J/120, J/125 & J/145 Dominant Competitors(San Francisco, CA)- Leading up to the start of the Pacific Cup race, the electricity in the air was crackling like thunderbolts. A consolidated Pacific High was spelling "Good Racing" and was looking good for all. Even BMW MARIN (supported by the J/125 DOUBLE TROUBLE) was providing shuttle service cars (enjoy the ride and the new car smell!) to the parking lot for sailors.
The
forty-six boats racing in the 17th edition of the Pacific Cup leave
from the San Francisco city front (off the St Francis Yacht Club) at
noon on Monday July 16, sailing under the famed Golden Gate Bridge to
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The 2070 nautical mile race runs every even
(non-TransPac) year. A staggered start from July 16 through July 20 sees
the slower boats take the line first, followed by the rest of the fleet
throughout the week. Even so, an early start may not be enough of an
advantage for the slower boats.Andy Costello, skipper and owner of J/125 DOUBLE TROUBLE, is racing Pac Cup for the first time and has taken a glimpse at the long range forecast, "We've started to look at the weather and it's looking better for our start later in the week than it is for the earlier starts, so that may help us get to Hawaii faster."
Like Costello's going to need much help, stacked as his boat is with accomplished Hawaii racers, including Skip and Jody McCormack, Matt Noble and Trevor Baylis. Nonetheless, Costello's playing it cautious after a disappointing experience in last year's Trans Pac race. As for most Pac Cup racers, the preparation - both boat and crew - is daunting. "It's been a six month project," Costello said. "We've double checked, modified, strengthened the boat, found new ways to get weight off the boat - we've done a lot but when you sail with crew like mine, they really prepare." (thanks for the contribution from Michelle Slade).
Here
is a synopsis of the J/Teams that are sailing. In Division E starting
on July 19th at 1430 hrs are the two J/125s. They are the J/125 DOUBLE
TROUBLE sailed by Andy Costello from Point Richmond, California and
sailing for Corinthian YC (check their blog here). Next is the J/125 WARRIOR sailed by Greg "Chubby" Constable from Nanaimo, BC, Canada and sailing for Nanaimo YC.In Division DH2 starting on July 16th at 1330 hrs will be the J/120 JAMANI, the current fleet leader that is sailed by Sean & Jeff Mulvihill from Park City, Utah.
In Division B starting on July 17th at 1330 hrs will be the J/35c and J/42. The J/42 TIKI J is skippered by Kim Worsham, Portland, Oregon (http://www.sailblogs.com/member/tikij/ or http://www.tikij.com/) and the J/35c BRAINWAVES is skippered by Jim Brainard from Golden, Colorado sailing for Los Gatos YC.
For more Pacific Cup sailing information For Yellowbrick Tracking of Pacific Cup
