pv race and mexorc

'Super-Sonico' chases J/World's 'Cazan' around the weather mark in Race 3 of the MexORC Grand Finale.

the SD2PV — as often happens in iconic ocean races, the memories of a lighterthan-normal year will fade just in time for the 2022 edition.

— paul martson

Paul Martson is a senior offshore coach and the Puerto Vallarta location director for J/World Performance Sailing.

SDYC SAN DIEGO TO PV RACE, 3/5-13 ORR-1 — 1) Pyewacket 70, Mod. Volvo 70, Roy Disney; 2) Viva Mexico, Volvo 65, Erik Brockmann; 3) Cabrón, Botin 80, Steve Meheen. (3 boats) ORR-2 — 1) Grand Illusion, SC70, David Clark; 2) Mr. Bill, Andrews 70, David Happ; 3) Good Call, Swan 60, Tom Barker. (5 boats)

The Seattle-based 1D35 'Such Fast'. Owner David Garman is second from left.

'Viva Mexico' at the start of the PV Race.

ORR-3 — 1) Bretwalda3, Rogers 46, Bob Pethick; 2) Snoopy, J/125, Mark Surber; 3) Zero Gravity, Soto 40, Ivan Batanov. (3 boats) ORR-4 — 1) Horizon, SC50, John Shulze; 2) Hano Ho, SC50, Mark Dowdy; 3) Triumph, SC52, Steve Sellinger. (6 boats) ORR-5 — 1) White Cloud, Farr 39, Paul Grossman; 2) Katara, J/145, Roger Gatewood; 3) Cazan, DK46, Wayne Zittel. (7 boats) ORR-6 — 1) Sizzle, Hobie 33, Bill Hardesty; 2) Nalu V, Cal 40, Mark Ashmore; 3) Such Fast, 1D35, David Garman. (5 boats) Full results at www.pvrace.com

MEXORC, 3/13-18 (7r, 0t) OVERALL — 1) Peligroso, Kernan 68, Doug Baker, 3 points; 2) Super-Sonico, Swan 42, Carlos Romano, 8; 3) Katara, J/145, Roger Gatewood, 12; 4) Fast Exit II, Ker 51, John Raymont, 13; 5) Akelarre, Farr 40, 21. (21 boats) Full results at www.mexorc.com.mx

QUARANTINED IN PARADISE —

Spread: After sailing thousands of miles from the mainland, a lone cruiser enters Taiohae Bay, where dozens of foreign-flag boats are now waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic. Above: Taiohae looking south over the anchorage.

Most people seem to be hard-wired to pursue personal goals and ambitions of one sort or another. Among sailors, those goals often include travel to exotic, unspoiled places. That's why every year about this time voyagers of all stripes set sail from various ports along the West Coast of the Americas on the long-haul passage to French Polynesia called the Pacific Puddle Jump. Early last month I had the pleasure of meeting many of this year's fleet members during three South Pacific Bon Voyage events in Panama and Mexico. The excitement in their eyes was unmistakable, as I, and a team of South Pacific cruising experts, shared insider insights about the crossing, and the idyllic interisland cruising that would follow.

At the time, most Puddle Jump crews were in the process of making final preparations for the ambitious three- to four-thousand-mile passage, with departure dates penciled in for late March or early April.

That said, though, a small group of early birds had already set sail, and were check-

LATITUDE / ANDY

ing in daily on the PPJ's special offshore email net to give their lat/long info and status reports (followingsea.net/net). In addition, a special PredictWind fleet tracker page was set up this year, so friends and family could follow the fleet's westward progress. (See: forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/rally/PPJ2020). "Flying spinnaker today," wrote Ben Doyle on March 6 from the Idaho-based Feeling 55 Belle Vie. "Light winds of 1012 kts. All is well. 800 miles to Nuku Hiva."

The same day the crew of the Virginiabased Elan 434 Serenity First reported mellow conditions where they were: "A day of steady winds and mild seas. Wind NNE at 10-15 knots."

That week, as these and other frontrunners made steady westward progress, additional boats from many nations jumped off from both Panama and Mexico, with crews that were laserfocused on the demands and challenges of the marathon passage that lay ahead of them.

All fired up and no place to go. The excitement at our send-off seminars was palpable. But days later COVID-19 stalled the migration.

tory of the Pacific Puddle Jump, I found myself strongly discouraging — rather Isolated as they than encouraging — sailors from making were from mainstream the crossing, at least until life in the isnews sources, some lands returned to some sort of normalcy. crews sailing offshore were probably largely unaware of the ever- As I write this today, two days beexpanding worldwide fore we go to press, my Cross 42 trimaran obsession with the CO- Little Wing is one of about 60 boats lying VID-19 pandemic. at anchor within Nuku Hiva's Taiohae But on March 10, Bay, a one-mile-long refuge sculpted over when the French Poly- centuries from the caldera of an ancient nesian government an- volcano. nounced the first con- Two days ago an official government firmed case within its directive made it clear that boats that five archipelagos, it was have been in the bay for a while are a game-changer. A government minister welcome to stay — for the time being, had reportedly contracted it while on a anyway. business trip to Paris. Skippers and crews who'd prefer to sail

To its credit, the to Tahiti (800 miles), French Polynesian gov- leave their boat on ernment quickly imple- a mooring, and fly mented preliminary home — including health and safety mea- recent arrivals in sures in a level-headed the Pacific Puddle response. Jump fleet and World

But as the num- ARC Rally — may ber of cases grew, so request permission did the severity of new from the Maritime Afpolicies aimed at both fairs agency to do so. residents and visitors, Likewise, boat ownBy March 21, when the ers may also request number of confirmed permission to clear cases had risen to 15, out and reach up to all tourists were being Hawaii (2,000 miles), repatriated by air to Native Californian Kevin Ellis has achieved which is, of course, their home countries, hero status with the fleet as the go-to guy for open to Americanall cruise ships had just about everything. He arrived as a cruiser flagged vessels and, been denied entry into 12 years ago, fell in love with Annabella, and we're told, Hawaiterritorial ports, inter- started Nuku Hiva Yacht Services. ian authorities will island flights had been halted, and all also review applications for refuge from non-essential interisland boat traffic had foreign-flag vessels. been prohibited indefinitely. Meanwhile, dozens of boats in anchor-

International sailors cruising in all ages from Ecuador to San Diego have five of French Polynesia's archipela- been forced to abandon, or at best postgos suddenly found pone, their long-anticipated Polynesian themselves in a sur- cruising plans — most likely until next real state of limbo, season. unable to continue Here in Taiohae Bay, cruisers from the their unconstrained US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and lifestyle of interis- many European nations are confined to land cruising. and their boats except for when dealing with worried they'd be basic necessities like visiting government asked to exit with agencies, buying fuel, and emptying no place to go. By garbage. One crew member ashore at a then, most island time, only two dinghies tied to the quay nations downstream at one time, and there's a curfew from 8 — the Cook Islands, p.m. until 5 a.m. Samoa, Tonga and Yesterday sailors were requested to Fiji — had simply phone in food orders to any of the local closed their doors to food magasins, then one crew only can incoming yachts. pick up the items at the dock. For the first time Today it was announced that alcohol in the 23-year his- will not be sold anywhere in the terri-