First West Coast R-Class Race in 70 Years

Pirate, Aloha and Lady Van take a light wind start

The first West Coast fleet race for R-Class yachts in 70 years took place on Port Townsend Bay on Friday, September 11th. In light air and a building flood they struggled out to the Pt Hudson buoy, spinnaker reached back along town to the “Y” buoy on the west end of Boat Haven, found a small wind line to the Tower, and beat back to the line. Lady Van took the horn followed by Aloha and Pirate. From the deck of the committee boat, Ev & Susan Diehl’s Azure, the order of finish seemed less important than the fact that these gems from the ’20’s are back on the water and racing.