Transpac Race: Abandonment of OEX

(July 15, 2019) – The attrition count for the 50th Transpac Race increased today as two of the prominent teams in Division 2, which started on July 13, are now returning to the mainland.

At 0200 PDT this morning, the YB race tracking system activated an emergency signal from John Sangmeister’s Santa Cruz 70 OEX, and one hour later, Roy Disney’s Andrews 70 Pyewacket reported that they had picked up the crew of OEX and all were safe.

The trouble experienced by OEX, and cause to abandon ship, was a result of water ingress due to damage to their rudder post. At this stage the the cause of that damage is not known, and currently OEX is still afloat as their tracker is still reporting the position of the vessel.

There are no reports of injuries, and all 9 crewmembers from OEX and 10 on Pyewacket are about 200 miles out and are proceeding back to port at about 10-11 knots of speed.

Photos from the start:

Attrition list:
• Mayhem, Hobie 33, Steven Eder
• Aloha, Hobie 33, Kyle Vanderspek
• Nalu V, Cal 40, Mark Ashmore
• Trouble, Santa Cruz 50, Tom Camp,
• Live Wire, Olson 40, Tim Jones
• OEX, Santa Cruz 70, John Sangmeister
• Pyewacket, Andrews 70, Roy Disney
• Macondo, Beneteau First 47.7, Mike Sudo

Event Details – Entry list – Tracker – Facebook

Note: There is a 4-hour delay on the tracker but goes live within the final 200 miles.

Background: First organized by the Transpacific Yacht Club in 1906, the biennial 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 nm. The 2019 edition has 12 divisions with staggered starts on July 10, 12, and 13.

Boats racing in Divisions 6, 7, 8, 9, the Cal 40s, and the Multihulls in Class 0A will start on July 10. The second start on July 12 will be for the boats in Divisions 3, 5 and the Santa Cruz 50/52s, with the final start on July 13 for the remaining monohull entries in Divisions 1 and 2, along with the Multihull class 0 entries.