2025 Vashon Island Race
by Jay Leon 12 May 01:16 PDT
10 May 2025
Thank you Alyosha Strum-Palerm, Douglas Peterson, AnaLucia Clarkson and Spencer Kunath for contributing to this story.
No one would have guessed during the postponed start for lack of wind, that 'Glory' would record the third fastest time for the Vashon Island Race. 'Glory' set the record of 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 24 seconds in 2023, and was only 14 minutes slower this year.
The delayed start helped the boats around the course this year, because the current switched to flood just as the first boats started at 10:35 AM. It was a 10 foot gain in tide over the same seven hours that the boats were on the course and clearly the tail end of it did not slow the northbound finishing boats very much.
In fact, 'Glory' and 'Smoke' were spotted off the south end of Vashon Island at 3:15 pm, and they finished at 5:00 pm. They covered the second half of the course, 24 miles, in an hour and 45 minutes. That is 13.7 mph / 11.9 knots -- all the way home. I bet it was a nice ride. Adding it up, there was a big flood current pushing the boats south, no dead spot at the south end of Vashon, and the breeze cranked up to 20 on the way home. Four hours and 45 minutes south, and one hour and 45 minutes returning north, and the whole thing was done in less than six and a half hours.
Once again, William Weinstein's 'Terramoto' was able to keep close enough to the big boats and win on corrected time, only one minute and 50 seconds ahead of 'Hooligan'. With last week's second place in Race to the Straits by 52 seconds, 'Hooligan' must be due for a win here soon. On the other hand, 'Hooligan' had a great year last year winning SYC's boat of the year, so it could also be the universe giving someone else a chance. Congratulations to Bill Weinstein and his team 'Terramoto' with Alyosha Strum-Palerm, Stasi Burzycki, Mike Goldfarb, Adam Gibbs, Julia Mamen and Tim Scanlon on board.
'Terramoto' has a commanding lead in the ORC Long Course division for the three race series after winning both races so far. Tom Andrews on his Davidson 29 'Madam Pele' won the PHRF Short Course yesterday over 'Jaded' and 'Jolly Green'. 'Madam Pele' is just ahead of 'Jolly Green' in the series with a second and a first over a first and a third. The Blake Island Race, the third and final race of Seattle Yacht Club's Tri Island Series, will be held on June 1st.