Calling all Commodores: The Transpac Tahiti Yacht Club Challenge

Transpac Tahiti Race 2020 © Transpacific Yacht Club

The Transpacific Yacht Club (TPYC) created the Tahiti race almost 100 years ago in 1925, and it has been run only 15 times in this time. The most recent editions were in 2008, with 5 boats, and in 2012, with 2 boats. Today, ten boats between 40 and 77 feet have already pre-registered, and others will soon follow.

Having just completed a successful 50th running of their LA-Honolulu Transpac this year, TPYC has joined forces with Archipelagoes of Tahiti to stage the next edition of the Transpac Tahiti Race in 2020. This race will now have new energy with a dynamic fleet of international racing yachts, the establishment of departure and arrival villages that promote cross-cultural heritage, and expanded publicity through international media and web exposure.

An epic adventure and a race record ready to be broken

When the race was first staged in 1925, at 3,570 NM this was the world's longest ocean race. Then as now the race's enduring appeal lies in it being held over a truly bluewater race course of mostly trade-wind sailing from Los Angeles, California, to Papeete, Tahiti. The rhumbline course runs along a south-southwest axis, and requires crossing the terrestrial equator and the meteorological equator: the famous Intertropical Convergence Zone (or Doldrums). This challenge awaits all entries, large and small, fast and slow.

For the fast yachts, the goal is to better the current monohull record of 11 days 10 hours 13 minutes 18 seconds, set in 2008 by Doug Baker's Magnitude 80. With an average course speed of 13 knots, it is felt by many that this course record could be "ripe for the plucking" since this is a pace easily matched by the newest generation of ocean greyhounds.

The current monohull course record in the LA-Honolulu Transpac set by the VPLP 100 Comanche in 2017 was for an average pace of 18 knots - at this same pace the Transpac Tahiti course record would fall by over 3 days!

And for multihull enthusiasts the course record is ready to be established, since multihulls will be encouraged to enter this race for the first time ever.

A new approach to long-distance oceanic racing: the South Seas

For decades, competitors in the world's most prestigious and challenging around-the-world races have followed courses south of the Southern Hemisphere's Great Capes, and far from the beauty and prime sailing conditions of the tropical latitudes.

So organizers of the Tahiti Transpac 2020 feel it's high time to celebrate the South Seas with a first-class ocean racing event, one where warm sunshine and flying fish abound on the race course and not snow and icebergs!

A combined & dynamic organization

Transpacific Yacht Club's experience and professionalism to run the race:

• The race will be conducted by the Transpacific Yacht Club, who is the Race authority. The Notice of Race is already available on the event website. You can already pre-register with Transpacific Yacht Club via link here.

• Racing divisions will be organized by design type and length overall (LOA). Onboard transponders will enable real-time tracking which will allow spectators and media to follow the action online.

• For a class to be constituted, it will need to have at least five boats. The organizers reserve the right to agree to open new classes based on credible inquiries and requests.

• The maximum number of boats able to participate is restricted to 30.

The marketing skills and the Polynesian networking of Archipelagoes to make a world-class event of this race: Stéphanie BETZ, co-founder of Archipelagoes has been involved in nautical tourism in French Polynesia for 20 years now, and she works in close collaboration with both public and private segments of the marine industry.

She launched and managed the annual Tahiti Pearl Regatta for the past 15 years, which is growing in participation and interest every year. She was in charge of the welcome Festival Committee of the last two Tahiti Races in 2008 and 2012. She also organizes stopover activities for the World Arc Rally and the Oyster Rally whenever they visit French Polynesia.

The Archipelagoes team will put its energy, passion, expertise and South Pacific network connections to work to ensure the Transpacific Tahiti 2020 will be a success for all participants, their friends and families and the supporting sponsors of this great race.

Get your own Yacht Club involved

In February 2019, we launched the new Transpac Tahiti Race at the Los Angeles Yacht Club. Since then, we have gone to several South Pacific yacht clubs to organize cocktail receptions and presentations to promote the Transpac Tahiti: at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland, New Zealand; at the Cercle Nautique Caledonien in Noumea, New Caledonia; at the Tahiti Yacht Club in Papeete; and at the St Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, USA.

Besides this teaser video, we would be delighted to share further information about the Transpac Tahiti 2020 with your own members, via downloadable promotional resources.

Additional promotion and a special*** offer for Yacht Club Commodores

If you think this race could be of interest to some of your members who own racing or cruiser/racer yachts, we may even work together to come to your club and organize a presentation.

*** We offer this special incentive to YC Commodores to help us grow the fleet: if three or more boats from your club enter and compete in this race, we will invite your club commodore or his/her representative to fly to Tahiti as our guest for the fleet's arrival in June, 2020, and become part of the revival of this legendary South Seas race.

Transpac Tahiti 2020 promotion team of Stephanie Betz, media consultant Dobbs Davis and Transpac Tahiti ambassador and ocean racing legend Loick Peyron will be at the Yacht Racing Forum in Bilbao, Spain over November 25-26 in Bilbao, Spain: www.yachtracingforum.com.

The Transpac Tahiti 2020 is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Air Tahiti Nui, the Municipality of Papeete and the Port Master of Papeete.

For more information about "Being a Part of the South Seas Legend" in the Transpac Tahiti Race 2020, visit the event's website at www.transpac-tahiti.com.