Wind and seas result in damage and men overboard

by Janine Bell on 16 Jun 2005 The sailors in the fifth edition of the Cadillac Van Isle 360 were met with adverse conditions, 25 knots and extremely lumpy seas made even getting to the start a challenge.

For the first time ever in the history of this event, the starting sequence was delayed by 15 mins. to allow most boats to get out to the start.

Unfortunately for the HMCS Oriole, the wind kept her pinned to the dock and she was unable to complete this leg under the rules.

The rest of the fleet, however, had a fabulous sail in rising winds and seas. As usual, when the wind picks up so does the carnage.

Cheekee Monkee, modified F31 trimaran, lost two crew, the skipper, Kim Alfreds and Mike McGarry off the aft crossbeam during an accidental gybe, leaving only two onboard to affect a rescue.

The two on board were highly experienced and even though the main sheet got away and ran through the blocks they were able to get control of the boat and recover the crew.

It was a tense 15 minutes, however, and White Cloud a Cookson 12, Kinetica Beneteau 48.7, Flattery, a Lufffe 48 and Diehler, Santa Cruz 52, came to offer assistance. All four boats were awarded redress for their efforts.

Bad KItty, 35 foot catamaran, once again, lost a rudder but they had two and still went on to take first place sailing on only one rudder and currently stand in first place overall.

Cassiopeia, the Davidson 72, lost control of their spinnaker during a hoist and the spinnaker went down rather than up. The boat came to an abrupt halt as the spinnaker wrapped around the keel but the spinnaker soon shredded itself and the boat got back up to speed clocking solid a 12 to 14 knots right to the finish.

The crew realized it would be imprudent to start the motor with the potential of lines fouling the prop, sailed in Quathiaski Cove, anchored and retrieved the lines from around the keel.
Replacements on the way.

The ID 48, Flash had their gooseneck ripped off their carbon mast during a gybe. Upon lowering the mainsail the balls from their batcar system rained down upon the deck. A crew who was down below at the time remarked, ‘It was the scariest sound it sounded like the crackling of carbon fiber disintegrating.’

No worries, the composite expert was flown into Campbell River to reattach the gooseneck to the mast. Heat lamps and vacuum pumps will be running all night but the repair will be complete by morning. Balls have been arriving from the four corners of North America and are being installed as they arrive. Flash will be on the start line tomorrow.

Many boats recorded their fastest ever speeds and wipeouts abounded on the finish line. You could see the Quadra Island Ferry Captains raised eyebrows from the finish line on the Pier, as boats were careening all around him.

In Div 1. The J120, Time Bandit was first, Flattery, the Luffe 48, placed second and White Cloud, a Cookson 12 M, placed third.

In Div. 2 Myrrh, the Jespersen 30, was first overall, with Tryst, an Aphrodite 101, and Lordelpus a Beneteau 101 claiming second and third. In Div. 3 Bad Kitty was first, Blue Lightning second, and Cheekee Monkee third.

Dean Drake and his crew at Discovery Harbour Marina did a masterful job of accommodating the fleet during the brisk winds. Sailors in this fleet will look forward to visiting this fine facility on their next trip through. Neil at the RipTide Pub exhibited his usual panache by surprising the fleet with an all you can eat BBQ, with Okanagan Spring Beer on a Ferry tied in front of his Rip Tide Pub. This is a stop not soon to be forgotten by any sailors in the fleet. Everyone looks forward to returning.

The Cadillac Van Isle 360 Yacht race departed Nanaimo on June 11. The race circumnavigates Vancouver Island, B.C. in a series of 10 legs.