Well there you have it folks.... another Juneau sailing season goes down in the history books. One of the better ones in recent memory with all the good sailing days and sunny days... which didn't always necessarily coincide but none the less made for an overall good sailing season. With several new additions to the SEAS fleet, only in it's first year by the way, next year looks to be a good year with some stiff competition amongst the ranks.
Haiku and High Noon share honors
The inaugural Spirit of Admiralty race was close down to the wire. High Noon, Smoke, and Haiku fought through light winds and slatting seas to complete the 213 nautical mile race. The race was so close that it came down to the last hours of the grueling week long event.
On Saturday, June 20, 2009 10:00, the three boats began the race in Auke Bay in very light air. As the boats proceeded south down the backside of Douglas, the fleet stayed very close. It wasn't until 30 miles into the race that the boats began to separate, with High Noon getting out in front.
However, Haiku took advantage of very light wind during the dark hours to catch up to High Noon just north of the Brother Islands. The breeze then filled in, and High Noon increased her lead over Haiku and Smoke. As High Noon was finishing at Warm Springs Bay, Haiku was rounding Yasha Island, a mere 11 nautical miles behind. However, the wind died to near nothing leaving Haiku a choppy sea, and no wind. The last 11 miles took 7 hours to complete, putting High Noon firmly in first place after the first leg. High Noon finished after about 35 hours of sailing, Haiku took 44 hours and Smoke came in 54 hours after the Saturday start time.
A New Adventure Begins!In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Statehood, SEAS is sponsoring a race around Admiralty Island. The longest inland water sailboat race on the west coast just got longer.
Three boats will be gathering at Battleship Island in Auke Bay on Saturday June 20, 2009 at 1000 to begin the race around Admiralty. The boats are:
After the start the boats will proceed south down Stephen's passage past the Brother's Island and enter Frederick Sound. The first leg will continue southwest to Yasha Island, a small island a couple of miles south of the southern tip of Admiralty Island. The boats will round Yasha Island, keeping the island to their starboard, and enter Chatham Strait. The 120 nm first leg ends at the entrance to Warm Springs Bay on Baranof Island.