My last dance at Race Week

The phrase, “If you build it, he will come”, is from the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. Over time, this evolved into the popular idiom “If you build it, they will come”, but this is typically naive.

Simply creating something great isn’t enough; you still need to build and support the audience. When recreational sailing succeeds, there tends to be someone leading the charge. In this report by Schelleen Rathkopf, she reflects on her journey in the Pacific Northwest, and her hope that someone carries on the effort:

Twenty five years is a really long time. A quarter of a century. That’s how long I’ve attended Race Week. My kids grew up with it, and we built our summer vacations around it. On Race Committee, I was the official timer, and I was once compared to a metronome in Sailing World magazine!

I took the helm of Race Week in 2014, and have been producing the event ever since.

I’ve raced, partied, and played and I’ve had some of my best weeks of summer with my family at Race Week. But the time is right to pass the Race Week torch on to someone new! This summer will be my last dance at Race Week, and my hope is that someone will step up and carry the torch forward! (PM me if this is you!)

Since its inception on Whidbey Island in 1983, Race Week has been important to so many in the sailboat racing community. To celebrate, I’ve extended the 2026 registration deadline to June 15, hoping that more of you will join our Race Week family to mark the end of an era!

Thank you to all of you who have supported Race Week over the years!

Regards,
Schelleen Rathkopf
schelleen@gmail.com

Since leaving Whidbey Island, the event has had a few names and locations with 2026 Race Week Bellingham planned for July 20-24 in Bellingham, Washington.