Kuma San charging to 2022 Bush Point win
Four boats showed up to start the 2022 edition of PTSA’s Bush Point race. The course runs from City front to the mid-channel marker between Bush Point (on Whidbey Island) and the southern end of Marrowstone Island. It is the shortest of the four “distance races,” a mere 14.9 miles. A sprint that would take an AC72 20 minutes to complete, barely affected by 4 knots of current. But for traditional boats–two Thunderbirds, a Robert Perry designed Bystedt 30, and a classic S&S yawl–the course presents old fashioned challenges of wind and current.
The fleet beat out towards Marrowstone Point in 5 knots of NE breeze, water disturbed by a swarm of fishing boats heading to and from Midchannel Bank. Better conditions than one had a right to expect from the forecast. Kuma San sailed low with an evident plan to hug Marrowstone Point. Pacifica, Falcon, and Andiamo Again sailed a more direct path and enjoyed better wind. The current was a non-factor for exiting Port Townsend Bay until the fleet reached the 3.9 knot river of current swirling past Marrowstone Point. By then the wind had backed to the north and Pacifica, Falcon, and Kuma San raised spinnakers. The wind increased to a steady 7-8 knots, enhanced by the adverse current.
Kuma San executed a perfect plan. They managed to creep down the up escalator of current as close as possible to the beach off Marrowstone Point. It was not fast. A couple knots less of breeze and they would have been swept backwards. But the breeze held, and Kuma San managed to work their way down the beach towards Nodule Point. Gradually they found less adverse current and, said David Grubbs after the race, “We found some extra breeze along the beach.”
Exiting Port Townsend Bay Pacifica spied some better breeze across the first rush of current, closer to mid-channel and they worked their way slowly across Admiralty Inlet, looking glorious with their giant white reaching Spinnaker and staysail set. Falcon followed. But, alas, the breeze was not sufficient to make much progress towards the turning mark against the strong current. Falcon made a satisfying 3 to 4 knots of progress over the ground, but mainly in a due easterly direction while Kuma San happily marched down towards Nodule Point. Eventually, not falling prey to the fallacy of sunk costs, Pacifica reached back to the Marrowstone shore and followed Kuma San’s path to the turning mark. As soon as they did, they made good progress. Falcon was confronted with a tug and barge heading south and a Matson container ship approaching the turning mark, heading north, and opted to push left, out of the shipping lane. Matters did not improve there–even as Kuma San and Pacifica were both making great progress along the Marrowstone shore. Andiamo Again, too, worked their way down the Marrowstone shore, albeit at a disadvantage without spinnaker flying.
With an eye on the coming flood–slack water at Marrowstone was 12:48–Falcon conceded and started heading back to Marrowstone. But the current switched mid-channel and Falcon spent the next two hours trying to make enough northerly progress to clear the point. By that time, Kuma San had rounded the turning mark and caught the tail end of the ebb to speed their way back to Marrowstone Point. But by then the flood was firmly established and from her mid-current perch, Falcon had the pleasure of watching Kuma San wage an epic battle with the current around Marrowstone Point: twenty yards forwards, barely making progress against the current, only to fall 18 yards back on the next tack. This went on for the better part of 90 minutes. In the meantime, Pacifica had rounded the mark and was charging up Admiralty Inlet. Pacifica elected to beat north well to the east of Marrowstone Point until they managed to clear the point, eventually finishing just 20 minutes after Kuma San.
Andiamo Again sailed a game race, finding the key route along the Marrowstone shore, but was eventually bested by the flooding current.
A challenging race on a glorious day to conclude this year’s Distance Series. See you for the Smith Island Race 2023, which will kick off next year’s series.
- Kuma San
- Pacifica
- Falcon (DNF)
- Andiamo Again (DNF)