Friday`s Issue - Whidbey Island Race Week

KEN CHIN’S OLSON 911, KOWLOON, WINNER OF THE TESLA JOY RIDE
1ST, FLEET 8
1ST, PERFORMANCE 30 1ST, OVERALL WHIDBEY ISLAND RACE WEEK 2015
THE WIRW NEWS
2015
Volume 33, Issue 4
Pat Denney’s J/29, Here and Now checks in with the race committee for the day’s racing.
The J/105 fleet, attached at the hip.
The next generation of the 1D35 Shrek crew watch Whidbey Island Race Week legend, Stan Stanley, present Thursday’s awards.
CONGRATULATIONS TO KEN AND HIS CREW!
Kelly Penney’s Express 37, Avalanche and David Steffen’s Beneteau 36.7, Vitesse in Fleet 4 entertain the specta-­
tors crowding the Coupeville dock.
JOIN US FOR WHIDBEY ISLAND RACE WEEK 2016 T
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR JULY 11-15
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!
Whidbey Island Race Week News © 2015
Photography: Jan Anderson
Editorial: Vicky MacFeidh, Liza Tewell
he odd easterly greeted the 2015 Whidbey Island Race Week fleets on Thursday morning as they approached Penn Cove. Biding their time until the forecast westerly filled in at 1:30 with 8 knots, the racers blew bubbles, swam, hung from halyards, and went for ice cream, while he boys on Poke and Destroy did what boys do and ripped up the water wake-­
boarding. Perhaps gun shy from Wednesday’s slew of over-earlies, Fleet 1’s conservative start began the day’s competi-­
tion, which included two races and a gybe mark thrown in to the delight of the tourists on the Coupeville dock. The following fleets didn’t follow the big boats’ example, however, resulting in nearly as many premature starts as Wednesday (which also saw a rare general recall, for Fleet 7) as well as some sweet port tack starts such as the one the Portland river rats on Kent Sisk & John Weil’s J/105,Troublemaker, pulled off. With such a large fleet, some other 105s and Melges 24s snuck over at the pin end without being spotted. Mikey continued their romp thanks in part to the driving of Olympic medalist Jeff Madrigali, while the junior madri-­
gals on Mikey 2 spent some legs singing. Coming into Thursday’s races with a solid showing on Wednesday, Harvey Ryll’s Vikiing 28, Wildfire owns the fleet’s slowest rating of 208. Fleet 9’s spread is a hefty 43 seconds. At the other end of the spectrum is the fleet scratch boat, Mark Vangolen & Henry Reeve’s ILC 40, Occam’s Razor. Carnage was relatively small for the week (sorry sail-­
makers and riggers), though Kent Hardisty’s Canadian Antrim 27, Moonraker, hailing from Kelowna, did manage to make it back to the race course after repairing overnight their rudder plate while failed during Wednesday’s gusty second start. Speaking of starts, Ernie Chatham’s B.C.-based J35, Jabiru, in Fleet 4 came close to missing their second start on Thursday and pulled off an impressive headsail hoist on the line. In Fleet 7, the two Ross 930s, Gaucho and Overtime continued to duke it out.
Whidbey Island Race Week News Friday, July 24, 2015 Friday, July 24, 2015 Whidbey Island Race Week News
Richard Demmler’s J/24, Itchy & Scratchy in Fleet 9 races to the top of the leaderboard.
A local artist captures the colors of the boats as they gybe past the red barn on the Coupeville Dock.
YC5 keeps ann eye on the Farr30s’ second start on Thursday’.
All in a day’s work for the CYC Seattle race committee
When not painting ceramics, roller skating, tide pool poking, swimming, or enjoying a host of other amazing adventures, the Kids’ Camp kids race Optis. Where do I sign up!
Left, Gertrude’s Hearse warms up before warming up the crowd. Though the chilly wind had the sailors huddled in the lee of the sponsor tents, the band’s irresistible beat eventually lured them out to the dance floor. On Thursday spectators crowd-­
ed the dock to cheer on the fleet rounding the close set gybe mark set just yards off the Coupeville dock.
Where’s Waldo. The Pink Gorilla schmoozes for a good cause. Learn more at www.pinkboatregatta.org
The J/105 fleet gets dirty
at Thursday’s gybe mark.
And then this happened.
The competition continued off the water with the 1st Annual Crab Cake Cook Off. Check out the delectable crab cake topped with cilantro wasa-­
bi mayo, crafted by Jaded’s crew chef, Mark Lincoln.
Brian White’s J/35, Grace E, who won a cleanstart in Thursday’s first star in Fleet 4. Chris Yob & James Gradel’s Peterson 37 What? A Tripp! In Fleet 7
Nick Bannon wake boards via V-berth board and halyard off the stern of Poke and Destroy. Mmmm, mussels. Served fresh from Penn Cove on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Missed it once? Shame on you. Missed it twice? Still shame on you.
Left, togo party revelers from Ken Chin’s Olson 911. The dude on the right is 6’7”. When he’s not environmentally engineering, he volunteers as the pink gorilla.
Elusive gets into the spirit during Thursday evening’s reggae night at the tent.
Photos by Tami Hanson, Joan Chandler, Kathryn Myer,
Alex Simanis Vicky MacFeidh, Liza Tewell. © 2015
BRENDA VAN FOSSEN
M.D.
Whidbey Island Race Week News Friday, July 24, 2015 Friday, July 24, 2015 Whidbey Island Race Week News