Twenty-three boats gathered on an unseasonably warm and somewhat dry fall morning in Gig Harbor for the 58th annual Le Mans Race on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
Hosted by Gig Harbor Yacht Club (GHYC), Le Mans is a very unique race—a tradition started in 1967 by GHYC sailors who fashioned it after the Le Mans car race. Boats find their spot in the start line “box,” anchors are set, sails are down, and all crew are below deck at the 5 minute horn. The slower boats with PHRF ratings from 99 to 195 in Division 1 started 10 minutes ahead of Division 2, which rated between 15 and 93. Separating the fleet into multiple starting groups is an effort to reduce congestion through the harbor and out of its extremely narrow mouth that leads racers to the larger waters at the confluence of Colvos Passage to the north, Dalco Passage to the east, and the Tacoma Narrows to the south. At the starting gun, crews scramble on deck, hoist sails, and pull anchor… and they’re off!
On our Thunderbird #9, Fandango, it’s an annual tradition with our kids, Ryan and Katie, who’ve sailed with us since they were born over 40 years ago. As the 2025 race got underway, very light winds and adverse current made things interesting to say the least. The Olson 30 Sidewinder sailed by the Jones boys, along with Gerry Gilbert on the J/80 Afterburner, made good use of what wind there was on Gig Harbor’s east shore.
With both starts off the line, the first three boats out of the harbor were Afterburner, the Farr 36 Wicked Sister, and Sidewinder—and the rich got richer as they reached more breeze and set their chutes heading north up Colvos.
Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet converged inside the mouth on an incoming tide, adding to the challenge of a clean exit. Some boats anchored and most every boat made numerous attempts to pass through the narrow opening before finding success. Throughout the tight-quarter tide fighting, the light winds and low boat speeds were almost an unexpected benefit, as many boats were lucky to maintain millimeter clearances between their gelcoat and their competitors’. Encouraging crowds gathered at various viewpoints along the water’s edge with a large gathering at the old ferry landing, including our vocal grandkids.
Once we managed to get out of the harbor, the winds in Colvos reached around 5-8 knots throughout the run to Camp Sealth and the beat back to Gig Harbor. Most boats chose to work the west side of Colvos in the still-adverse current—even on a flood, the tide runs north through Colvos. Afterburner and Sidewinder were the first two boats to round the Camp Sealth mark. Wicked Sister rounded third and then really legged out on the beat back to the harbor, finishing well ahead of the rest of the fleet on the 9.5 nautical mile race and taking line honors and first in Division 2.
Aboard Fandango, as with most boats, there was the usual discussion about headings, location of boats, wind velocity, and currents. As we entered the harbor after the Colvos leg, Katie, on foredeck, nailed a snappy sail change getting the spinnaker up the moment we made the turn, without a pole, which worked well in light air. The winds inside Gig Harbor were similar to how we’d left them—minimal, and decreasing as the rainy mist set in. Many of the lead boats congregated at the finish line, and the fleet behind was closing in as well. Every moment counted in this race.
Wicked Sister, skippered by Jerry and Chona McKay came in first overall, Fandango placed second overall ahead of Afterburner who came in third. Fandango pipped Afterburner by a single second on corrected time!
Thanks so much to Gig Harbor Yacht Club for sponsoring this race and Tacoma Yacht Club for their on-the-water support. As Afterburner skipper Gerry Gilbert concluded, “Why do boats come out for this race? It’s one of the most frustrating races with light air in the harbor.” Luckily, there’s a lot of fun and sailing intrigue to be had amidst the frustration, and the community is genuinely wonderful. The Fandango crew hopes to keep sailing this fun, challenging tradition together as a family for many years to come.
Full results at: www.gigharboryc.com
