Smith Island Race 2022 – Results and Commentary

(Results below)

Smith Island Kicked off the PTSA Distance Series in Ideal Conditions.

It’s blowing a moderate gale at Smith Island this Sunday morning (whole trees in motion and difficult to walk against the wind) gusting to fresh gale (wind breaks twigs off trees, walking impeded).  The waves on Partridge bank are piled high and breaking.  Not so for the 2022 running of the PTSA Smith & Minor Islands race held on Saturday, April 2. The fleet was blessed with glorious sun and a steady fresh breeze from the SSE, steadily backing to the SE and then east, just as the weather forecast predicted. 

Four Thunderbirds (Merlin, Raven, Owl, Falcon), the majestic Pacifica, the Islander 36 Amelie, and the Santa Cruz 27 Surge showed up for the 10:00 a.m. start off City Dock. Holly Kays D’Arcy, Steve Scharf, and Jim Heumann sent the fleet on its way with a single gun at 10:00 a.m. sharp. Spinnakers were set for a tight reach to the red bell buoy, then a broad reach out into the strong ebbing current of Admiralty Inlet.  

Here is the relevant entry from the Canadian Fisheries current atlas for 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. 

One freighter crossed the fleet early. After that we had the waters to ourselves. Falcon and Owl set the pace early, keeping slightly west of mid-channel, riding the current with 8.5 knots over the ground. By the time these two leaders pulled even with Point Partridge, they encountered significant swell and disturbed water and it was difficult to keep spinnakers from periodically collapsing.  Meanwhile, Raven, who struck out boldly for the right side of the channel was making strong gains in seemingly better current and smoother water. A little past Pt. Partridge, Raven was in the lead. Falcon and Owl carried up the middle across the SE corner of Partridge bank, while Surge, Amelie, and Pacifica sailed down the west flank.  

Sun, peanut butter cookies, fizzy water, wind, and favorable current are the recipe for a happy crew. No whales, but the snow-covered Olympics and Cascades watched over the fleet. Heading downwind in a steady breeze, it felt like tradewind sailing in the eastern Juan De Fuca Straight, at the beginning of April! Time to pose existential questions like: “is it more fun to go 8.5 knots over the ground and 4 knots through the water; or to go 8.5 knots through the water and 4 knots over the ground?”  

It was a quick two hours to Smith Island. Most of the fleet opted to round counter-clockwise. Bad decision.  Here is the relevant current chart for noon at Smith and Minor Islands.

The islands are not shown, but you can see the swirling eddy around them, and the northerly set long the west side of Smith Island.  Boats heading for the east side at Minor Island, by contrast, confronted a significant adverse current on the way to the point at Minor Island.  But more crucially, the boats rounding counter-clockwise found themselves on the far outside of the (predicted, and actual) persistent windshift towards the SE-E for the next three hours. 

Falcon led Owl and Pacifica around the point at Minor Island, on starboard tack heading towards the Whidbey shore.  As the wind veered to the SE, Owl tacked to port and Falcon covered. Falcon and Pacifica were stuck in a brief wind-hole.  Owl, slightly west, managed to keep way on, and edged out and ahead to leeward.  The wind soon returned with a steady 9-12 knots all the way home.  

Owl carried out on port tack all the way past the west side traffic separation buoy at the entrance to Admiralty Inlet and Falcon stayed with her. Pacifica sailed the smart leg home, heading for Whidbey which put them far on the inside of the SE-E shift and brought them line honors! Well done Pacifica! 

The wind gradually shifted from 200+ degrees to 183 degrees on port tack over the course of the three hour beat home. Falcon and Owl ended the day with an exciting tacking duel off North Beach and past Point Wilson, with Falcon finishing a scant 23 seconds ahead of Owl.   

Come and join us for the Protection Island Race, May 14, 2022. 

RESULTS