6 pm Weather Update

It looks like the record books are safe for this year's race......

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FOR WASHINGTON
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
254 PM PDT THU MAY 11 2017

INLAND WATERS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON AND THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
WASHINGTON COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING THE OLYMPIC COAST NATIONAL
MARINE SANCTUARY

PZZ100-120700-
254 PM PDT THU MAY 11 2017

SYNOPSIS FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL WASHINGTON COASTAL AND INLAND WATERS...ONSHORE FLOW THIS EVENING WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH OVERNIGHT AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER NORTHERN OREGON MOVES EAST. A WEAK LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE OFFSHORE WATERS ON FRIDAY THEN TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. ONSHORE FLOW WILL INCREASE SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER LOW APPROACHES THE AREA. ANOTHER FRONT WILL ARRIVE MONDAY OR MONDAY NIGHT.

What Does It Look Like Out There? Here's a Handy Webcam!

As the lead boats ( Rage & Kinetic V) move farther North, their courses have turned NE, Riva is heading NW...that could mean the wind has swung to the North, making this an upwind battle....or the boats could just be on different gybes? Hard to say.....

Rage & Kinetic V are now on a course that will take them closer to Destruction Island.....what does it look like out there you ask?

Here is a webcam from the beach at Kalaloch Lodge......which looks West towards the path where all of the boats will eventually cross.

http://forkswa.com/kalaloch-webcam/

Pickin' Up the Pace!

Boat speeds up front are picking up!

Rage - N @ 14 knots
Kinetic V - N @ 11.6 knots
Riva - N @ 9.3 knots
Free Bowl of Soup - NNW @ 8.4 knots
Anam Cara - N @ 8.4 knots
Abstract - N @ 7.7 knots
Escape Artist - NNW @ 7.6 knots
Velocity - N @ 8 knots
Panama Red - N @ 8.7 knots
Raindrop - NW @ 7.7 knots
Sloop Dawg - NNW @ 7.7 knots
Passepartout - NNW @ 6.2 knots
Desperado - NW @ 6.7 knots
Blue Martini - NW @ 6.5 knots
Cool Change - NW @ 6 knots
Stay Gold - NNE @ 5.3 knots
Sol Pacifico - NNW @ 6.7 knots
Aja - NW @ 6.5 knots
Souffle - NNW @ 5.6 knots

2017 CYC Oregon Offshore - Dog Watch Update

What IS the Dog Watch you ask?

Here's the answer!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_watch

Day 1, 5:30 pm update:
Rage & Kinetic V are neck and neck ahead of the rest of the pack, led by Riva, which has taken an inside route while the rest of the fleet heads further offshore.....

Riva Makes Her Move

Riva is making 9.7 knots due North and is separating from the rest of the fleet, distancing herself from a pack of J-105's (Abstract, Soup & Escape Artist) following close behind.......

A Pleasant Trip North?

With landmark names along the way such as "The Graveyard of the Pacific", "Destruction Island" & "Cape Disappointment", the CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race is not for the light-hearted!

Image source: Wikipedia

By Rayborbon - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35080086

Pictured: Destruction Island located off of the Washington coast. The island is a hazard to navigation along the route of the CYC Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race and is usually passed at night.

Want a better view of Destruction Island from land?

Try the Kalaloch lodge in the Olympic National Park on the Washington Coast, it doesn't get much more remote than this!

https://www.thekalalochlodge.com/stay?gclid=CjwKEAjwl9DIBRCG_e3DwsKsizsSJADMmJ11fQjEdYpiwmm_IbDRmUXPZnP2Of7m0g-AkVbJ5kzVCBoCmjHw_wcB

More on the  "Graveyard of the Pacific":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graveyard_of_the_Pacific

Wind Wall for the Leaders?

It looks like the two lead boats have slowed, while the pack is coming on strong.

Here are some recent headings & boat speed readings from the fleet:

Kinetic V - NNW @ 8.6 knots
Rage - NNW @ 8.2 knots
Riva - NNW @ 9.2 knots
Free Bowl of Soup - NNW @ 8.9 knots
Abstract - NNW @ 9.3 knots
Anam Cara - NNW @ 8.8 knots
Velocity - NNW @ 8.6 knots
Escapr Artist - NNW @ 8.5 knots
Panama Red - NNW @ 8.1 knots
Sloop Dawg - NNW @ 7.6 knots
Raindrop - NNW @ 8.5 knots
Passepartout - NNW @ 6.7 knots
Blue Martini - NNW @ 7.5 knots
Desperado - NNW @ 6.7 knots
Stay Gold - NNW @ 7.2 knots
Sol Pacifico - NNW @ 6.6 knots
Cool Change - N @ 6.7 knots
Aja - NNW @ 6.3 knots
Souffle - MW @ 5.9 knots

What Is The Weather Like Out There?

Current wind and weather conditions at Ocean Shores, Washington:

https://www.wunderground.com/us/wa/ocean-shores

The Fleet Separates....and Gets Tighter!

As expected, the two lead boats, Rage & Kinetic V, are starting to put some sizable distance on the rest of the fleet.

As you can see from the race tracker, the group of boats is tightly packed, heading Northwesterly.

Riva and Free Bowl of Soup lead the second group as the fleet settles in for a long, cold, wet, blustery afternoon......I'll bet the guys on Free Bowl of Soup really DO want a bowl of soup about now!

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head!

It just wouldn't be a real Oregon Offshore without at least ONE Cascade 36 in the race!
Raindrop, shown here, is in her element.....

Time For A Blue Martini!

It's five o'clock somewhere......

Desperado Heads North

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

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

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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.

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!

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