Race Report

Point Defiance 2013

Smooth water, no wind, as the marks were set for the 2013 Point Defiance race. But looking towards Point Robinson a wind line being pushed by a northerly could be seen giving us hope. And the wind filled on queue just before the first warning flag went up. It stayed for the most part five to ten knots for the day, but for the patches of slick in Dalco.

The Point Defiance race is the shortest in distance of this four race series but could be argued that it’s the most difficult. Tactics and strategy are the order of the day. Boat speed however is the trump card. For without boat speed there are no tactics or strategies that will save you in Dalco Passage.

The race starts and finishes, as all the Point Series races do, off the Browns Point Lighthouse. The first mark is laid about 200 yards off the Gig Harbor Lighthouse and the second mark sits off Dash point making for a short leg back to the start finish line. This year it created a run past Point Defiance to Gig Harbor a beat to Dash Point and a final reach, run to the finish. The boats made quick work of it this year; Constellation took line honors after two hours forty-two minutes and fifty-five seconds. Some were heard quipping that they had never sailed the second leg on this race, either horned short at Gig Harbor or timed out to a DNF. Not this year.

Gardyloo returned to her winning ways correcting to a first place in PHRF A by 23.5 seconds over second place Kahuna leaving Constellation in third. The Olson 30 Special Purpose took the bullet in PHRF B finishing on the heels of the J-35’s, so make it a first place for Special Purpose and fourth in fleet. Les Chevaux Blanc placed second in PHRF B with Radiant placing third.

In Windseekers Blue Jay went back to her winning ways taking Windseeker line honors and a first place in Windseeker class A. Silver breeze finished in first place in Windseeker B and Sans Peur placed second in Windseeker A. This race had a lot of down wind work and the Windseeker boats are cruisers, old race boats, shorthanded for the most part with No Flying Sails. They start after the PHRF boats yet the Race Committee didn’t have to wait very long for the Windseeker fleet to finish. This was a great day to be on the water.

Point Series Race 3 Point Defiance Oct 26th 2013

Billy Carter

Race Chair Corinthian Yacht Club of Tacoma