Toliva Race Weekend is over ... I heard that collective sob. We’ll have to wait a whole year for another. This was another Toliva to remember.
It was truly my honor to serve as your Toliva Race Chair again this year. The best thing about being Race Chair is the people. It all starts with the volunteers that put in the time, so you can enjoy the best race and party in the Southern Sound Series.
I would like to thank all of you that made this a resounding success. I would like to specially thank Terry and Debe Andersen, OYC Fleet Captain Sail, for such an important contact with OYC, and for being the first to arrive and the last to leave. You all probably know that Toliva would not be a success if were not for all of the work of Steve Worcester, thank you, Steve. Jan Visser was spectacular in the galley again this year. She is indeed an icon. Thom Abbott was our House Chair, providing that special hospitality that he is known for. Thanks to Dave Knowlton and all those that make the clean-up a breeze. I would to thank Gary Nelson and Thera Black, the respective Commodores, for their support. I get all of the credit and all of the blame, and it is because of the Primary Race Official Eric Bishop and the on-the-water crews running the best possible race, that I hear the sound of people enjoying themselves.
The attendance was up this year. There were 75 boats racing in all of the classes. The forecast for the day made it a difficult assignment for the race committee to decide where to finish the race. Fortunately with light winds there was enough sunshine to keep everyone in great spirits. Being a slow go of it, gave people a chance to enjoy the weather, and each other. The wind was fluky enough that it jumbled the classes. Cruisers got to race with the faster PHRF boats.
After a couple of restarts due to the nature of the wind, the fleet got to stretch its legs a little after the rounding of Johnson Pt. That was until just before the finish. The wind died again and the current was strong at Lyle Pt. It was decided to shorten the race here. There were many boats that were swept by the finishing boat, Skookum. Some boats were able to set their anchor to hold on until the conditions were better. With hardly any wind, those that were swept by had to work their way against the current to get back to the finish line. There was a little breeze that was bringing the rear of the fleet up with the first finishers. When the wind made to the finish area it enabled 30 of the 51 finishers in a twenty minute window. There were gun blasts and horns sounded in bunches. The activity was fast and furious on Skookum. Someone described it as eight hours of tedium followed by twenty minutes of mayhem.
Cheers to Artemis, First to Finish, and Showtime, First Overall for an excellent race. Here’s to the crews that turned out, raced, stuck it out, finished and had a great time.
This is my last year as your Race Chair, and with the flurry at the end of the race, it was What a Finish. Thank you again for making this such an exciting time, and I look forward to helping Suzie Shaffer, next year’s Race Chair, any way that I can.
Don Waterhouse, Toliva Shoal Race Chair