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2021 SHTP Scuttlebutt
- Thread starter Philpott
- Start date
Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
We will have another SHTP zoom meeting tonight, after which we hope to have clarification regarding several issues: staging, luncheon and the celebration on island.
Also. Other things.
Thank you for your patience. Dennis Maggard and his son, Julian, go back and forth 2x/day from the s/v Pamela, and he's conducting reconnissance for us. Lee Johnson arrives w friend, M.J. on Morning Star from Hilo sometime after May 30. Dennis says that will take Lee 3 days. They both have Crealocks, so that is probably about right.
Also. Other things.
Thank you for your patience. Dennis Maggard and his son, Julian, go back and forth 2x/day from the s/v Pamela, and he's conducting reconnissance for us. Lee Johnson arrives w friend, M.J. on Morning Star from Hilo sometime after May 30. Dennis says that will take Lee 3 days. They both have Crealocks, so that is probably about right.
dolfinbill
Member
Hi Jackie,
At least you spelled Crealock right this time but Morning Star is actually a Valiant 32. Can't wait to see everyone in Hanalei.
DolfinBill
Crealock 37
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Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
Oh dear! That IS disturbing. I made a mash of sailors' names and phone numbers, too. If this incompetence continues, who knows? The luncheon at Richmond Yacht Club may end up being ham and orange cheese on white bread sandwiches wrapped in wax paper. With Safeway apples and a small flat bag of Lays potato chips. Or worse. Sigh. You just can't get good help anymore.
Looking forward to seeing you and Patty under the rainbow.
dolfinbill
Member
Jackie,
Actually I've always thought of you as the glue that holds the SSS together. Your contributions are legendary and I am in awe.
DolfinBill
Actually I've always thought of you as the glue that holds the SSS together. Your contributions are legendary and I am in awe.
DolfinBill
Intermission
Member
Hard to imagine worse; please don't anyone try!
Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
SHTP Update 052521
SHTP update. Race Committee Zoom meeting Monday night. Although they are efficient, I am really tired of these zoom meetings.
We've been given the go ahead by Richmond Yacht Club to stage the boats there. Call it a cruise-in. Racers are welcome to arrive Thursday June 17 and stay until Saturday June 19. Email Danny Harris, RYC harbormaster @ [email protected] for location assignment before arrival.
SSS community and friends are invited to come visit, check out the boats, appreciate the audaciousness of people willing to sail across the Pacific alone.
Skip Allan has agreed to discuss the weather and give a course update at the Skippers’ meeting Friday morning June 18 at 10 am. To say that he knows this stuff is a serious understatement.
Lunch will follow @ noon. No cost to skippers, of course. We'll be ordering boxed lunches from a local café and yes, there will be vegetarian options. More about that later. Stay tuned.
All boats have been inspected, although there are always last minute issues. KKMI boat yard has a terrific chandlery right down the road from the RYC, there is a West Marine on the way to KKMI and just a bit beyond that is Whalepoint, an Ace hardware with an expansive inventory of sailing items.
The race start sequence will begin at approximately 10:55 am on Saturday June 19 off the Golden Gate Yacht Club. Skip has encouraged me to advise racers to give themselves plenty of time to get from the Richmond Yacht Club to what we call the City Front, which is where GGYC is located. Thanks to Bob Johnston for the maximum flood and ebb forecast at the gate on that date: Flood 1.1kt 0518, Ebb 2.5kt 1202, Flood 1.9kt 1717
We still aren’t able to confirm a formal ceremony in Kauai because of covid requirements over there. There will be some sort of ceremony, we just don’t know what it will look like yet. The official SSS Mai Tais may end up being unofficial.
There has been a $1 million upgrade to the park adjacent to the River in Hanalei Bay and there is now potable water via hose right there. Dennis Maggard, who is currently anchored in Hanalei Bay, says there is a trail down the hill from Princeville to the River: Bring headlamps and hiking boots because access via the actual road is very limited. Oh, and once you reach the River it needs to be crossed somehow. Huh. How’s that going to work? I have no idea.
Bill Stange (Hula) is tucked into Noyo Basin south of Ft Bragg on his way down the coast:
https://share.garmin.com/Bill2SF
And Kyle Vanderspek plans to trailer Aloha up from San Diego early in order to participate in the Delta Ditch Run. Does he plan to race Aloha in the Ditch Run? No one knows. It’s a mystery.
SHTP update. Race Committee Zoom meeting Monday night. Although they are efficient, I am really tired of these zoom meetings.
We've been given the go ahead by Richmond Yacht Club to stage the boats there. Call it a cruise-in. Racers are welcome to arrive Thursday June 17 and stay until Saturday June 19. Email Danny Harris, RYC harbormaster @ [email protected] for location assignment before arrival.
SSS community and friends are invited to come visit, check out the boats, appreciate the audaciousness of people willing to sail across the Pacific alone.
Skip Allan has agreed to discuss the weather and give a course update at the Skippers’ meeting Friday morning June 18 at 10 am. To say that he knows this stuff is a serious understatement.
Lunch will follow @ noon. No cost to skippers, of course. We'll be ordering boxed lunches from a local café and yes, there will be vegetarian options. More about that later. Stay tuned.
All boats have been inspected, although there are always last minute issues. KKMI boat yard has a terrific chandlery right down the road from the RYC, there is a West Marine on the way to KKMI and just a bit beyond that is Whalepoint, an Ace hardware with an expansive inventory of sailing items.
The race start sequence will begin at approximately 10:55 am on Saturday June 19 off the Golden Gate Yacht Club. Skip has encouraged me to advise racers to give themselves plenty of time to get from the Richmond Yacht Club to what we call the City Front, which is where GGYC is located. Thanks to Bob Johnston for the maximum flood and ebb forecast at the gate on that date: Flood 1.1kt 0518, Ebb 2.5kt 1202, Flood 1.9kt 1717
We still aren’t able to confirm a formal ceremony in Kauai because of covid requirements over there. There will be some sort of ceremony, we just don’t know what it will look like yet. The official SSS Mai Tais may end up being unofficial.
There has been a $1 million upgrade to the park adjacent to the River in Hanalei Bay and there is now potable water via hose right there. Dennis Maggard, who is currently anchored in Hanalei Bay, says there is a trail down the hill from Princeville to the River: Bring headlamps and hiking boots because access via the actual road is very limited. Oh, and once you reach the River it needs to be crossed somehow. Huh. How’s that going to work? I have no idea.
Bill Stange (Hula) is tucked into Noyo Basin south of Ft Bragg on his way down the coast:
https://share.garmin.com/Bill2SF
And Kyle Vanderspek plans to trailer Aloha up from San Diego early in order to participate in the Delta Ditch Run. Does he plan to race Aloha in the Ditch Run? No one knows. It’s a mystery.
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Jackie, thanks for the update. The "cruise-in" sounds fun. I suppose this is different from the original plan of the boats being sequestered on June 17, so I assume it is optional for boats who are already near the starting line
Regardless, I want to find my way there to say hello, on a boat or by a car.
Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
Jackie, thanks for the update. The "cruise-in" sounds fun. I suppose this is different from the original plan of the boats being sequestered on June 17, so I assume it is optional for boats who are already near the starting line
Whatever your little heart desires, Will. It's not required that you bring Sea Wisdom (although she is so beautiful that it is a shame not to share her with the rest of us). The Skippers Meeting is mandatory on Friday, so you wouldn't want to miss that. And the boxed lunch ;-)
dolfinbill
Member
David Clark and I just inspected Kyle's Hobie 33, Aloha, yesterday. Kyle is a very active sailor and plans to crew on the Spinnaker Cup and Coastal Cup before the SHTP and then fly home from Hawaii July 6th so he can race on Medicine Man in the Transpac. Just crazy, I say.
Bill Meanley
Dolfin, Crealock 37
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Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
Remote Emergency Medicine
Jim Quanci s/v Green Buffalo, one of your competitors, is Rear Commodore of the Cruising Club of America.
Jim has made arrangements with the The Worldwide Emergency Communications Center (WECC) to provide remote medical advice to you, should you need it, as you sail across from San Francisco to Kauai.
https://www.gwdocs.com/specialties/emergency-medicine/telemedicine/
The cost to you would be $150 from San Francisco to Kauai and an additional cost of $100 for your trip home. There is some paperwork involved that must be completed ahead of time, and the fee must be paid before you leave.
If you are interested in this emergency coverage, please contact Jim directly at his email, sent to you via the email you provided to the RC via Jibeset.
He has taken the lead on this and needs a head count asap. The organization would like one check, so Jim will collect the money and send it forward. You own a boat, so you’ve heard it before: Bring your checkbook.
Here is what Jim has to say about the WECC:
Basically you have a doc on call 24x7 who is fluent and comfortable advising what to do if you have a medical problem. Drugs to use, managing injuries, whatever. And they understand boats at sea when you are limited to what you have at hand. And they are comfortable working thru email, text, sat phone, etc (which most docs refuse to do).
I have seen them at work when crews have had to deal with diabetic attack, broken ribs, head injury, various bacterial infections (urinary track, staph, pneumonia) and more.
Jim Quanci s/v Green Buffalo, one of your competitors, is Rear Commodore of the Cruising Club of America.
Jim has made arrangements with the The Worldwide Emergency Communications Center (WECC) to provide remote medical advice to you, should you need it, as you sail across from San Francisco to Kauai.
https://www.gwdocs.com/specialties/emergency-medicine/telemedicine/
The cost to you would be $150 from San Francisco to Kauai and an additional cost of $100 for your trip home. There is some paperwork involved that must be completed ahead of time, and the fee must be paid before you leave.
If you are interested in this emergency coverage, please contact Jim directly at his email, sent to you via the email you provided to the RC via Jibeset.
He has taken the lead on this and needs a head count asap. The organization would like one check, so Jim will collect the money and send it forward. You own a boat, so you’ve heard it before: Bring your checkbook.
Here is what Jim has to say about the WECC:
Basically you have a doc on call 24x7 who is fluent and comfortable advising what to do if you have a medical problem. Drugs to use, managing injuries, whatever. And they understand boats at sea when you are limited to what you have at hand. And they are comfortable working thru email, text, sat phone, etc (which most docs refuse to do).
I have seen them at work when crews have had to deal with diabetic attack, broken ribs, head injury, various bacterial infections (urinary track, staph, pneumonia) and more.
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Stan Honey's most current Transpac Race Tactics, Strategy, and Tactics seminar is here: http://honeynav.com/transpac-tactics-strategy-and-weather-presentation/
Though in this presentation Stan talks at a high level to mostly professional navigators on fully crewed boats with unlimited electronic generating power, fully funded wallets, and double digit boat speeds about the 2021 Los Angeles to Honolulu Race which starts July 13-July 17, nevertheless there is much that can be gleaned from his excellent presentation for this year's SHTP. Don't be intimidated, take notes, and remember Stan gybed his Cal 40 Illusion 45 times when he won the 1994 SHTP, always attempting to stay on the favored gybe.
Questions or comments? Ask them here and I will try to answer. If you want to check out an HRRR (High Resolution Rapid Refresh) map that Stan praises for seeing real time wind over a wide area, go here: https://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/hrrr/...maxFcstLen=18&fcstStrLen=-1&domain=z1&adtfn=1
Though in this presentation Stan talks at a high level to mostly professional navigators on fully crewed boats with unlimited electronic generating power, fully funded wallets, and double digit boat speeds about the 2021 Los Angeles to Honolulu Race which starts July 13-July 17, nevertheless there is much that can be gleaned from his excellent presentation for this year's SHTP. Don't be intimidated, take notes, and remember Stan gybed his Cal 40 Illusion 45 times when he won the 1994 SHTP, always attempting to stay on the favored gybe.
Questions or comments? Ask them here and I will try to answer. If you want to check out an HRRR (High Resolution Rapid Refresh) map that Stan praises for seeing real time wind over a wide area, go here: https://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/hrrr/...maxFcstLen=18&fcstStrLen=-1&domain=z1&adtfn=1
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Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
SHTP 2008 Videos just for fun
2008 Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race Videos by fellow SSS sailors Jonathan Gutoff and Christine Weaver of NorCalSailing.com
https://vimeo.com/278423968
https://vimeo.com/287181720
https://vimeo.com/287274428
https://vimeo.com/287522155
https://vimeo.com/287527690
2008 Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race Videos by fellow SSS sailors Jonathan Gutoff and Christine Weaver of NorCalSailing.com
https://vimeo.com/278423968
https://vimeo.com/287181720
https://vimeo.com/287274428
https://vimeo.com/287522155
https://vimeo.com/287527690
A suggestion to all SHTP entrants: It is not too early to calibrate your barometers. Current pressure at SFO is 1013 Mb. https://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/weather/current/KSFO.html
The wind at your start will probably be stronger inside the Bay than outside in the Gulf of the Farallones..You can check wind and weather at Buoy 46026, 20 miles west of your start, here: https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46026
The wind at your start will probably be stronger inside the Bay than outside in the Gulf of the Farallones..You can check wind and weather at Buoy 46026, 20 miles west of your start, here: https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46026
Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
Brendan Huffman s/v Siren
This email from Brendan Huffman’s father.
Brendan’s uncle Jerry, my older brother, raced in four of your solo transpacific races; two on his Cal-34 Pacific Child (I think that was its name) and two in his Wilderness-41 Cynthia. He also sailed Cynthia alone from Hawaii to Tahiti. He loved solo sailing. Jerry raced in a number of TransPac and Pacific Cup races, usually as navigator. His second TrsnsPac in 1957 was my first (of ten) transpacific races. He also delivered several racing boats home to California. We sailed across the Atlantic together in 1965. Sadly, he passed away about twelve years ago from complication from Parkinson’s. He died in his sleep aboard Cynthia in - at that time- Bellingham, Washington.
Brendan has sailed since birth, beginning on our Cal-28, later for several years on our wonderful Yankee-30, and since 1987 on our Contessa-35. It was apparent early on that Brendan is a natural sailor and in his youth and adult life he has fulfilled my prediction. Brendan and I raced my Contessa-35 La Diana double-handed in the 2000 Pacific Cup race, in which we placed first.
He is a terrific sailor and seaman.
In preparing for this big race (in Marina del Rey, SoCal) Brendan has acquired quite a group of volunteers and a few of the us will be coming to the SSS luncheon at Richmond Y C.
This email from Brendan Huffman’s father.
Brendan’s uncle Jerry, my older brother, raced in four of your solo transpacific races; two on his Cal-34 Pacific Child (I think that was its name) and two in his Wilderness-41 Cynthia. He also sailed Cynthia alone from Hawaii to Tahiti. He loved solo sailing. Jerry raced in a number of TransPac and Pacific Cup races, usually as navigator. His second TrsnsPac in 1957 was my first (of ten) transpacific races. He also delivered several racing boats home to California. We sailed across the Atlantic together in 1965. Sadly, he passed away about twelve years ago from complication from Parkinson’s. He died in his sleep aboard Cynthia in - at that time- Bellingham, Washington.
Brendan has sailed since birth, beginning on our Cal-28, later for several years on our wonderful Yankee-30, and since 1987 on our Contessa-35. It was apparent early on that Brendan is a natural sailor and in his youth and adult life he has fulfilled my prediction. Brendan and I raced my Contessa-35 La Diana double-handed in the 2000 Pacific Cup race, in which we placed first.
He is a terrific sailor and seaman.
In preparing for this big race (in Marina del Rey, SoCal) Brendan has acquired quite a group of volunteers and a few of the us will be coming to the SSS luncheon at Richmond Y C.
BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
Hopefully all boats are coming to Richmond YC next Thursday. Here's a link to the club's weather station:
https://weather.richmondyc.org/
(If you like your pressure in millibars instead of inches of mercury, multiply RYC's station numbers by 33.864)
Great info about Brendan and his family!
With regard to Philpottt's message below and RYC etiquette, Surprise! always wears her mast while on the property.
.
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Philpott
Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
What's up with the Race?
These last few months have been a flurry of trying to figure out, first, whether there would be a race, and then, what would it look like?
Well, there will be a race. It doesn’t look like races from the past because this year has been unlike anything before in the history of the world. However, there were sailors out there who wanted to GO, so the Singlehanded Sailing Society has accommodated them. The board made the GO call and twenty three sailors registered. Then twelve changed their minds and now we have 11. As of today they’re all ready to start except for food provisions. Imagine that!
Safety inspections are completed, thanks to the SHTP Inspector General Mike Cunningham. Tom Boussie inspected three boats locally, Bob Johnston inspected two in Richmond, David Garman inspected three up north, Bill Meanley and David Clark inspected in San Diego, Peter Heiberg and Gary Burton inspected boats that ended up not participating in the race, and Whitall Stokes and Steve Hodges agreed to inspect as well. The whole Sick Crew, for you Thomas Pynchon fans.
A reminder of what Kimball Livingston wrote in June of 1986:
The Singlehanded Transpac attracts hard-bitten competitors, also contemplative mystics with an eye for the misty, mysterious horizon. Some race to win. Others race only to go the distance. The long race, run every two years since 1978, is a grass-roots enterprise. Most of the sailors have modest boats and make sacrifices to race. There are no cash prizes. The organizers, the Singlehanded Sailing Society, are the competitors themselves, or their family members.
This year the Richmond Yacht Club has agreed to host our boats for the staging area of the race. It was a difficult decision for the RYC board. Because of CoVid, a significant number of members still feel very cautious about people coming onto the property from outside. The Club has declined requests for Cruise-Ins for that reason. Yet RYC has agreed to host the Singlehanded Sailing Society’s Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race. Why is this? While the motto of the RYC is “This Club was built for Fun”, it is also a club that supports every type of sailor. And the members recognize that this is a RACE.
Oh, yeah, it is.
The boats have been invited to stage in the RYC harbor. Danny Harris, the new harbormaster and an ocean-crossing sailor himself, has made room for our boats along the ends of C, D, E and F docks. Perplexity is already at the end of C dock, Nozomi and Green Buffalo are next to each other further in on C. Northern Star is just off the coast, completing his qualifier, and will arrive this Friday or maybe a bit sooner, since he’s flying. The rest of the boats arrive Thursday June 17 and they will be there through at least Friday afternoon.
If you plan to come over to visit, please be respectful of the need for continued vigilance. Wear a mast while on the property. It will be terrific to see everybody. Don’t fall off the dock, but if you do, there’s a safety ladder at the end of each third slip. Yeah
Personally? I think this race might happen with or without permission from any organization or even the CDC.
“… even if no race committee existed to organize the Transpac [ific Race], the Race would happen anyway. Sailors would meet at an agreed upon time. They would show up in Hanalei some days later.”
I read that in a book somewhere, so it must be true.
These last few months have been a flurry of trying to figure out, first, whether there would be a race, and then, what would it look like?
Well, there will be a race. It doesn’t look like races from the past because this year has been unlike anything before in the history of the world. However, there were sailors out there who wanted to GO, so the Singlehanded Sailing Society has accommodated them. The board made the GO call and twenty three sailors registered. Then twelve changed their minds and now we have 11. As of today they’re all ready to start except for food provisions. Imagine that!
Safety inspections are completed, thanks to the SHTP Inspector General Mike Cunningham. Tom Boussie inspected three boats locally, Bob Johnston inspected two in Richmond, David Garman inspected three up north, Bill Meanley and David Clark inspected in San Diego, Peter Heiberg and Gary Burton inspected boats that ended up not participating in the race, and Whitall Stokes and Steve Hodges agreed to inspect as well. The whole Sick Crew, for you Thomas Pynchon fans.
A reminder of what Kimball Livingston wrote in June of 1986:
This year the Richmond Yacht Club has agreed to host our boats for the staging area of the race. It was a difficult decision for the RYC board. Because of CoVid, a significant number of members still feel very cautious about people coming onto the property from outside. The Club has declined requests for Cruise-Ins for that reason. Yet RYC has agreed to host the Singlehanded Sailing Society’s Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race. Why is this? While the motto of the RYC is “This Club was built for Fun”, it is also a club that supports every type of sailor. And the members recognize that this is a RACE.
Oh, yeah, it is.
The boats have been invited to stage in the RYC harbor. Danny Harris, the new harbormaster and an ocean-crossing sailor himself, has made room for our boats along the ends of C, D, E and F docks. Perplexity is already at the end of C dock, Nozomi and Green Buffalo are next to each other further in on C. Northern Star is just off the coast, completing his qualifier, and will arrive this Friday or maybe a bit sooner, since he’s flying. The rest of the boats arrive Thursday June 17 and they will be there through at least Friday afternoon.
If you plan to come over to visit, please be respectful of the need for continued vigilance. Wear a mast while on the property. It will be terrific to see everybody. Don’t fall off the dock, but if you do, there’s a safety ladder at the end of each third slip. Yeah
Personally? I think this race might happen with or without permission from any organization or even the CDC.
“… even if no race committee existed to organize the Transpac [ific Race], the Race would happen anyway. Sailors would meet at an agreed upon time. They would show up in Hanalei some days later.”
I read that in a book somewhere, so it must be true.
BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
Here's Richmond YC's harbor layout. The harbor entrance from Potrero Reach is by "F" in the lower, left-hand corner. Please come in slowly and watch for small boats, even on Thursday.
Zoom in to see the slip lengths and whether they are wide (W), narrow (N) or an end tie (ET). The turning basin by the clubhouse is for smaller boats - I wouldn't plan on going all the way in there.
F, E, D and C docks respectively (as Jackie referenced above) will be on your left as you make your way into the harbor. Since Surprise! is in E-75, I know that 77, 79, 81 and 83 are all open right now (it must be my aftershave). VHF Ch. 72 will be used for coordination.
https://www.richmondyc.org/files/RYC Harbor Layout.pdf
.
Zoom in to see the slip lengths and whether they are wide (W), narrow (N) or an end tie (ET). The turning basin by the clubhouse is for smaller boats - I wouldn't plan on going all the way in there.
F, E, D and C docks respectively (as Jackie referenced above) will be on your left as you make your way into the harbor. Since Surprise! is in E-75, I know that 77, 79, 81 and 83 are all open right now (it must be my aftershave). VHF Ch. 72 will be used for coordination.
https://www.richmondyc.org/files/RYC Harbor Layout.pdf
.
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