Whidbey Island Race Week News Saturday, July 21, 2018 Saturday, July 21, 2018 Whidbey Island Race Week News
Left, like mussels? This is where
they come from. The Penn Cove
Shellfish farms also happened to
be the site of Friday’s leeward
marks. Note, Penn Cove Shell-
fish is not yet a U-Pick operation
so get your fill at the annual Oak
Harbor Yacht Club mussel feed
Saturday night. Psst, they sell
out so plan a breakaway from the
dance floor before it’s too late.
Left, post-race partiers support the Pink Boat
Regatta while posing in front of the surprisingly
challenging (and innovative) Bra Pong game.
Right, Michael Poole’s crew aboard his J/80,
Jolly Green, is all smiles.
Below, speaking of posing, there’s no denying the
J/105 fleet is picture-perfect.
Above, Stuart Burnell’s J/109, Tantivy,
gallops down Penn Cove on its way
Friday to third place. Sandwiched in
second with 5 points halfway through
the regatta, the size of PHRF Class 2
(11 boats, including three J/109s)
make the math tricky and mistakes
particularly unforgiving.
Right, the Kids Camp Opti fleet plots
strategy and tactics for future Race
Week domination.
Left, with two second place finishes,
Simon Miles’ Port Townsend-based
Thunderbird, Raven, has Dave Steck-
man’s local San Juan 24, Renaissance,
in the crosshairs.
Photo: L. Tewell
Above, with a matching pair of
bullets, Lek Dimarucot sits firmly
atop the J/80 One-Design Class.
Not that he needs the help, but his
“Underdog”, right, has benefited
this week from the wily wisdom of
Richard Demmler, who knows the
secrets to J-Boat sailing better
than most. However, with the
J-Boat whisperer now off on a
walkabout, we’ll see how Under-
dog fares Saturday and Sunday...
Photo: L. Tewell
Whidbey Island Race Week News Saturday, July 21, 2018 Saturday, July 21, 2018 Whidbey Island Race Week News
A fter 36 years you might think you’ve seen it all at Whidbey Island Race Week. Charley Rathkopf’s race committee set a
bizarro course that sent the fleet into the mussel beds at the west end of Penn Cove, which they’ve done before, but for
the first time ever, they finished the race. Sure there were a few classes that saw their courses shortened (the prudent
thing to do) but it still qualifies as a WIRW first. Winds had been forecast oh, somewhere between 5 and 12, and with the
RC calling for a start one hour later than usual, Friday was NOT a lay day. Yay! Adding to the challenge of playing chess with
Mother Nature, the ebb tide saw nearly 2 knots at various places on the course, causing some boats to overrun their sails. Unfortu-
nately, a couple of the classes did see some DNFs (so here’s hoping for a throwout). Regardless, it was a fun day under the sun
and on the water, with a stop at the Coupeville dock for a crew or three, so in the grand scheme of things, who’s complaining?
Back at the marina, it was Pink Boat Regatta night, with donations gladly given for the chance to play Bra Pong next to the
refreshment station, then dancing to crowd favorite Gertrude’s Hearse. They get better each year, and it’s always fun to see fellow
sailors out of their foulies and into their top hats. After tucking into burgers or ribs (yours truly got the last of ’em), the good-natured
revelers continued into the wee hours back at Tent City, though the laughter did eventually die down, only to be replaced by the
constant clanging of the porta-pottie doors and the plaintive hoo, hoo-hoo of a lonely owl.
Whidbey Island
Race Week
News © 2018
Editorial:
Vicky MacFeidh,
Liza Tewell
Photography:
Jan Anderson
pix.smugmug.com
WIRW News is sponsored by
www.CoriWhitakerHomes.com
[email protected] | 206.795.4361
Presented by
EXCUSE ME, THIS IS THE LIFE
Right, just out of high school, Jennifer Hoag skippered the
friends-and-family 1D35, Shrek, to third place in PHRF 1
for Friday’s race. Below right, representing West Van YC,
Bruce Chan’s Red Roses, one of three Farr 30s in the
class, is in the lead after two days of racing.
Left, boats from BC, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii (by way of
California), make the Sport Class a party. Saturday morning’s
protest hearing keeps things interesting.
WIRW NEWS 2018
Volume 36, Issue 2
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