Race Week Anacortes- The Parties Are Back!

ByStuart Johnstone

(Anacortes, WA)- From June 26th to 30th, 2023 the latest version of “adult sailing week” will be introducing the First Annual Race Week Anacortes Film Fest, starring you and your crew! Share your sailing stories, show off your wicked skills, and your moments of glory, or feature your crew. It’s all about having fun and seeing the best sailing happening in the Pacific Northwest on the big screen. Your videos will stream during the parties, and everyone votes for their favorites! The Top 10 will be shown on Film Fest night at an outdoor screening at Race Week!! Awesome idea, bring a few dozen GoPROs to film all the evidence of good and bad behavior and your latest way on how NOT to do a string takedown, while shrimping the kite! Sure to be a winner!

While that’s a great idea, Race Week Anacortes organizers have indeed managed to crank up the dial a little bit in the musical entertainment department. Here’s what’s on tap for the regatta for you Block Island Race Week passionate sailors that need an additional one-week break from work 3,000 miles across the USA:

  • Sunday, June 25- Skippers Meeting- The Dana Osborn Band
  • Monday, June 26- Hoedown theme- The Countryside Ride Band
  • Tuesday, June 27- Toga Glam Rock theme- Gertrude’s Hearse Band
  • Wednesday, June 28- Pink Nights theme (remember EVERYTHING PINK)- St. John and the Revelations
  • Thursday, June 29- ABBA theme (doh!)- The ABBAGraphs Band

Hmmm, so there is sailing taking place, too. The reason you get on a sailboat in Seattle is to get comfortable transport to get to the party in Anacortes. So, your boat is like an RV (recreational vehicle). It’s important to have beds (called bunks or pipe berths) that permit you to sleep when you are fatigued from Good Lord knows what?

J/105 Class
The J/105s in the Pacific Northwest are showing up in force, with eleven teams looking forward to their weekend. The fleet has expanded with many new names amongst the cognoscenti. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if class veterans like Chris Phoenix’s JADED, John Aitchison’s MOOSE UNKNOWN, Sara Billey’s PEER GYNT, and Bob Hayward’s KINETIC fair against some “newcomers”. Certainly, there will be some surprising outcomes. 

J/80 Class
As an “evergreen” class that has its share of passionate sailors, the five-boat fleet has some veterans amongst them. Some of those crews include Bob MacRae’s JOUSTER, Julian Croxall’s RECKLESS, Lek Dimarucot’s UNDERDOG, Julia Croxall’s JAVELIN, and Morris Lowitz’s UPROAR. 

J/70 Class
With eight boats, the J/70s will enjoy good competition. No question the J/70s in the greater Seattle / Orcas Island area are enjoying a renaissance of passion for sailing with friends. Who’s news in this fleet? Who knows?! Perhaps familiar names like Mike Brevik’s TAZ, Mike Powell’s TALLY HO, and Ken Machtley’s MOSSY. 

ORC 1 Division
The seven-boat field has just Bruce Chan’s J/111 65 RED ROSES II up against a polyglot of used, old, decaying, fiberglass misbegotten hulks masquerading as racing boats like a Swan 42, Farr 395, King 40, Sydney 41, and 1D35…. should be interesting. 

PHRF 2 Division
This grouping of boats will be fun to watch as well… Jim Calnon’s J/120 PATHFINDER and “Flash Marine” J/111 FLASH up against a Farr 30. 

PHRF 3 Division
With 50% of the fleet, the J/crews will be facing an uphill battle against their eight-boat class. Sailing are two J/109s (John Polgasse’s DOUBLETIME & David Schutte’s SPYHOP) and two venerable J/35s (Eric Johnson’s FLICKA & Brian White’s GRACE E). 

PHRF 6 Division
This seven-boat division will feature a classic J/27 against a consortium of boats that range from an Antrim 27 to Hobie 33, to Olson 911… sailing is Mike Darcy’s J/27 HAVASU.  For more Race Week Anacortes sailing information