Halfway point
The racers of the 51st Transpac Race have now passed the halfway point between Los Angeles and Honolulu
22 July 2021
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The prediction that the 51st biennial Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu would be fast appears to be holding as all 40 boats have now entered the second half in a little over a week. A speed some are crediting a North Pacific high-pressure system and its 15–20 knot winds.
It’s a phase that makes Transpac unique among other ocean races with days upon days of downwind sailing and increasingly warmer weather.
On Steve Sellinger’s Santa Cruz 52 Triumph, some of the crew have gotten comfortable in this groove, overheard to “bemoan how the race is getting short just as it was getting going.”
Onboard Alan Lubner’s R/P 55 Zvi have reported “amazing conditions with some 24–knot top speeds with only one storm cell overnight. We blew up a tack line splice right before a kite change. No damage, all souls safe on board and the crew is still pushing hard to Hawaii for some much needed tropical refreshments.”
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And on Brent Crawford and Jason Halloway’s Beneteau 49 Knotty Boo, there was a reminder that trade wind sailing is not always blissful.
“[We] shredded our A-2 and A-4 spinnakers last night in squalls. Also broke our Genoa. One crew set off a personal EPIRB this morning. This was inadvertent. All safe. Ignore.”
It’s also the first Transpac for Kate and Jim Murphy from Chicago, who are racing on their TP 52 Callisto. Not only did they have a close pass overtaking Greg Dorn’s Dehler 46 Favonius, but they’ve encountered other traffic more recently as well: “We had two port-starboard crossings last night, both within 100 meters! One was with Compadres [the Andrews 77 from Division 1] and the other with Horizon [John Shulze’s Santa Cruz 50 from Division 6].”
Organisers have stated the YB tracker system has revolutionised their ability to follow the race. And that even with the four-hour delay restriction for public updates, there is still endless speculation about who will finish when at Diamond Head.
Nonetheless, we may also indulge in some of our speculations. At its current speed with 690 miles to go, Roy Disney’s turbo Volvo 70 Pyewacket would be at Diamond Head at 7:00am Hawaii Standard Time on Friday 23rd July.
Next across the line would be Cecil and Lynn Rossi’s Farr 57 Ho’okolohe at just over nine hours later. Saturday and Sunday will then see boats from all Divisions start to arrive fast and furiously at Waikiki.
While COVID restrictions had prevented planning the traditional arrival parties, all teams will be guaranteed a warm Aloha welcome when they arrive.
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