SEAS Cup

For the sailors living downtown and in Douglas, the day started early with cruise ships coming in to port starting at 4am, sounding their horns every five minutes as they passed through the dense fog that filled Gastineau Channel on Saturday morning. The weather forecast showed a storm blowing in that evening, with gale-force winds and heavy seas building in Admiralty Cove, which is not a very well protected anchorage. With memories of more than one boat dragging anchor in Admiralty Cove earlier this summer, it was decided at the pre-race Skipper’s Meeting to forego the evening fellowship and race back the same day.

Visibility was low as Loa’a Nalu, Haiku, Optiminium, and Cetus motored out to the Marmion Island start of Leg One. Boats struggled to find and then stay within view of Loa’a Nalu, serving as Committee Boat, and at a half-mile from the day mark, no one could actually see the other end of the start line. Eight to ten knots of breeze was enough for a strong start and Haiku was quickly in front on an upwind tack. Wary of the low visibility, even with GPS, Haiku, Optiminium, and Loa’a Nalu all gave Marmion a wide berth, staying well clear of the point before all quickly setting their spinnakers. With Loa’a Nalu and Optiminium both flying their asymmetrical spinnakers, Haiku’s symmetrical allowed her to point more downwind as they all rounded Douglas, building a lead that she would not relinquish that morning. Cetus stayed much closer inland, and without a spinnaker in her sail inventory, was unable to keep up with the rest of the fleet for very long.

The weather forecast all week had shown light winds for the three race course options, with the exception of a fifteen knot breeze late afternoon up Taku Inlet. It had been several years since the last successful finish of the Jaw Point race and at the pre-race Skipper’s Meeting, all agreed that it was worth trying on the third and final Skippers Choice of the season. The skipper of Haiku voted reluctantly with the others, sharing his experiences of the “thrill” of fighting the Taku River current in light breeze in past Jaw Point races.

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.