Racing Sheet

[ SPRING SAILING KICK-OFF ]

BY DOUG HANSEN

Race ‘Round The Rock

DOUG HANSEN recounts the first sailing race of the Center Sound Series season, the highly anticipated return to Blakely Rock.

PHOTO BY DOUG MACKENZIE, MACKENZIE IMAGES

After a literal year of waiting, March 6 had finally arrived and it was time to pick up where the world left off. We are, of course, talking about the Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle’s Center Sound Series (cycseattle.org/ Racing) and the traditional spring season kickoff race around Blakely Rock. This year, the day was set for a spectacular showing with winds blowing, sun shining, and a fleet of 70 boats taking to the water. Crews were really getting after it with wind speeds steadily into the mid-20s and gusts pushing 30 knots plus; blade jibs and reefed mainsails were all the rage. As the fleet settled in and sailed around, it became apparent that there was one boat missing, the race committee. Unfortunately, the iconic red committee boat, YC5, had a failed steering system and after a rapid diagnostic by some handy folks on the dock, it was determined that the boat was out of commission for the day. Not taking no for an answer, the race committee quickly formed up a plan, transferred the flags onto another smaller support boat, and headed out onto the water to start a race. A quick start line was set up off the Meadow Point buoy and the call went out on the radio that it was to be a shorter course, skipping the normal downwind northern mark and making for a straight shot to Blakely Rock and back to Meadow Point. The postponement flag came down, class flags went up, and before we knew it, the racing was underway as the fleets headed south along the Shilshole marina breakwater. The wind stabilized a little as the day continued onward, but it was still far from tame as the fleet worked out from beneath the Magnolia Bluff and past the West Point lighthouse. Coming out into the clear air of the Sound brought the teeth of the wind into full view and things began to get even more sporty as the fleet headed south along the Bainbridge Island shoreline. With the breeze gusting above 25 knots and a massive ebb tide flowing along with the wind, conditions were perfect for a sporty flat-water kite run and that is exactly what came to pass as the fleet began to round the infamous rock and set their spinnakers. All the while, daffodils dotted the water having been dropped from boats in memory of sailing photographer Kelly O’Neil, who was taken from our community well before her time. The downwind made a day for the light boats with big kites as the leaders skipped effortlessly across the water and through the fleet heading upwind. Glory, the winner of the TP52 fleet was able to finish the entire course in just over an hour and a half, easily stepping up to high teens of boat speed on the downwind run. In the PHRF classes, it was a day for the J/Boats with seven of the top ten corrected time finishers wearing the logo on their mainsail. It was the J/105 Creative that took home the overall win after a fantastic upwind beat that put them way out in front of the competition. After an entire year off the water for many, the day was a welcome return to the sport we love and a wonderful launch into the spring racing calendar. Things are full speed ahead this season with the normal local events in April and May along with a few temporary events to replace the international races cut from the 2021 schedule.