Summer sailboat racing was back in Penn Cove on July 28-30 and it was about as fun as you could get!
Presented by the Oak Harbor Yacht Club, the Whidbey Summer Classic Regatta saw perfect conditions with 7 races over the three days of racing. Sunny skies, moderate breeze, excellent courses and Race Committee work meant for great racing each day. With free moorage for all out of town boats, delicious food (included with registration for all crew), enthusiastic dancing to a DJ on Friday and a rocking band on Saturday — this weekend had everything in spades.
Many families joined in, both on and off the water. Eight-year old sailors helped with the lines by day and did break dancing on the dance floor in the evening. Remarkable sunsets were on display from the OHYC ballroom each night. The excellent Oak Harbor youth sailing program was the beneficially of a raffle on Saturday with several sailors walking away with amazing prizes donated by local merchants.
Twenty seven boats and over a 120 sailors from around the Pacific NW raced in three PHRF divisions, a sport boat class and a level San Juan 24 class. The Strait of Juan de Fuca delivered a consistent westerly breeze on Friday and Saturday and finally piped up just before 2 p.m. on Sunday for one final race. Any misunderstandings about the rules were settled on the course and there was no need for a single protest hearing.
Hats off to Aaron Hale, OHYC Sailing Captain, for hiking hard on the rail to make it all happen. Anyone from around the Pacific Northwest wanting to join the fun should think about putting WSCR on his or her calendars next July.
Editor’s Note: You can read more about the Whidbey Summer Classic Regatta in the upcoming September 2023 issue of 48° North.
