Race Stories

2021 Spirit of Admiralty

 

The around admiralty sailboat race was conceived on the 25th Anniversary year of Alaska’s Statehood.  Commemorating the spirit of adventure, comradery, and endurance that characterizes the people of Alaska, and thirty-seven years later, this race has not lost any of that adventurous spirit. 

Admiralty Island Rally 2020 – June 20-June 28

Admiralty Island Rally 2020 – June 20-June 28

This year’s AIR was a spectacular Southeast Alaska cruise, comprised of 7 legs of sailing and a two- day layover at Baranof Warm Springs.  Weather was typical – overcast with a few days of sun, and a few days of persistent rain!    Official participants include S/V Surprise – Anthony and Lori and Crupi with their two teens Eli and Serena (she had her 13th birthday in Baranof!),  S/V Lyric skippered by Wade Rogers , with crew member Kacie Timothy, and  S/V A Little Romance Skippered by Steve Parker, with Crew Hal Geiger. Support participants included S/V Morning Star skipped by Rick Edwards with his son Kieran as crew, and M/V Juniebell with Sean Boily and Sarah Lewis, their son Axel, and ever vigilant sea-dog Chili. 

The course and play by play:

Leg 1, 6/20 - Marmion Island to Point Astley: 

Race start off Marmion Island at 10 am was bumped up to Pt. Arden and 11am due to lack of wind. 

Socially Distant Kick-off

Well, 2020 sure has been a downer, but these sailor's aren't going to let that stop them from having some fun.  The board met, and discussed how, in light of Covid-19 and social distancing, to hold the 11th SEAS Cup season kick-off race.  So, they decided to kick-off the 2020 season by having a socially distant race.  Boats could only be single-handed or crewed by people who lived together. 

As the Saturday approached, the short-handed skippers began to look at the weather, and the forecast was calling from 10 knots and 2 foot seas, which every sailor in Southeast Alaska knows means:  "It might gust to 10 somewhere at some point."  So, the boats were expecting a long day of floating around alone on a lonely sea, a kind of metaphor for 2020.

Someone, Lori I think, mentioned that she had heard that morning that the national weather service was calling for potentially some westerlies later in the day, so the call went out over the radio, "Let's do the back side of Douglas".  It really is the only one of the three choices for the Skipper's Choice.  So, it was decided.  We were going to race from Marmion to Pt. Hilda and back.