We had clear skies, 73 boats, and currents going in the direction everyone wanted to sail, but despite the pleas to the wind gods there was not enough wind to fill the sails as boats drifted across the starting line with their spinnakers hanging limp. Despite that we had a successful day with almost every boat finishing and our host of volunteers able to get home before midnight.
I want to thank the many people who helped pull this event together. You might have shown up Thursday night for our first chopping party where all the vegetables for the meals were chopped and bagged. Maybe you helped put together the design for the shirt. You might have drug tables and chairs around to set up for Friday’s dinner, or helped sell t-shirts, or manned the registration desk, or slaved over a hot kitchen stove, or made the sign for the T-shirt sales, or sat for hours making sure all the entries were correct. Maybe you came to the party Friday night and bought dinner and a T-shirt. You might have purchased breakfast Saturday morning before you launched your boat. Maybe you volunteered a boat or rode on one of the official boats in the race. What ever you did, you helped make this event a success.
This year we actively searched for the 2010 Toliva Race Chair. Debe Andersen agreed to step into those shoes. After this weekend I am sure she is thinking, “What did I volunteer for?” This year as the OYC liaison, she was there to open the kitchen, decorate tables, work on the race committee boat, swept the floors, arranged for the committee, mark and chase boats, and she was always there help when needed. She was a great help and has an understanding of what needs to be done. Next year she will do a great job.
Friday night’s event was great, though I never seemed to stop running. After twenty years of doing an excellent job in the kitchen Jan Visser decided to retire this year, so Thera Black and I took over the kitchen duties. We are working as co-chairs in the kitchen. Thera is the lead on Friday night and I took over the Saturday shifts so she can race. I was running around Friday night from the kitchen to the T-shirt sales to speak to visiting sailors and making announcements. By the time I headed off to the boat to get some much needed sleep I realized that I had never eaten dinner or sampled the appetizers or the special desserts we had made.
We served 150 dinners to the hungry sailors. Tom Abbott did his usual fantastic job at the bar as he had all hands on deck pouring beer and offering wine and soft drinks. Goeff Raymoure brought his young sailors and the donated items from West Marine and they raised over $600 for youth sailing. T-shirt sales did well; we only have 8 shirts left. Next year there will be more long sleeved shirts and women’s shirts with V necks in larger sizes. We raised $38 for the Thurston County food bank with our appeals to the wind gods.
Saturday morning when I woke, at 0400, I quickly switched on the instruments and looked at the wind … there wasn’t any. I put together the Boru sandwiches and then headed off to the store. We needed just a few more groceries for the Saturday soup. I hit the kitchen and started the ovens and began brewing the coffee. A cup of coffee never tasted so good. The egg strata was in the oven early but with all that was going on, I never heard Jan tell me that the ovens gauges didn’t read correctly. There was a minor change in plans as we scrambled eggs and sausage to get the early sailors out so they could race. New kitchens are always a learning experience and I will learn to put the thermometers in the ovens to make sure that they are at the correct temperatures.
Norm Smit did an outstanding job as PRO. He and his troops left a little after 0800 so they could be anchored before the Cruising Class start. Gary Larson, on Daybreak, was our committee boat captain. He always makes this day enjoyable for the crew. I almost think of him as a permanent member of the Toliva Race because he has been doing this for years. Tom Skilling, on Skookum, headed off in the mark boat along with chase boats skippered by Richard Hurst, on Fiesty, and Bob Ruecker, on Andalan. Norm put together a checklist with pages of information for the people participating on the race committee, whether you were crew or manning the helm, you knew what you needed to do. He has raised the bar for PRO’s, but he has agreed to let us have an electronic copy of his pamphlet so we can make it available next year.
Norm ended the race at Johnson Point, there was little to no wind and if you got caught in the current in Dana Passage you had a free ride in the whirlpools as they would grab your boat and spin you around. There was a brief spell of wind, after Norm called the race, but by 1700 that wind had dissipated and the flags hung limply from their staffs.
Susan McRae was delighted to be home before midnight. She was ready to head out to lunch when she got the call that Pax had crossed the finish line first and that they were finishing the race at Johnson Point. She and her friend, who is not even a sailor, rushed back to OYC and had soup for lunch and then they started entering sail numbers and times. They were done before 1600. and the preliminary race results were posted. We closed the kitchen, served the last beer, and locked the doors and promised to be back for clean-up the next morning.
I had one last stop to make. We had decided to donate all the remaining food to the Salvation Army. Unlike the food bank, they accept food which has already been cooked or opened bags of cheese or spinach. They feed people several times a day and are always in need. They were very grateful for everything we were able to give them.
The Sunday crew, led by Dave Knowlton, mopped the floors, the sinks, the stoves, dumped remaining coffee, stacked chairs, vacuumed the rug, and emptied the garbage. The club house looked spotless. I want to thank the OYC, they were outstanding as always. Every time we asked for help they were there providing boats for the race, moorage for the visiting vessels, and a great place to launch the race. Tony Re, the OYC Commodore, gave Dave Knowlton, Alex Bromen and myself a special metal for all the work we did this year. I’m sorry I can not share it with everyone who helped. I do know that I had better bring it with me if I ever go to the yacht club or I will be buying the drinks.
I would like to have a special thanks to the Toliva Shoal Race Committee, those tireless folks who meet several times before the race. They quietly go about rounding up their helpers and just do their jobs so that the race chair can look like they know what they are doing. They are, in no particular order: Tom Abbott bar and mark boat, Susan McRae, scoring, Norm Smit PRO, Thera Black and myself in the kitchen, Don Waterhouse publicity and all round fix it guy, Terry and Debe Andersen OYC liaison, Dave Knowlton representative to the Series Council, and of course Steve Worcester treasurer and reminder of all things which need to be done, including this article.
Finally to my husband. He hauled boxes every where, sharpened knives like a fiend, cooked dinners when I got home late, gave an encouraging hug when I needed it, and was there whenever I needed him. Thank you Honey!
Suzie Shaffer, Boru
A photo finish! That was how the race ended! More on that at the end of this report.
The fourth and final race of the Southern Sound Series, the Islands Race, was hosted by the Gig Harbor Yacht Club on the 21st of March.
As with every race, the delivery is often much of the experience. Racers from Olympia brought their boats up on Friday, the first day of spring. Winds were in the 20’s gusting to the 30’s. Several sailed most of the way, experiencing some big waves off Toliva Shoal.
If you recall, last month Sidewinder, an Olson 30 from the Tacoma Yacht Club, had her outboard motor fall off as they hoisted sail at Point Defiance. They were able to recover it and continue their delivery to Olympia for the Toliva Shoal Race. Not to be outdone however, Showtime, an Olson 25 from our own South Sound Sailing Society, was approaching Toliva Shoal under sail when her skipper, Kyle Reese-Cassal watched the outboard fall away from the boat and sink! Crewmember Scott Schoch, a professional tug boat captain, stated: “I think it is a goner!” They continued sailing into Gig Harbor where Steve Kirkpatrick, skipper of He Lives, towed them to the dock. A call home to a crewmember produced another outboard motor for the race!
Other exciting events prior to the race included the docking of Boru and Releaf at the Jerisich Dock in Gig Harbor. Each skipper, Roger Shaffer and Kelly Coon, had brought their boat up alone. Upon arrival they were hit with a 47 mph gust blowing them away from the dock. Fortunately each had thrown a line to those on the dock, but we all thought that Relief was going to spend the night buried in the stern of Inati!
Most sailors headed over to the Tides Tavern for a beer and food and several could be seen enjoying the delicious menu at El Pueblito family Mexican Restaurant and Cantina across the street from the Dock.
That night it turned cold. Morning brought a thick fog, icy decks and docks! There was no wind. Tom Mitchell, Skipper of Wildflower and Race Chair drove around in a power boat announcing that the race could be shortened at Olalla.
As the boats departed the Harbor, the fog started to lift but still no wind. The committee boat had not arrived on station yet, and, as we were informed after the race, the skipper had fallen and broken his leg and had to be taken to the hospital by the paramedics. The race was postponed for about an hour.
The start was under spinnaker in about 3-5 knots of wind. The wind increased slightly and there was little change of position among the boats. The longer waterline racers pulled ahead slowly as the fleet moved north along Colvos Passage. The weather was wonderful! Sun and warmth, spring had arrived.
As the fleet approached the north end of Vashon Island everyone hit a wall! A huge hole. Boats surrounded Dragon Fly, a Maricat 40 PHRF rating of -105, who is usually seen motoring home after finishing while the rest of us have another hour or more to reach the finish line!
The wind filled in from the south. A restart! The slower boats caught up with the faster ones and 60 boats were bunched up and headed to the finish line at the north end of Blake Island.
The race was shortened at the turning mark. A wise decision since the wind died about 30 minutes later! The committee boat did an excellent job of sorting out the finishers. Tom Mitchell was taking photos of the finish to document the recording by the committee. After finishing most boats motored back to their home or Gig Harbor. Some sailed for about 30 minutes until the wind died.
The lasagna dinner provided by the GHYC after the race was outstanding! Sailors enjoyed the free beer, wine and sodas along the photos of the race taken by four or more excellent photographers.
The results may be found on line at www.ssseries.org. Some notable SSSS boats were Inati, skippered by Rick Bergholz, who placed in the top four overall in the PHRF fleet; Releaf, Kelly Coon, first in NFS Cruising Class, Swirl II, Jo Sohneronne, first in FS Cruising Class; and Still Gladiator, Eric Rimkus, first in C Class.
The 2009-2010 series begins next December 4th at the Tacoma Yacht Club! Start making your plans!
Dave Knowlton, Koosah
A relaxing day on the water; drifting along listening to the birds and sailors whispering to each other. Yep, it was another drifter for Toliva Shoal. Drifting happens every few years for this race, so it was a great call by Norm Smit and his race committee to shorten the race at Johnson Point. After drifting seven and a half miles in three hours or more the correct call to end the suffering at Johnson Point was made. The next mark of the course was the McAlister Creek buoy. The water was a mirror pond as one looked south to the mark. No wind!
The race had favorable currents. A large ebb until 1550 hours aided the all to the shortened finish. The start was under spinnaker. Those who went west all the way to the shore of Budd Inlet fell into a hole and never recovered. The light wind clocked during the next hour and the spinnakers were doused and the number one or drifter was hoisted. The position of each racer depended much on luck. Were you there when the wind puff hit or the small breeze filled in for a short while? Only a couple of boats dropped out and a couple did not start. Fifty one boats crossed the finish line.
South Sound Sailing Society sailors took home most of the hardware. Pax the Space Spider was First to Finish and He Lives was First Overall for PHRF. Other SSSS boats that finished first in their class were Korina-Korina, B class, Still Gladiator, C Class, Something Special, D Class. Showtime, H Class, Spiff, Flying Sails Cruising Class, and Maranatha Non Flying Sails Cruising Class.
Race results
Perhaps the most exciting event during the weekend happened during the delivery. Sidewinder, an Olson 30 from the Tacoma Yacht Club was rounding Point Defiance heading south. Skipper Mike Jones and foredeck Derick Heib decided to hoist the main and motor sail. The wind was blowing strong out of the north. They had the small outboard wide open. The boat hit a wave and the outboard came loose! It was dragging in the water, still running wide open, connected to the boat by its fuel line. They managed to pull the engine back aboard and made it safely to Olympia to take First in E class the next day!
A great weekend. Delicious food Friday night and Saturday and it is always enjoyable out on the water.
The next, and final race of the Southern Sound Series, is the Islands Race on March 21st. Sponsored by the Gig Harbor Yacht Club, the race is always a fun way to welcome the arrival of Spring!
Dave Knowlton, Koosah
Off to an awesome start! The Duwamish Head Race, sponsored by the Three Tree Point Yacht Club, was the first race of the Southern Sound Series for most racers. The Winter Vashon Race was abandoned for classes B through H and is the throw out race for the four race series.
The delivery for SSSS sailors was uneventful once the boat was headed north in Budd Inlet. The challenge for several sailors was the flooding on the numerous roads throughout western Washington. They could not reach Olympia because of the I-5 closure or closure of other roads. There were eight Did Not Compete boats and at least four of them were due to road closures. Eleven SSSS boats did manage to make it to the starting line. This was the first time in the Series however that no SSSS boats were entered in the Cruising Classes!
Half of the SSSS boats elected to stay Friday night at the Tacoma Yacht Club and then motor over to Des Moines on Saturday morning. Nine sailors enjoyed a delightful Sunset Special dinner in the lovely TYC dining room. There was also electricity at the reciprocal moorage dock, so all were warm and cozy during the night.
The start was awesome! Learning from the Winter Vashon start, the TTPYC had clear sailing instructions published, announced all of the times, warning, prep, and start, over channel 72, and that included a ten second count down before the gun. All the boats knew when to start.
Most boats came down the line on starboard toward the fishing pier where the race committee was stationed. After the gun they tacked on to port and reached out towards the middle of the channel before they hoisted spinnakers. The wind was from the southwest at 10 to 15 knots. The boats sailed their water lines and there was not much change of position until Alki Point.
The wind was increasing as the race progressed, and just before Alki Point UNO, a Sierra 26 skippered by Brad Butler, had a huge broach. Their red spinnaker was entirely in the water and the crew was getting wet. The Coast Guard patrol vessel, along with Sean Trew and the racing vessel White Cloud, stood by to render assistance if required. It was not, and the boat was righted and the wet crew members withdrew from the race. There are some excellent photos of this event, as well as the entire race, at Sean Trew’s web site and on Jan Anderson’s web site; links on the Series site.
Some could carry their spinnakers to the Duwamish Head mark, most elected to drop them and hoist a #2 or #3. The reach across from Seattle to Blakely Rock was lumpy but fast. No boat went aground at the rock and as they head back for the slog to the finish several were seen reefing or changing down to a smaller headsail. The winds had increased to the 20’s and the seas were lumpy!
Reign Maker, a C&C 37 broke her steering cable and chose to retire. Most boats elected to head over to the mainland and beat back to the finish. A few went over to the Vashon Island side but did not fare as well as those to the east.
First over the finish line was Dragonfly, a Maricat 40, skippered by Pat McGarry, who often attends our Halloween Cruise and helps Rod Tharp cook the waffles! She finished at 1310! Thirty miles in a little over three hours! That boat is just plain fast! They were sailing back home to Seattle when we were only half way up the beat to the finish on Inati! Kinda discouraging!
Most boats finished before dark. The division that finished best was G. Jon Thompson on Teaser II was first in division and first overall. He beat his rival, Ladybug sailed by Mark Brink, by two seconds! Following them were Cherokee, Pat Stewart, third overall, and Freedom X, Alex Wigley, fourth overall.
South Sound Sailing Society boats that took home silver were Bodacious, 2nd in F Division, and Inati, 3rd in H Division.
The next race in the Southern Sound Series is our own Toliva Shoal on February 14th. So, plan ahead and order your sweet heart her Valentine flowers and get your boat ready to race!
Dave Knowlton, Koosah
vasThe Winter Vashon race was held on Saturday, December 6th. The delivery for all boats this year was made in great weather. Some sun and scattered clouds but no rain! As the boats started rafting up at the Tacoma Yacht Club sailors greeted each other in anticipation of the first of four races for the Southern Sound Series: Winter Vashon, followed by Duwamish Head on 10 January, then Toliva Shoal on 14 February, and finishing with the Islands Race on 21 March.
The Tacoma Yacht Club always hosts a great Friday night for Winter Vashon! A free pasta meal with meatballs, salad, bread and all the beer you could drink put everyone in a relaxed and festive mood. The pleasant weather forecast also contributed to an enjoyable evening. The prediction was for winds from the south/southwest 10-15 knots with no precipitation! West Marine of Fife held a raffle and gave away some fine prizes which included foul weather gear, binoculars and canvas bags.
The division breaks were posted around 2000 hours and several teams were formed from the numerous yacht clubs. Special thanks go to our Kelly Coon who spent hours establishing the handicaps for the 19 Cruising Class boats in the race. The Cruising Class has expanded since it was formed three years ago. It now has a flying sails class and a non flying sails class. These boats do not have to belong to PHRF. The classes were formed to entice more sailors to race. To date it has worked!
Saturday morning a delicious and protein-rich breakfast was served by TYC: eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, rolls and coffee: all you can eat for $9!
The start for the Cruising Classes was at 0830. All went well. The start gun for the multi-hulls, Division A went off at 0900.
Shortly after the multi-hull start the ferry boat Rhododendron contacted the race committee and requested to delay any more starts until she could clear the area. A three-minute delay occurred before the starting sequence for Division B and C boats began. This is where the confusion began for most racers.
At 0900 the flags for A Division went down, no other flags went up. Most of the fleet did not see this and assumed that the normal five-minute sequence was occurring. Almost all of the B & C Division boats were over the line at 0905; however due to the three-minute delay their starting signal was not until 0908. The Principal Race Officer signaled an individual recall since some boats did start correctly. The PRO waited five minutes and since B & C boats did not return to the starting line, he commenced the sequence for the remainder of the divisions, who were confused by what had occurred. The original sequence was now 8 minutes “late.”
All of the boats eventually crossed the starting line thinking that they had a fair start.
The race itself was wonderful! Winds were 10-15 knots from the southwest as predicted. Spinnakers were carried to the north end of Vashon Island in the steady breeze. Most boats sailed their waterline and there were few changes in position.
At the top of Vashon the chutes went down and the number one went up. It was a beat back to the finish in front of the Yacht Club. The wind was steady except for a hole around Point Robinson. The majority of the fleet finished before dark. Fun was had by all, except, when they discovered the results! Fifty nine of the 70 PHRF boats were scored OCS: on course side, over the starting line before your start.
Well, the entire situation is sad. There is enough blame to go around for everyone. This start will be discussed in detail by the race officers and sailors for the remaining of the Southern Sound Series to ensure that sailors start and finish in a fair manner.
Some scuttlebutt heard after the race included the need for larger class flags so the racers could see them; monitoring channel 72 VHF to hear any race instructions; use the chase boat to notify the boats that were over early; a louder horn; and if things are really a mess, abandon the race and start over.
Tacoma Yacht Club conducted a redress hearing on 11 December The redress committee determined that, except for the Cruising Classes and multi hulls, the race was abandoned. That means no race, no scores, for classes B-H.
Our next race is Duwamish Head sponsored by the Three Tree Point Yacht Club on January 10th followed by our Toliva Shoal race on Presidents’ Weekend.
Keep on Sailing!
Dave Knowlton, Koosah
It is SSSS’s turn to head the Southern Sound Series Council. Dave is the Council Chair this year and was last year.
Ed.