Photo by Richard Marshall
7 mm.
In the before Zircon era, trim adjustments in millimeters were probably figments of a trimmer’s imagination. To ease the perfect amount, you uncleated, eased too much, and then had to trim back in. Or worse, knowing that would happen, you didn’t adjust at all. During that time, the sail was either under or over-trimmed.
Zircon blocks overcome inertia from friction so easily, that you react in fractions of time and sheet–creating better matched shapes that pay off in boat lengths. Boat lengths that can be the difference between looking down from the podium...or looking up.
02 FEBRUARY
03 MARCH
Spring Series Race #1
Collingwood/Halibut Bank (VARC)
NWIS Team Race Championships (Oak Harbor, Sand
Spring Series Race #2
Rock n Roll Regatta
Open Fleet Race Championships (Anacortes)
Spring Dinghy Regatta
Race to the Straits
(Free) Race
Crew Overboard Race 10-11
Hobie Race, Cultus Lake, B.C.
Thetis Island Regatta (VIRS 2)
10-11 NWISA Fleet Race Championships (CGRA) 10-11 SYC Vashon Island Tri Island #2 15-18
Pacific NW Offshore
Mid-Distance Series 5
POYC, WSSA Port Orchard Invitational Regatta
Lake Spring Regatta 17-18
COSA Springtime Regatta, Kelowna 17-18 SISC Round Saltspring Island Race (VIRS 3)
23-25 MSA Pursuit Race 1
24-26 RVicYC 80 th Swiftsure International (VIRS 4)
30-6/1 SCYC Lasqueti Island Race (VIRS 5)
31 SYC Blake Island Tri Island #3
31-6/1 JSC Jericho Classic Regatta
31-6/1 OHYC Round Whidbey Race
31-6/1 PTSA Classic Mariners' Regatta
31-6/1 RNSA, WVYC, NYC RNSA/WVYC/NYC (VARC)
31-6/14 VI Van Isle 360
07 JULY
1 RVicYC Lipton Cup, Trophy Race #4
6-8 NYC SIN Regatta (VIRS 6) 7 CWB Tiny Boat Regatta
7 STYC Three Buoy Fiasco
7-8 HOBIE Jericho Cat Classic, Vancouver, BC
7-8 HOBIE Live on the Edge, Fern Ridge
7-8
RVicYC 2.4mR Fleet Championship
8 SYSCO Singlehanded Beer Can Race
13-15 RVicYC, PAYC Hands Across the Water Regatta
AYC Vendovi Island Race
BIYC Round Bowen Island Race (VARC) 14 BRYC, WSSA Blake Island WSSA #6
BYC Point Roberts Race
PTSA Smith Island 14 RCYC Medium Distance Race 14 RVicYC School League Championship Regatta 14 TYC Summer Vashon 14-15 RWB, CYCS J/Fest
14-15 CYCT Lido Rgatta (Port Orchard)
14-15 SYC Star & Bar Match Race Series, Round 2 18-22 CYCS US Sailing Junior Women's Singlehanded Championships 19 MSA Solstice Single/Double Race 20-22 CYCS Salish 200 Race 21 CYCT 3 Hour Tour #1 21 OIYC Round Orcas 21-22
Mad Dash
21-22 NWYRC FJ Frenzy on the Freshwater 21-22 RVanYC WAVES Regatta Dinghies 21-22 RVicYC THRASH Regatta (VIRS 7) 25 BYC Moore Invitational Regatta 28 NWM WA360 Race
OWSA Women's Regatta
1
RVicYC Great Cdn Pursuit 1-5 TPYC TransPac Starts Begin 5 AYC Jack Island Race
5-6 JSC ILCA Pacific Coast Masters
5-6 KYC Kits Invitational
5-6
RVicYC Amazing Race to Long Harbour
11-13 OHYC Whidbey Summer Classic
12 BYC WOW Regatta! (Women on the Water) 12 CYCT 3 Hour Tour #2: Ruston Classic
12 PTSA Partridge Point
12 RVanYC One Design Regatta
12-13 CGRA, NWYRC WIND Regatta
12-13 VRC Summer Regatta (VARC)
17-19 SQYC SOAR Regatta (VARC)
19 AYC Guemes Island Night Race
19-20 BYC Keelboat One Design Regatta
19-20 CGRA Opti PNW Championship
19-20 JSC Andy Hunt Celebrational Regatta
19-20 NWYRC Ray Jarecki Orcas FJ Regatta
19-20 PTSA Small Boat Regatta
20 SYSCO Dual Bridge Duel
21-25 RWB Race Week Bellingham
25-27 CGRA Columbia Gorge One Design (CGOD)
26 SYSCO St. Helens Race and Cruise
27
RVicYC Jemmy Jones Island Race
Photo by Jan Anderson.
Photo by Jan Anderson.
PERPETUAL TROPHIES:
BC Sailing has been gifted four new perpetual Trophies to recognize the best of the best competing in keelboat racing.
• BC Sailing Pachena Point Trophy for Offshore Racing Awarded to a boat from British Columbia that participated in at least one Category 2, 1, or 0 race. Priority given to races organized by BC Sailing member organizations.
• BC Sailing Race Rocks Trophy for Long Distance Racing Awarded to the best performing boat in BC-based Category 3 Distance Racing events of 90 nm or greater. The top BC-based boat, if not the winner, will also be recognized.
• BC Sailing Point Atkinson Trophy for Medium Distance Racing Awarded to the best performing boat in BC-based Category 3 Distance Racing events of less than 90 nm. The top BC-based boat, if not the winner, will also be recognized.
• BC Sailing Entrance Island Trophy for Keelboat Racing Awarded to the best performing boat in BC-based Distance Racing events not categorized as Offshore or Coastal (i.e. inshore). The boat should have competed in more than one event and traveled to more than one racing region. The top BC Based boat, if not the winner, will also be recognized.
RACES:
• Patos Island Race March 29-30, 2025
Hosted by SNYC, sponsored by Blackline Marine, long (67 nm, a Van Isle 360 qualifier), a short (43 nm) course, and new for 2025, a nearshore course option of 30nm. www.patosislandrace.com
• Southern Straits Race April 18-20, 2025
Hosted by WVYC, 100 nm ORC course (a Van Isle 360 qualifier), 55 nm course for PHRF divisions, 36nm (Inshore) course for PHRF and Doublehanded, “around the cans” day race for sport boats. www.wvyc.ca
• Swiftsure International Yacht Race May 24-26, 2025
Hosted by Royal Victoria Yacht Club, 138 mile course, 101 mile course, 75 mile course options, and an inshore race. www.swiftsure.org
• Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race May 31 - June 14, 2025
Nine legs over two weeks, circumnavigating Vancouver Island. Qualification required. www.vanisle360.com
• Salish Sea Regatta September 5-7, 2025
Hosted by Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Three day-long stage races (no overnight sailing), covering a total of 85 miles. www.royalvan.com/salishsea
• Cascadian Convoy September 20-21, 2025
Hosted by Canadian Forces Sailing Association, three divisions, long course is a Van Isle and Vic-Maui qualifier. www.cfsaesq.ca
Photo by Kevin Mueller.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STANDING RIG TENSION
Content sponsored by PTR Rigging and Spars
There is a systematic approach to how your boat can sail at its best as it relates to the rig. It begins with viewing the rig and sails as an ecosystem that requires all the components to work together to function efficiently. Tension and tune contribute to safety, reliability, and speed by ensuring mast stability and enhancing sail shape. Dynamic stresses can damage the rig through movement of the mast which can be minimized through appropriate tension and tuning.
In general, tension is done at the dock and tuning is done under sail (on-thewater tuning is an art unto itself, and perhaps a topic of a future article). The process begins with proper setup of the mast, mast components, and the standing rig. A mast in column with proper rake and prebend is imperative as the base of mast stability and sail shape.
At the dock, the rig is made hand tight and in-line—not floppy or drooping. Next, review the following mast components and how they should be set up before more tension is pulled into the rig. The mast should be sitting on the mast step with full contact and bearing
(not toe or heel loaded). The mast head is positioned at a point plumb over the boat with the appropriate rake and prebend. The headstay length may need to be adjusted to achieve the desired rake. In a perfect world, a keel stepped mast would be centered in the partner ring.
Mast bend should not exceed approximately 2% of the height of the foretriangle. Avoid any inversion of the mast or S-shaped curves. Spreaders should have dihedral lift of 2-7 degrees matching port and starboard. Ideally, the mast is set up properly before the boat is measured for sails. The sailmaker may have something to say about the chord depth and location as it relates to the luff of the mainsail. With skill, minor imperfections in the spar can often be corrected in the process of tensioning the mast straight. An unfair mast can degrade sail shape, damage the spar, and be unsafe. Wedges or Spartite are set after rake and prebend is determined.
Most sailboat masts are secured with standing rigging that is either 1x19 stainless steel or Nitronic stainless steel rod. All 1x19 stainless wire and rod stretches under load, but returns to its original length when the load is removed. For 1x19 wire, the general rule of 1mm stretch per 2m wire is equivalent to 5% of breaking load, irrespective of the diameter of the wire. There are reliable published load numbers for 1x19 stainless and Nitronic rod1. These charts state the pounds per foot and stretch. The numbers are based upon the minimum breaking strength and a percentage. The load must be within a certain percentage of the minimum load. When it comes to tuning a rig, these published numbers guide the tension pulled into the individual stays and shrouds.
It is fundamental for all rig types that
the cap shrouds are correctly tensioned. At the dock, both cap shrouds should be identically tensioned to 15-20 percent of breaking load. The other shrouds and stays are brought up to tension evenly port and starboard all the while keeping the mast straight. This is not only for safety and stability of the mast but for optimum performance. There are many tools sold for measuring the amount of tension in the standing rig, but it can be done with very simple materials such as a 2 meter rod or stick (measuring the distance changed under tension and slack, compared to the stick, helping us understand dynamic stretch and tension when loading the rigging).
It is important to note that the hull must be stiff enough to ensure that tension in the shrouds and stays is not “wasted” in hull deformation2
Tension and tuning is where the magic begins so that sails and rig can work in harmony.
1. Hayn wire and rod rigging catalog 2. Seldén Hints and Advice
>1,000 yards from whale(s)
1/2 nautical mile = roughly 1,000 yards
Boaters must:
Commodores Cup Regatta 27 RVicYC Floyd Night 30-31 HOBIE Harrison Regatta
30-31 MBYC Maple Bay Regatta (VIRS 9)
30-31 PTSA Thunderbird West Coast Champs
30-9/1 AYC Northern Century
away obeying 7-knot speed limit
▸ Stay 1,000 yards away from Southern Resident(s)
▸ If within 1,000 yards, move away below 7-knot speed limit
▸ If within 400 yards (and if it is safe to do so), disengage transmission, luff sails, or stop paddling until whale(s) move away
transmission, cease paddling, luff sails
5-7
5-7
Salish Sea Distance Regatta
2.4mR Pacific Coast Championship
13-14
CRASH Regatta (VIRS 10)
Women's Invitational, Elliot 6 Meter Regatta 20 AYC Cone Island Race
CWB Norm Blanchard WOOD Regatta
6-7
6-7
Series Race #1
Lake Fall Regatta
Deep Cove Regatta (VARC)
6-7 JSC Tasar BC Championships
6-7 NWYRC, SSP Octoberfest at Sail Sand Point
6-7 SYC Star & Bar Match Race Series, Final (Invitational)
Series #3
&
12-14
13-14
PNW Singlehanded HS Championship
JSC End of Summer/Fireball BC Champs
Long Distance Race
10
OCTOBER
Dale Jepsen One Design Regatta 20-21
Cascadian Convoy (VIRS 11)
20-21
Caleb Tarleton Memorial Regatta (SSP) 20-21 NWISA NWISA Keelboat Championship (Shilshole)
20-21
Round the Island Race
Halloween Series #4
Robert A Smith Regatta
WSCYC Mosquito Fleet Mayhem
Puget Sound Sailing Championship (Small Boats)
Fall Dinghy Regatta
Eagle Island Race
Fall Championship (Oak Harbor)
Pumpkin Regatta — ILCA and Doublehanded
12 DECEMBER
6 TYC Winter Vashon SSS #1
13 SBYC Snowbird #2
13 SSSS Hope Island Race
14 WVYC Snowflake Fall Series, Race 4
26 STYC Boxing Day Race
26 THSA Rum Race
'26 EARLY 2026
1/3
1/4
1/10
1/11
TTPYC Duwamish Head SSS #2
RVicYC Johnstone Reef
SBYC Snowbird #3
SSYC Goosebumps Race Series #1
1/11 WVYC Snowflake Winter Series, Race 1
1/17 STYC Iceberg Race
1/24-25 CYCS Frigid Digit
2/21 SBYC Snowbird #4
3/21 SBYC Snowbird #5
WA WASHINGTON EVENING SERIES
3/13-9/25 OHYC Thursday Series
4/2-8/20 BYC Wednesday Keelboat Series
4/2-8/27 PTSA Wednesday Windward/Leeward
4/4-8/29 PTSA Friday Multi-Leg Open Series
4/7-8/25 PTSA Community Dinghy Mondays
4/3-7/31 TTPYC Thursday Series
4/8-9/23 CYCS Lake Tuesday
4/9-8/20 CYCT Wednesday Series
4/9-9/24 CYCS Lake Wednesday
4/9-9/24 CYCS Sound Wednesday
4/10-9/25 CYCB Evening Series
4/10-9/25 CYCS Sound Thursday
4/14-8/25 STYC Ballard Cup Series 1, 2, 3
4/16-9/17 AYC Wednesday KeelBoat
4/18-5/16 POYC Friday Evening Series
5/1-5/29 GHYC Bill Harter May Series
5/6-9/2 Duck Dodge
5/6-9/16 BYC Tuesday Dinghy Series
5/6-9/30 Kirkland Sailing Club J/22 Series (All J/22s Welcome)
5/7-7/30 CYCE Summer Series
5/7-9/28 OIYC Wednesdays + Alice E Sundays (Sept.)
5/23-9/19 WSCYC Six Pack/Casual Friday Series
5/28-8/13 SSSS Wednesday Series
6/6-8/15 MSA Friday Log Dodge Series
6/6-8/22 STYC, CYCS, SSC Sailfest
6/6-8/29 Kirkland Summer Sailing Series
6/12-8/14 EBM Downtown Sailing Series
BC BRITISH COLUMBIA SERIES
1/12-3/9 VRC Polar Bear Series
4/23-9/3 WVYC Wednesday Series 4/30-9/10 RVanYC Wednesday Series
OR OREGON SERIES
1/5-3/9 CYCP Sailing on Sundays
3/24-9/22 ISC & Club Monday Racing 4/17-8/28 SYSCO Tuesday/Thursday Series
4/30-9/24 RVicYC Wednesdays 10/26-12/7 VRC Polar Bear Series
6/4-8/27 OWSA Wednesday Sailing
7/20-8/24 PYC Sailing on Sundays 10/5-12/14 CYCP Sailing on Sundays
Mast Refit and Repair
ABBREVIATIONS – WEBSITES
Abb. Organization Website
AYC Anacortes YC www.anacortesyachtclub.org
BIYC Bowen Island YC www.biyc.bc.ca
BRYC Bremerton YC www.bremertonyc.clubexpress.com
BYC Bellingham YC www.byc.org
CBSA Cowichan Bay Sailing Association www.cowbay–regatta.ca
CFSA Canadian Forces Sailing Association www.cfsaesq.ca
CGRA Columbia Gorge Racing Association www.cgra.org
CWB Center for Wooden Boats www.cwb.org
CYCE Corinthian YC of Edmonds www.cycedmonds.org
CYCB Corinthian YC of Bellingham www.cycbellingham.org
CYCP Corinthian YC of Portland www.cycportland.org
CYCS Corinthian YC of Seattle www.cycseattle.org
CYCT Corinthian YC of Tacoma www.cyct.com
DCYC Deep Cove YC www.deepcoveyc.com
DD Duck Dodge www.duckdodge.org
EBM Elliott Bay Marina www.downtownsailingseries.com
GHYC Gig Harbor YC www.gigharboryc.com
FCYC False Creek YC www.fcyc.com
FHSC Friday Harbor Sailing Club www.fridayharborsailing.com
HOBIE Hobie Division 4 www.hobiediv4.org
HRYC Hood River YC www.hoodriveryachtclub.org
JSC Jericho Sailing Centre www.jsca.bc.ca
ISC Island Sailing Club www.islandsailing.org
ISSA Interscholastic Sailing Association www.hssailing.org
KSC Kirkland Sailing Club www.kirklandsailingclub.org
KYC Kitsilano Yacht Club www.kitsilanoyachtclub.com
MBYC Maple Bay YC www.mbyc.bc.ca
MSA Milltown Sailing Association www.milltownsailing.org
NWISA NW Interscholastic Sailing Assoc. www.nwisa.hssailing.org
NWM NW Maritime www.nwmaritime.org
NWYRC Northwest Youth Sailing www.nwyouthsailing.org
NYC Nanaimo YC www.nanaimoyc.ca
OHYC Oak Harbor YC www.ohyc.org
OIYC Orcas Island YC www.oiyc.org
OWSA Oregon Womens Sailing Association www.owsa.net
OYC Olympia YC www.olympiayachtclub.org
R2AK Race to Alaska www.r2ak.com
RCYC Rose City YC www.rosecityyachtclub.org
RVanYC Royal Vancouver YC www.royalvan.com
RVicYC Royal Victoria YC www.rvyc.bc.ca
RWB Race Week Bellingham www.raceweekpnw.com
S200 Salish 200 www.salish200.com
SBYC Shilshole Bay YC www.shilsholebayyachtclub.org
SCYC Schooner Cove YC www.scyc.ca
SE Sound Experience www.soundexp.org
SISC Saltspring Island YC www.saltspringsailing.ca
SJIYC San Juan Island YC www.sjiyc.com
SLF Seattle Laser Fleet https://seattlelaserfleet.org/
SNSYC Sidney North Saanich YC www.snsyc.ca
SNW Sail Northwest www.sailnorthwest.com
SQYC Squamish Yacht Club www.squamishsoar.com
SSS Southern Sound Series www.ssseries.org
SSSS South Sound Sailing Society www.ssssclub.com
SSYC Seattle Singles YC www.seattlesinglesyc.com
STYC Sloop Tavern YC www.STYC.org
SYC Seattle YC www.seattleyachtclub.org
SYSCO Small Yacht Sailing Club of OR www.syscosailing.org
TCYC Tiddly Cove YC www.tiddlycove.bc.ca
THSA Turkey Head Sailing Association www.thsa.bc.ca
TTPYC Three Tree Point YC www.ttpyc.org
TYC Tacoma YC www.tacomayachtclub.org
VLSC Vancouver Lake Sailing Club www.vlsc.org
VRC Vancouver Rowing Club www.vrcracing.ca
WSCYC West Sound Corinthian YC www.wscyc.net
WSSA West Sound Sailing Association www.wscyc.net/wssa
WVYC West Vancouver YC www.wvyc.ca
Photos by Jan Anderson
