EYC will maintain the same format as prior years. All we need is sun, wind, and as many of you as possible on the water, enjoying the racing. Seven races are scheduled, and the regatta is open to all multihull classes. Registrants can camp at the EYC grounds free of charge, or at Richardson Park (adjacent to EYC grounds).

Registration details are available at EYC's Multihull page:

» www.eugeneyachtclub.org/multihulls

J/24 WORLDS COMING TO PUGET SOUND IN 2024

The J/24 Class World Championship regatta, one of the most prestigious events in international sailboat racing, will be held on Puget Sound in 2024 and hosted by Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle (CYC). The J/24 class recently notified CYC that its bid to hold the regatta had been accepted, and that the yacht club’s detailed plans “set a new high-bar” for the event.

“We are honored to be selected as the host for this event, which will draw some of the world’s best sailors to what we in Seattle already know is one of the world’s finest sailing venues,” said CYC Vice Commodore Wanda Creitz.

The regatta will be held Sept. 28 – Oct. 4, 2024, including five days of racing on a course north of Shilshole Bay. Regatta organizers are lining up charters from Fleet 26, the world’s largest J/24 group with about 30 active boats.

Seattle is home to a number of Olympic medalists and champions in various classes, including Keith Whittemore, who won the J/24 Worlds in Miami in 2019. The 2022 Worlds in Corpus Christi, Texas, featured teams from Argentina, Chile, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Trinidad, and the United States. The J/24 Worlds is the latest high profile regatta hosted recently by CYC, including the J/24 Nationals and North Americans, The Farr 30 Worlds, and the Tasar US Nationals.

For any sailors looking to get into the local fleet, CYC hosts weeknight racing on Tuesdays out of Leschi Marina on Lake Washington from April to September.

» www.j24class.org | www.cycseattle.org

VANCOUVER'S SALISH SEA DISTANCE RACE SET FOR SEPTEMBER 8-10

For the past two years, Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (RVYC) has run a three-day distance regatta, starting and finishing in Vancouver. It consists of three legs, each raced during daylight hours, with overnight stays at RVYC outstations. Local sailors have been having a blast with this event, and RVYC would like to invite racers outside of Vancouver to join the fun.

Friday's leg is 26 miles is from English Bay to Tugboat Island. Saturday brings the fleet near Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast (overnight at RVYC Garden Bay), a distance of 34 miles. The final leg is a 35-mile return to Vancouver (RVYC Jericho).

Racing will be in two fleets — Division 1: ORC Club GPH less than 600, Division 2: ORC Club 600 to 640, or possibly PHRF.

RVYC will make every effort to provide guest moorage to boats arriving from outside of Vancouver during the week prior to the race (like those continuing north from Bellingham's PITCH). The maximum fleet size is 40 boats (moorage limitations). All boats are required to be fully self sufficient, no support boats are permitted. BBQs and cooking facilities will be provided at each outstation, but camping is not allowed.

» www.royalvan.com/salishsea