First Casualty of Transpac Race

Los Angeles, CA (July 7, 2017) – With all three groups now having started the 49th Transpac Race, the first casualty among the 55 teams came last night when Mark Dowdy’s Santa Cruz 52 Hana Ho reported they had retired. After their start on July 5, the team discovered mechanical/engine problems that forced their return to California.

As for the big multihulls that started yesterday, they have wasted little time reeling in the first starting group on July 3. The MOD70 Maserati, which has foils that will lift the trimaran in 14 knots of wind, leads a trio that includes the ORMA 60 Mighty Merloe and MOD70 Phaedo. “Maserati has been impressive so far with her foils,” notes Simon Fisher onboard Phaedo. “Maybe the lighter winds we should encounter a little further down the track can give us some opportunities to cut her lead.”

While these three trimarans post speeds in the mid-twenties, the Gunboat 62 Chim Chim is not too far off their pace, but with much better accommodations.

“Since leaving the tip of Catalina to port we have been power reaching under solent and main in breeze from the high teens to the low twenties,” said their onboard reporter. “We took in a reef just before dark last night when we were a little over powered at 22kts and above. Every time we thought about shaking it during the night the breeze piped up again. We shook it during the second morning watch and are continuing to blast reach. The wind has clocked to TWD 326. We anticipate changing over to the fraction reacher before dark.”

The early days still has the wind far enough forward to keep it interesting for the monohulls. “We’re trying to hold our course but on the verge of wipeout,” reports Peter Shumar on the Santa Cruze Deception. “We like the horsepower and boat speed and we’re heading where we want to go but we really want this wind to lift so we can start flying a kite and get some surf time. That and it’s probably time to change the underwear.”

Event details – Entry list – Tracker – July 7 position report – Facebook

Background: First organized by the Transpacific Yacht Club in 1906, the Transpacific Yacht Race or Transpac is an offshore sailing race from Point Fermin in Los Angeles to Diamond Head, just east of Honolulu, a distance of 2225 miles. The 2017 edition attracted 55 entrants that will have staggered starts on July 3, 5, and 6.