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We fi le reports from the Islands Race, the SSS Corinthian Race, the YRA's Shorthanded #1, DRYC's fi nal Single-Doublehanded Race, and SCYC's offi cial Three Buoy Race. Midwinter wrap-ups include RegattaPRO's Winter One Design, the Corinthian Midwinters and BYC's Winners Race. We learn more about Transpac Prep, and round out this edition with a mostly Midwinters Box Scores.

SoCal Islands Race Newport Harbor YC and San Diego YC co-hosted the Islands Race on March 5-6. When the overnight race was done and dusted, it was a Richmond-based boat that topped the leaderboard. RYC member Buzz Blackett took his carbon Antrim 27C 'io on the road to compete in the race. The boat's designer, Jim Antrim, a regular sailing partner of Buzz, was among the crew. The others were Gilles Combrisson and David Liebenberg. "From what I've read, this year's Islands Race was pretty typical — a 142mile all-night sprint," reports Buzz. "With a crew of four, and only one bunk rigged, we didn't expect to get much sleep, if any. We were right. "The fi rst 70+ miles was an all-rhumbline drag race from Point Fermin, around the north end of Santa Catalina Island, then south around two waypoints west of San Clemente Island. We were the smallest boat in the fl eet, and one of the last three to get around Catalina, a couple of miles behind most of the boats in our division. "With a steady 60° apparent wind angle after the turn, we fl ew the code zero for 90 minutes, then went to the jib as the wind increased to the high teens and the ride got wet. Although we didn't know it at the time, we had passed all of the boats in our division and gained on some of the bigger boats by the time we got near the southern waypoint. We reefed the main and set the A-7 kite a few miles before that southern waypoint. We carried on for 15 minutes past it to make sure we were clear of any San Clemente wind hole and to unreef and change to the big kite before jibing onto port for the 70-mile run to the fi nish off Point Loma. "The later jibe made the race for us. The big boats ran into light air midway down the leg, particularly the ones that jibed early at the southern waypoint. A few, including Roy Disney's Volvo 70 Pyewacket, had to jibe back to starboard to get out of it. Meanwhile, we had mid- to high-teens wind from a perfect 130°140° true wind angle, planing and surfing until the last 5 miles. According to the YB tracker/viewer, there were times when we were going faster than some of the Division 1 and 2 boats. And on top of that good luck, we were able to fi nish just before dawn and the glassy calm that typically accompanies it. "The crew work couldn't have been better. Quick, perfect sail changes, great trimming, clear communication, no broaches. Jim's navigation and always-calming advice were spot-on; David's energy and instant feel for trim and speed were over the top; and Gilles's expert trimming and attention to detail were key. "We had a great time doing the race; our success was icing on the cake. But there's no place like home. We're looking forward to Bay and Gulf of the Farallones sailing for the rest of this year, as well as a leg or two of the California Offshore Race Week at the end of May." — latitude/chris

SDYC ISLANDS RACE, 3/5-6 ORR-1 — 1) Grand Illusion, SC70, David Clark; 2) Peligroso, Kernan 68, Doug Baker; 3) Artemis, Botin 65, Raymond Paul. (7 boats) ORR-2 — 1) Warrior Won, Pac52, Chris Sheehan; 2) Fast Exit II, Ker-51, John Raymont; 3) Vitesse, R/P 52, Thomas Furlong. (4 boats) ORR-3 — 1) Bretwalda 3, Rogers 46, Bob Pethick; 2) Horizon, SC50, Len Bose; 3) Zero Gravity, Soto 40, Ivan Batanov. (5 boats) ORR-4 — 1) 'io, Antrim 27C, Buzz Blackett; 2) Picosa, J/111, Doug Jorgensen; 3) Minotaur, SC37, George Roland. (6 boats) ORR-5 — 1) Nalu V, Cal 40, Mark Ashmore. (4 boats) ORRez — 1) Saga, Beneteau First 40, John Brynjolfsson; 2) Dunamis, Beneteau 46, Len Shaw; 3) Kookaburra, Schock 35M, Mark Mallaby. (4 boats) ORR-MULTIHULL — 1) Chim Chim, Gunboat 62, John Gallagher. (1 boat) Full results at www.sdyc.org

SSS Corinthian Race Cousins Will and Julia Paxton, partners in the illustrious Express 27 Motorcycle Irene, topped the doublehanded monohull fl eet of the Singlehanded Sailing Society's Corinthian Race on February 27. Due to COVID restrictions at Corinthian YC in Tiburon, the SSS ran the start and fi nish from in front of Golden Gate YC in San Francisco. "We certainly prefer to start and end the race on the Cityfront," says Julia. "Although there weren't exactly ideal conditions during the start of this Corinthian Race, yearround this location has a much greater chance of providing consistent breeze at the start and fi nish." The doublehanded Express 27 fl eet was among the fi rst to start. "A lot of times we get hosed as one of the fi rst starters, because we sail into a hole and everybody catches us," said Will. "This time it was actually good, because the fl ood was still in the middle and the ebb was on the shore." They were able to get around the fi rst mark, Blackaller Buoy, and back into the easterly before it died completely. "We got away, with some J/105s and multihulls, and almost everyone else got stuck at Blackaller. "The boats behind us that didn't tack right away at Blackaller went out to the middle of the Bay, caught what looked like a westerly that was trying to fi ll, and set spinnakers, but it was kind of a mirage. They got stuck with their spinnakers up running into the transition to the easterly." "Looking toward Point Blunt and our next mark, Southampton Shoal, we could see the northerly pushing across the Central Bay," continued Julia. "With this and traffi c in mind, we tacked immediately around Blackaller and set up farthest away from the Gate in our pack. We were able to put the bow down and foot to the new pressure while the rest of the boats nearby were stuck in the transition zone. For a while this looked very, very wrong, but it paid off in the end." The next rounding mark in the long

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