Saturday, Race One: The first race began on Saturday morning in a slow start in light air off Portland Island. Five race boats started on the line and headed off toward Point Retreat. Spinnakers were set and all the boats reached along the first leg with the available breeze.
The race last Saturday started at 10am on the line made between Thalia, serving as Committee Boat, and the Marmion Island day mark. Weather called for light breeze of up to six knots and possibly rain. After a few weeks off due to the AIR, the sailors were itching to get off land, wind or not.
The forecast for Saturday morning’s Admiralty Cove race start was 90% chance of rain and a 10 knot Southeasterly breeze. SEAS racers motored down the Channel to the start line with a steady downpour of rain and not a breath of wind (except the kind a moving boat creates). As the 4-boat fleet of Loa’a Nalu, Haiku, Thalia & Optiminium gathered at Marmion Island for the start, everyone was suited up for the conditions and smiling at a nice breeze. Lyric (WR), serving as Committee Boat, would build anticipation for the start by voicing ‘5-second’ countdowns prior to each timing mark & hitting the horn on a couple others. As boats tacked back & forth below the line, the ripples on the water filled in along the Marmion end of the course and into Stephens Passage.
Fair skies and light winds made the circumnavigation of Grand Island a great challenge on Saturday. High Noon heads for home in the waning light (see photo) while Haiku, Optiminium, and Thalia waited for wind south of Taku Inlet. Cetus and Tango gave up after light winds stranded them North of Grand Isle. More race details to come as the reports come in from all the boats.
