Epic Center Sound Series Finale!
(Seattle, WA)- The final race of Corinthian Yacht Club’s Center Sound Series sent racers sailing a familiar course up to south Whidbey Island in lovely conditions. As March drew to a close, so did the Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle’s Center Sound Series. Like the second race in the series, the final race allows the committee to determine the course on the day of the event, based on the conditions. Accordingly, the committee boat set the line several miles farther north than usual, anticipating more breeze to the north than to the south. Sure enough, when the course was set on the board, it was a 22-mile out-and-back run to Scatchet Head at the south end of Whidbey Island for the 60 boats across nine classes.
The moderate southerly hovering near 10 knots meant a downwind start — which always makes things a little extra exciting. Every kind of start was on display, from the early kite hoist with a speed-and-distance run to the line; to an approach from leeward of the line at the pin end, which puts a boat in a controlling starboard leeward position on all other boats. That is if they can get back to the pin sailing up against an already pumping springtime ebb. In general, the pin was a very busy spot for these starts.
Once the fleet got off the line, it seemed like the middle of Puget Sound would provide a stronger current, and some models suggested the breeze should be better a little farther west too. As happens, the course was pretty even, with possibly even a slight advantage in the first part of the run for the boats whose course kept them closer to the east side.
The breeze was quite consistent for the run north, so soon it was a boat speed game. Gains were minimal, but with more than 10 miles to work with, the faster boats did eventually eke ahead.
As the fleet approached Scatchet Head, the current was already causing fits as it pushed out of Saratoga Passage, moving boats westward at a healthy clip. Talking with sailors from other fleets reinforced this idea — the farther east you were on the beat home, the better.
By the time offshore boats tacked off the Edmonds shore, the other boats had gotten ahead. This was a big advantage with miles of short tacking ahead, where they would have a windward position.
Eventually, the breeze lightened, and the writing was on the wall with the committee boat fast approaching. Some boats took fliers farther west, which didn’t pan out.
Happily, sun-kissed and windburned sailors made their way south across the finish line. Most of the fleet had to navigate a dying breeze, and leads changed hands in the shifting conditions in several fleets.
The PHRF 4 Class was simply one-design J/105s, an incredibly strong fleet of fourteen boats! WOWOWOW! Talk about strong fleet growth, the J/105 Class went from about a half-dozen enthusiastic teams in the previous year to a tsunami of new teams! Winning class was Chris Phoenix’s JADED with a 1-3-1 for 5 pts. Taking the silver was Al Hughes’ CREATIVE with a 4-1-2 for 7 pts. Rounding out the podium with a mind-numbing 2-2-7 for 11 pts was John Aitchison’s MOOSE UNKNOWN! Theirs was a sad tale… tied on points for the lead going into the last race and simply “nuking” their scoreline with a final race 7th. The balance of the top five in this huge fleet was Tom Kerr’s CORVO 105 in fourth and Adrien Felon’s DOUBLE TROUBLE in fifth position.
The PHRF 6 Class saw a pair of J/120s race neck-and-neck with one another the entire series. In the end, it was Carl Sheath’s SHEARWATER that took the bronze medal in the division, with Chris Johnson’s WITH GRACE settling for fourth place.
The PHRF 7 Class looked like it was a running “gun battle” between the J/111s and J/122s all series. In the end, it was a SHOCKING outcome to see THREE boats all tied on 9 pts each after three races. On the tie-break countback process, taking the silver medal with a 1-3-5 was Tolga Cezik’s J/111 LODOS and John Renehan & Fritz Lanzinger’s J/111 HOOLIGAN with a 3-2-4 to take the bronze medal! Rounding out the top five was Steve Kirsch’s J/111 FLASH with a 2-7-6 tally.
PHRF 5 class was a mixed bag of boats. Going into the last race leading class with a 1-2 was David Schutte’s J/109 SPYHOP. However, their last race 7th “torpedoed” their chances to sit atop the podium, having to settle for the bronze medal. Sailing consistently to take fourth place was Don & George Leighton’s J/35 TAHLEQUAH. Just off their pace was David Miller’s J/99 ONE LIFE to take the fifth position.
In the PHRF 2 Class, it was Lek Dimarucot’s J/80 UNDERDOG that took class honors with a 1-1-2 for 4 pts. Not far off their pace was Ryan Porter’s J/80 JOLLY GREEN with a 2-3-3 for the three weekends to snag the bronze medal. Finishing just outside of “the chocolates” was Morris Lowitz’s J/80 UPROAR with a 5-4-5. For more Corinthian YC Seattle’s Center Sound Series sailing information