PITCH 2022 Delivers On Its Slogan

"Come for the wind, stay for the party!" Bellingham's PITCH gave sailboat racers exactly what they'd hope for over Labor Day Weekend. PITCH has been a favorite Labor Day weekend regatta in the North Sound for nearly 50 years…

Thunderbird Racers take to Port Townsend Bay for West Coast Championships

A fun, competitive fleet duked it out on Port Townsend Bay for the Thunderbird West Coast Championships.

Pacific Cup 2022:
An Offshore Dream Achieved

Sailing across the ocean has always been on “the list,” but for some reason, I wasn’t sure it would actually happen. It just seemed like such a far-fetched and crazy idea — and how many people really do something like that?…

Down the Sound: Finding the Breeze to Tacoma and Back

The Sloop Tavern Yacht Club’s two-day Down the Sound race was back as a destination event for 2022, this time with a course to Tacoma’s Foss Harbor Marina instead of Gig Harbor. This single and doublehanded pursuit-style…

Clockwise Racers Take 50th Shaw Island Classic

In a race that goes two directions, clockwise was the way to go in the 50th edition of the Shaw Island Classic. Blue skies, sunshine and predictions of uniform, northerly winds of 8 to 10 knots in San Juan Channel had racers…

Little Boats on the Big Stage

The Gorge delivers for Optimist Nationals! When I told people in 2019 that the Columbia Gorge Racing Association (CGRA) was thinking about putting in a bid for the USODA Opti Nationals, I got a lot of responses, usually…

‘Too Wicked’ Wins 2022 Martin 242 North American Championships

The 2022 Martin 242 North American Championships were held in light air in Nanaimo, BC on July 2-3 with a fleet of 15 boats. Many top regional teams attended the event, including 3-time winner Michael Clements, 2-time…

SEVENTY48 by SUP: Team SEASTR’s Race Odyssey

SEVENTY48 is a 70-mile race with a 48-hour time limit from Tacoma to Port Townsend with intentionally few rules: no motors, no support, and no wind. Human power only, pedal, paddle, or row. This was my second time…

Seattle Sailors Win 2022 California Offshore Race Week

Congratulations to Alex Simanis and his Seattle-based crew including Elishia Van Luven, Ben Towery and Joe Wilderman, for winning the 2022 California Offshore Race Week sailing regatta.  This is a remarkable accomplishment,…