Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Desperado Heads North
Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Whale, what Whale?!?
I thought I saw a whale...did anyone else see that?!?
Jerry Barnes isn't anywhere nearby is he?!?
Take a trip down the Oregon Offshore memory lane:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYs92oECFE
Jerry Barnes isn't anywhere nearby is he?!?
Take a trip down the Oregon Offshore memory lane:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYs92oECFE
Heating Up The Souffle!
One of our favorite entries each year is the venerable Cal 34 Souffle, representing the Cruising Class. Owned by Phil Lewis of Portland, Souffle is shown here in fine racing form with a reefed main and properly stowed magma BBQ!
We always like to say, "you're never losin' when your cruisin'!
Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Phot credit: Jeff Duvall
We always like to say, "you're never losin' when your cruisin'!
Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Phot credit: Jeff Duvall
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Head Em Up, Move 'Em Out!
Kinetic V & Rage aside for the moment......It looks like the rest of the fleet generally is heading farther out to sea with Free Bowl of Soup currently leading Riva....the bulk of the fleet is close behind...... they also seem to be making a notable turn to the West......perhaps for a fresher breeze?
Kinetic V Pulls Ahead of Rage!
Kinetic V has taken the lead and is showing a burst of speed to leeward of Rage but still has to come out (West) to clear the point at the turn......
Is it better to go faster and sail a longer course or sail slower on a straighter course?
Rage has a lot of local knowledge on board....let's see if their strategy to stick closer to the rhumb line will pay off.....only time will tell.
Is it better to go faster and sail a longer course or sail slower on a straighter course?
Rage has a lot of local knowledge on board....let's see if their strategy to stick closer to the rhumb line will pay off.....only time will tell.
Aw Shucks! The Leaders Are AlreadyAt Oysterville!
No doubt this year's race is off to a fast start.
At last check, Rage was seaward and just ahead of Kinetic V
making just over 13 knots to Kinetic's 15...these two sleds will be pushing each other up the course all day....with an inside position, Kinetic seems to be in good shape, but if the wind builds farther out to sea, Rage may pick up some distance with her longer waterline....It is too early to tell if this year's race could threaten the 2014 record, but if anyone could do it, it is one of these downwind machines.
How To Follow Along With The Race Tracker
So, if you are new to sailing, or new to the race tracker, following along is easy and fun!
Just click on the link on the CYC Oregon Offshore home page or click here:
http://oregonoffshore.swiftsure.org/
That will open a screen with the entire fleet and their relative positions at last reporting.
If you click on individual boat icons, another screen pops up with the boat's current information: speed, heading, racing division and time of report.
Watch the time of report closely, as some of the boats update more frequently than others.
Be sure to check back often as the wind, weather and race conditions are ever changing.
If a boat reports it's position somewhere on Mt. St. Helens, that means that the transponder is turned off or not working temporarily for some reason. Usually, someone onboard figures it out and rectifies the problem if it occurs.
So, have fun following along, and take some comfort in the fact that it is not YOU out there sailing along in the wind and the cold and the rain and the waves that most certainly IS part of the allure of the CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race!
Just click on the link on the CYC Oregon Offshore home page or click here:
http://oregonoffshore.swiftsure.org/
That will open a screen with the entire fleet and their relative positions at last reporting.
If you click on individual boat icons, another screen pops up with the boat's current information: speed, heading, racing division and time of report.
Watch the time of report closely, as some of the boats update more frequently than others.
Be sure to check back often as the wind, weather and race conditions are ever changing.
If a boat reports it's position somewhere on Mt. St. Helens, that means that the transponder is turned off or not working temporarily for some reason. Usually, someone onboard figures it out and rectifies the problem if it occurs.
So, have fun following along, and take some comfort in the fact that it is not YOU out there sailing along in the wind and the cold and the rain and the waves that most certainly IS part of the allure of the CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race!
Stay Gold Stays On Their Feet
Stay Gold....Staying classy!
Reefing the main at the start, Stay Gold still has a lot of power in that masthead rig and a WHOLE lotta waterline to work with on that Morgan 36T.....they carry a lot of momentum through the waves, which is a definite plus beating upwind or close reaching in short, choppy confused seas......they seem to be offering a prayer of peace to the crew and fleet at the start of the race.......and also with you Stay Gold!
Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Reefing the main at the start, Stay Gold still has a lot of power in that masthead rig and a WHOLE lotta waterline to work with on that Morgan 36T.....they carry a lot of momentum through the waves, which is a definite plus beating upwind or close reaching in short, choppy confused seas......they seem to be offering a prayer of peace to the crew and fleet at the start of the race.......and also with you Stay Gold!
Are We Having Fun Yet?!?
Good ad for a safety harness......Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
The Pre-Start Dance
J-122 Anam Cara close reaching just before the start of the 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore. That is Rage crossing astern of Anam Cara before the start....they won't stay there for long! Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Anam Cara Steams Ahead
J-122 Anam Cara blasts off the starting line with a full main and what appears to be a barberhauled headsail....looks like a good stance behind the wheel Tom! Now, get that weight up on the rail! Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Early Leaders Are Rage and Kinetic V....On Record Pace?
Did anyone really doubt that?
But can they come close to the record time set in 2014? Only time will tell...........
Poetry In Motion
Headsails were in fashion at the start of this year's 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race.
With lumpy confused seas and a fresh SW breeze, it was better to be safe than sorry at the start of the race. Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Not So Fast!
More photos from the start by Maria Swearingen:
LIVE ACTION! Photos From the Start Line!
These just came in!
Here are some live action shots of the start of the 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race by Portland based photographer Maria Swearingen:
Sloop Dawg rolls up on a quartering swell at the start of the 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore. From reefed mainsails to full spinnakers, this year's start looks like it was fast and furious! Photo credit: Maria Swearingen.
Escape Artist (foreground) blast reaching off the starting line of the 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore. Photo credit: Maria Swearingen
Spinnaker or headsail?!? That seems to be the question pondered by the crew onboard Free Bowl of SOup just before the start of the 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore. Photo credit: Maria Swearingen.
Here are some live action shots of the start of the 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race by Portland based photographer Maria Swearingen:
And They're Off!
All 19 boats competing in this year's CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race have reportedly crossed the starting line near Astoria, Oregon and are currently heading north.
Winds are reported to be 15-18 knots from the SW giving the fleet a fresh breeze to scoot up the coast.
Best of luck and safe passage to all of the boats, skippers and crew competing in the 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race!
We'll see you in Victoria!
Winds are reported to be 15-18 knots from the SW giving the fleet a fresh breeze to scoot up the coast.
Best of luck and safe passage to all of the boats, skippers and crew competing in the 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race!
We'll see you in Victoria!
The Race Tracker is LIVE!
The Fleet Heads Out
The 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race Fleet heads out to cross the Columbia River Bar to reach the start of the race:
Another Fast Start for the 2017 CYC Oregon Offshore?
The weather has been cold and rainy most of this year in Oregon, and the start of today's race will see more of the same.
The GOOD NEWS about the weather, is that the winds are predicted to be predominantly from the South, allowing for a probable spinnaker start and a nice quick reach up the coast to the turn.
The seas are always a little lumpy in these conditions, so crew work and sail handling is key to moving to the front of the pack early.
Lumpy seas are no stranger to this race...they don't affectionately call it the Straits of Juan de "Puka" for nothing....
Rhumb Line or Great Circle Route?
Last year, a strong ebb tidal flow to the Northwest at the start pushed the fleet with a lee bow current off the starting line on their upwind trek....this year, with the winds from astern, that tidal effect could be magnified, with boats hugging the coast getting the most benefit.
That is, IF the wind closer to shore holds....there is often more unobstructed breeze with less land influence farther out to sea....we'll see what strategy pays off this year!
The GOOD NEWS about the weather, is that the winds are predicted to be predominantly from the South, allowing for a probable spinnaker start and a nice quick reach up the coast to the turn.
The seas are always a little lumpy in these conditions, so crew work and sail handling is key to moving to the front of the pack early.
Lumpy seas are no stranger to this race...they don't affectionately call it the Straits of Juan de "Puka" for nothing....
Rhumb Line or Great Circle Route?
Last year, a strong ebb tidal flow to the Northwest at the start pushed the fleet with a lee bow current off the starting line on their upwind trek....this year, with the winds from astern, that tidal effect could be magnified, with boats hugging the coast getting the most benefit.
That is, IF the wind closer to shore holds....there is often more unobstructed breeze with less land influence farther out to sea....we'll see what strategy pays off this year!