Puerto Vallarta Race : Everyone is on the race course

Puerto Vallarta Race 2018 © Justin Hollon / www.dronephotographyforhire.com

Puerto Vallarta Race 2018 © Justin Hollon / www.dronephotographyforhire.com

Everyone is on the race course... and judging from 0600 comments from the boat, most are having a classic race to Mexico. Winds are generally from aft of the shrouds, sea states are moderate and 'pushy', and the temperature is rising. One boat, Jim Madden's Stark Raving Mad, less so. SRM retired Saturday morning with a reported injury to a crew members finger. The boat diverted to San Quintin and the crew member was driven back to San Diego for prompt doctor's attention. SRM is proceeding back to San Diego. All reports are good.

For those out on the race course... Marjorie, Tracy Obert's unique and beautiful BBY Custom 59 is making the most of the weather, and still leading the bulk of the parade by over 100 miles, and 60 miles ahead of the next boat in his class, John Miller's Beneteau 46 Tropic Thunder. However the Friday starters lead by Dennis Pennels R/P 50 Blue Blazes and John Shulze's Santa Cruz 52 Horizon are bearing down.

Saturday starters are still pretty tightly bunched with Rio100 (BW100, Manouch Moshayedi) legging out a little and Chim Chim (Gunboat 62, John Gallagher) sailing hot angles but pacing the Pac52 & TP52s. Mighty Merloe (Orma 60, HL Enloe) will not disappoint, and is winding it up as this is written. Up to 80+ miles off the coast and speeds approaching 30 kts. When you watch them on the tracker, and you see long straight lines, you can guess they are well into the 'E-ticket' zone.

J World's Cazan (DK46, Wayne Zittel) on being the slow boat in their class of Friday starters: "Peter Isler said at the weather briefing for our starting day on Friday, 'Well, you guys got the short straw.' He was referring to the fact that the class that started on Thursday was experiencing great conditions, and the fact that it was looking pretty good for the Saturday starters. Friday was, well, very 'Friday.' It was going to be light, and shifty and variable. So we were pleased when the sea-breeze managed to push in for a bit, enough to get us out of SD Bay and heading south on a beautiful afternoon. We went from the #1 Jib to the Jib Top, and late at night we were actually able to get the 3A spinnaker up.

So things were looking ok... as expected, the bigger and faster boats were pulling away a bit, but we were happy with things. But, of course, that when IT happened... the 'light and variable' conditions that we knew were in wait for us played its hand. We stopped. We drifted. We dropped our spinnaker and put up our windseeker. And we still drifted. Occasionally we would get a touch of breeze, a little bit to work and play with and get us inching south, but then it would be gone again... at one point, I think our boatspeed read 0.00 for over 90 minutes straight.

Ok, that's enough of the bad news. Now the good stuff (and there is plenty of it): The moon out here is fantastic. It's a wonderfully clear night and we are making tracks south in a strange, light, but fairly stable, SW breeze. The boat is sailing and working great. Cazan really is a nice boat to sail, and we were really pleased with her speed in the reachy conditions we had when exiting SD Bay. And finally (and most importantly, I would venture to say), the team is getting along great. As is typical of our J/World training programs, we have a couple of repeat clients, but most of the crew are new this time around."

Medicine Man (Andrews 63, Bob Lane) reported reporting on Saturday sailing: "Fun gnarly day with changes in conditions and sails. Saw glorious sun, rain and unpredicted high winds. All crew tired, but happy. Splendid home made breakfast burritos!"

Tropic Thunder (Beneteau 46, John Miller) set their top speed of the race early Sunday morning just over 13 knots, then 2 hours later reported they blew out their A2 at 0425, leaving them with no usable kites left.

pvrace.com