Letter
Swiftsure

The 2004 Swiftsure International Sailboat Race has to be about Race Rocks.

This race leaves Victoria, B.C., Canada, and goes out the Straits of Juan De Fuca to the Swiftsure buoy. Acquitted’s handicap allows her to go only part of the way to the buoy which is 13 miles out into the Pacific Ocean, for a total of 140.4 nautical miles roundtrip.

We had wind at the start of the race and made our way west to Albert Head and then after the tide had turned we worked our way through Race Passage and along the Canadian shore. We fought the light winds all night but slowly made our way to the U.S. side of the Strait. Acquitted had been the fifth boat to make the turn around the buoy in Callam Bay, the half way point. We slowly tacked out of Clallam Bay hoping to get a stronger breeze from the west but we had to wait. Then early on the morning of May 30th the westerly wind began to fill. We raise the three quarter ounce spinnaker and set a course along the course rhumb line. The shortest course to the finish line took us through an area known as Race Rocks.

Race Rocks sit one-half mile off shore. They are a large group of rocks that can be most dangerous to navigation. A navigator’s choice is to go around the rocks or between them and the shore where there is a passage about half a mile wide. The advantage of going though the passage is it is the shortest course and if there is a favorable tide you can get a couple of extra knots of push.

The ebb tide changed and began to flood as we came out of Clallam Bay. The wind was building and it was clear that we would have a favorable tide as we approached the Race Rocks. So we headed for Race Passage. As time rolled past and we moved closer to the Passage the wind was becoming southerly which meant that we were now reaching with the spinnaker.
Note: a spinnaker is considered a down wind sail; i.e., the spinnaker flies best when the wind is behind the boat. When you reach the wind is over the middle or broadest part of the boat which makes it more difficult to fly the spinnaker.

We had full control going into the Passage. Our speed over the ground was seven plus knots and through the water six plus. We started to pick up the extra push from the current. Speed over the ground went above eight and then nine knots. Then the gusts of wind hit us, wind estimates were a steady 28 to 30 with gusts up to 45. With that much wind and speed the boat got light on its feet. The rudder would come out of the water and you guessed it. We could not steer the boat with the rudder ... the wind took over. Our first rounding up woke everyone up. The second rounding got our feet wet as the water came into the cockpit and the crew was hanging on to anything they could grab so that they would stay on the boat.

With this rounding up the spinnaker partially collapsed as it went behind the main. Then as the boat stared to gain its feet another gust of wind hit and snapped the spinnaker. This whipping jammed the spinnaker sheet in the block. Of course the skipper is yelling “CRANK IT IN! CRANK IT IN!”; actually I said something like “*&%$ HOLY SH ...” but it was OK as none of the crew could hear.

The Acquitted took her first broach.

All sailors dread the broach.
Broach is defined: “when the boat spins wildly out of control to weather.” The dictionary also notes that a broach is not only embarrassing, costly in terms of equipment, but can be deadly.

A cool headed crew of three women and three guys got the spinnaker down. Our embarrassment was little as only Jam, a sailboat which had withdrawn, stood by and watched the show. The jammed block was not repairable. The crew put up a genoa and the Acquitted charged toward the finish line, taking a fourth in class and seventh in a division of nineteen boats.

Never mind that Acquitted’s previous highest speed was 9.8 knots and we achieved 10.6 knots during this race. Just don’t tell anyone Acquitted’s calculated hull speed is 7.2 knots.
Never mind that we did not have to anchor at the start of the race as we have had to do in previous Swiftsure races.
Never mind that we had to wallow through the light breezes and rain of the night.
Never mind that the crew had spent the previous night in luxurious accommodations at the Coast Hotel Victoria Marina. Or that the crew was well rested, had dined royally at the infamous Millo’s Greek restaurant and was inspired by the belly dancer.
Never mind that we were in the top third in our Division and Class of nineteen boats and none of the crew got sea sick.

What we will all remember is the broach in Race Passage.


The Acquitted is 9.6 meters long and was built in Finland. She is a heavy boat and was built for cruising but is raced locally in PHRF happicapped races and occasionally up north with the big boys. 2004 was her third Swiftsure race. The crew members were Emily Ray, Lori Crews, Carl Applebaum, Pete Holm, Adrienne Basey, Alex Sodhi and skipper Jim Lengenfelder.

Jim Lengenfelder, Acquitted

Dave Knowlton also writes about the Race on Koosah.



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