Singlehanded TransPac Sets Sail for Kauai

June 19, 2010

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One of the hardest parts of this race is getting all the boat prep and details done. It's nice to see so many boats so well prepared. Ken Roper on Harrier had one problem he couldn't solve in time. His engine wouldn't run for more than ten minutes, so he wouldn't be able to charge his batteries during the race. A call went out and Greg Morris, who'd done the SHTP on his Moore 24 Color Blind, saved the day by finding an old portable generator belonging to Peter Hogg. Peter was on the race deck shooting the gun, and his wife Shama Kota handled the radio check-in. She said, "Our old generator's going to Hawaii again!"

Randell Von Wedel of the Corinthian YC tried to cheer up Ken 'The General' Roper on his Finn Flyer 31 Harrier, whose generator wasn't going to run long enough to charge his batteries. The General holds the unofficial record for both the most Singlehanded TransPacs (this is his 11th), and the oldest skipper, at age 80. "The 2010 race will DEFINITELY be my last one!" he says. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

Recidivist Ben Mewes of the Black Soo Mirage got swept up in the ebb and missed his start, but he fought his way back and crossed the startline about 15 minutes later. By Point Bonita, he had caught up and passed his nearest competitors, George Lythcott on the Express 27 Taz!! and the Adrian on the Olson 30. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

Adam Correa on the 'turboed' International Folkboat Blue Moon. ©2010 norcalsailing.com

The only boat that didn't start this morning was the Catalina 309 Southernaire. Skipper Sam Burns was having trouble with his SSB and isn't carrying a Sat phone as a backup for check-ins.

Most of the fleet of fourteen will be checking in and chatting with each other via SSB, and many of them will keep logs on the Singlehanded Sailing Society website. We recommend reading along! The first position report is already in this evening. Taz!! is furthest south; Bandicoot is furthest north. They're about 50+ miles out, about twice the distance to the Farallon Islands.

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