On a mission for the bluewater challenge

After escaping the wave of COVID-19 cancellations in 2020, the biennial Los Angeles to Honolulu Transpac persists with optimism their 51st edition can get underway this Sumner. Embracing that hopefulness is the Andrews 70 Trader Sailing which is on a mission for the 2225 nm race.

Led by skipper and retired U.S. Marine Doug Pasnik, Trader Sailing is a military veteran outreach sailing program based out of Honolulu, and will be on the start line with a national team of veterans and rising female offshore racers from all corners of the United States, including Hawaii, California, Utah, Texas, Florida, and Connecticut.

Said Pasnik, “I am driven in this race to build a winning team, synergizing military veteran leaders with up-and-coming young female sailors to compete in this bluewater challenge and celebrate in the camaraderie of adventure.”

The 11-member race team consists of Pasnik and his core military crew, Ryan Brown (U.S. Marine Corps, veteran), Fred Jameson (U.S. Marine Corps, retired) and Kenneth Williams (U.S. Air Force, retired). They are joined by Neil Stewart (Royal Air Force, retired) and team medical responder Fred Grimmer.

Representing the next generation of American offshore racers are Lindsay Gimple, Annie Longo, Megan Gimple, and Sarah Wilkinson of international sailing organization The Magenta Project and the youth offshore racing team MudRatz, Inc. Rounding out the crew is professional on-board reporter Justin Edelman (U.S. Navy, veteran).

The team plans to train in Hawaii this spring before delivering the boat to California prior to the race. Edelman will be documenting the road-to-race effort as well as the competition to share the Transpac experience with a wider audience. TRADER is scheduled to start the Transpac on July 17, 2021.

Event information – Race details – Entry list

2021 Schedule
First Start – July 13
Second Start – July 16
Third Start – July 17
Fast Multihull and/or Fast Monohull Yacht Start – TBD (if needed)
Honolulu Awards Ceremony – July 30

Source: Lindsay Gimple, Scuttlebutt