Triumph and Travail in SSS TransPac
A half dozen finishers have now been visited with leis and mai tais in the Singlehanded TransPac from Tiburon to Hanalei Bay, while troubles have been visited upon two others.
Click here for a first taste of video from Kauai.
Little Sparky, in the foreground at the start (with Rob Tryon’s borrowed Valiant 32 Feolona in the background). © 2008 Fred Fago
Most critical currently in the trouble department, Ruben Gabriel’s Pearson Electra Sparky dismasted in heavy weather on Sunday about 650 nm from Hawaii. With his rig down, he can’t use his SSB, but fortunately Ruben has a satellite phone and was able to reach the race committee on Kauai to report his situation. Once he got the mast onboard, attached the boom to the stub of the mast, and got some sail up, the boat stabilized enough that he was able to start thinking about how to proceed, and he called in again. RC gave him the number to Coast Guard Honolulu and instructed him to call in a Pan Pan (not as urgent as a Mayday call to be rescued). He has no motor, but is making way toward Hawaii, now at about 3 knots. He has asked his fellow competitors to continue racing and not lose any time trying to help him. The Sunday evening check-in was full of suggestions for making his SSB work and improving his jury-rig.. We’ll keep you posted.
Meanwhile back on the West Coast, Wen Lin on Wenlimir set off his EPIRB and was intercepted by the Coast Guard. The Swan 47 is not disabled and is now safe and sound back at the Corinthian YC. Wen was checked at the hospital and is now out and feeling better.
The six boats that have finished (in order of arrival) are: Dogbark, Hecla, Alchera, Polar Bear, Chesapeake, and Ragtime! Bob Johnston on the second boat in today, the J/92 Ragtime! believes that he has saved his time on Alchera, and so is quite pleased.
A tired but happy Mark Deppe finished on his J/120 Alchera early Saturday morning. © 2008 Synthia Petroka
Ragtime! crossed the line at about 0940 HST on Sunday. © 2008 Sylvia Seaberg
Hecla on the hook in Hanalei Bay. © 2008 Sylvia Seaberg
Eric Thomas of the Olson 30 Polar Bear with a rum and coke and an ice-cold washcloth. © 2008 Synthia Petroka
Tomorrow (Monday) morning, we expect to see Wildflower finish (at the Sunday evening check-in Skip Allan reported his position as 92 nm from the finish).
Visit www.sfbaysss.org for details, including position reports and racers’ logs. For previous report (on the first finishers), click here. For more photos of the finish and the scene here in Hanalei Bay, have a look at http://picasaweb.google.com/rnutball/SSSFinish. We’ll have the first bits of video here for you soon, plus updates, so check back often.
On the next main island over, Oahu, the Pacific Cup boats have been streaming in on Sunday. See http://pacificcup.org.
July 28, 2008
Eric Thomas aboard Polar Bear greeted the Race Committee crash boat at the finish mid-day on Saturday, after almost exactly two weeks at sea. © 2008 Synthia Petroka