Transpace Race: Prepare the Mai Tais

(July 17, 2019) – The frontrunners in the 50th Transpac Race are on final approach to the Diamond Head finish line of the 2225 nm course from Los Angeles to Honolulu. After their start on July 13, the three MOD70s are led by Jason Carroll’s Argo whose team is projected to finish in time today to enjoy their celebratory Mai Tais at a proper hour.

Also in Multihulls 0 Class is the Irens 63 Paradox, and though they are trailing Argo by 600+ nm, they still are reporting plenty of thrill from the Pacific:

“After 500 miles in the last 24hrs, compared to the first day which saw 106 miles, we are now rocketing along down wind, averaging 20 knots. The driving is pretty lively with the sea state as we work to surf down waves without get sucked in to the bottom of them. The leeward foil is in full action and the helm is heavy with the pressure.

“There seems to be a bloom of baby jelly fish coating the sea and they wash up on to the deck with the waves and spray. They look like baby Portuguese Man-Of-War but not entirely sure what type they are. We’re taking great care to remove them from the lines and rope bags as I’m sure that would be a nasty surprise.

“We have a full moon that’s been keeping us company at night. Something occurred this morning that I’ve never seen where it was a very bright morning just before the sun broke the horizon and the moon was still in the sky and bright. We seemed to have both at the same time.

“The water is a beautiful deep blue and we scan it as we zoom along, watching carefully for hazards that have brought havoc upon the fleet. Signing off from a fast and furious trimaran!”

A little over 300 nm behind Argo is the first monohull, Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant’s Verdier/VPLP 100 Comanche, humming along at 24 knots having scored 443 nm in the past 24 hours.

The current race records were set in 2017 when Comanche set the new Merlin trophy elapsed time record at 5 days 01:55:26. Comanche also set a 24 hour distance Transpac record at 484.1 nm, a 20.2 knot average speed. The ORMA 60 trimaran Mighty Merloe set the multihull elapsed time record at 4 days 06:32:30.

Leaders based on positions (as of 0700 HST):
Multihulls 0: Argo – MOD70
Multihulls 0A: Kastor Pollux – 43-foot catamaran
Division 1: Rio 100 – Bakewell White 100
Division 2: Taxi Dancer – R/P 70
Division 3: Hamachi – J/125
Santa Cruz 50/52: Horizon- Santa Cruz 50
Division 5: Kialoa II – S&S 73
Division 6: BlueFlash – J/121
Division 7: Chubasco – S&S Yawl 67
Division 8: Sweek Okole – Farr 36
Division 9: Nadelos – Wasa 55
Cal 40: Callisto
Overall: Hamachi – J/125

Daily standings from 0800 roll call: click here.

Event Details – Entry list – Tracker – Facebook

Note: There is a 4-hour delay on the tracker but goes live within the final 200 miles.

Attrition list:
• Mayhem, Hobie 33, Steven Eder
• Aloha, Hobie 33, Kyle Vanderspek
• Nalu V, Cal 40, Mark Ashmore
• Trouble, Santa Cruz 50, Tom Camp,
• Live Wire, Olson 40, Tim Jones
• OEX, Santa Cruz 70, John Sangmeister
• Pyewacket, Andrews 70, Roy Disney
• Macondo, Beneteau First 47.7, Mike Sudo

Background: First organized by the Transpacific Yacht Club in 1906, the biennial Transpacific Yacht Race or Transpac is an offshore sailing race from Point Fermin in Los Angeles to Diamond Head, just east of Honolulu, a distance of 2225 nm. The 2019 edition has 12 divisions with staggered starts on July 10, 12, and 13.

Boats racing in Divisions 6, 7, 8, 9, the Cal 40s, and the Multihulls in Class 0A will start on July 10. The second start on July 12 will be for the boats in Divisions 3, 5 and the Santa Cruz 50/52s, with the final start on July 13 for the remaining monohull entries in Divisions 1 and 2, along with the Multihull class 0 entries.