• Ahoy and Welcome to the New SSS Forums!!

    As you can see, we have migrated our old forums to new software. All your old posts, threads, attachments, and messages should be here. If you see anything out of place or have any questions, please scroll to the very bottom of the page and click "Contact Us" and leave a note with as much detail as possible.

    You should be able to login with your old credentials. If you have any issues, try resetting your password before clicking the Contact Us link.

    Cheers
    - Bryan

Hello from Etobicoke

S

sierrawhiskeygo

New member
I am Scott and I live in the west end of Toronto, in borough called Etobicoke. A few miles west of the CN Tower, which I can see from my house. The "ke" is silent: ee-tow-bih-co. I decided a couple couple months ago that I am going to sail in the SHTP in a distant year, probably 2029, but possibly 2027. For sure not 2025.

I am a bit over 60 years old and sail an Olson 30 on my home waters of Lake Ontario. The Olson 30 needs no introduction here, I'm sure! But was thinking I should join in the Forum instead of just reading it, which I've done a lot! I am one of the people who maintains the Olson 30 Class website, so I've seen and read a lot of the history, recent and not-so recent of the Olson 30 in the SHTP. It's one of the most raced boats, if not THE most raced boat in the history of the SHTP? Obviously the connection between the Olson 30 (Pacific High) and the crewed Transpac is well known and key to the origin story of the Olson 30. Hope to see my name on the SHTP participant list one day, and maybe a Transpac as a crew or delivery crew as well.

We sail our boat fully crewed, and we sail a DH quite a bit as well. Soon I'll start doing some singlehanded long distance races here on the Great Lakes, there are many opportunities for SH/DH sailing on our inland freshwater seas. Lake Ontario 300 and Short Handed Series, Great Lakes Singlehanded Society, Trans-Superior Race etc. etc. Good places to train.

So 2027 or more likely 2029. A massive logistical project just to get the boat to the start of the race, another big project to prepare the boat (thankfully much of this has already been done since we got the boat in 2015) and probably the biggest project of all is to prepare the sailor for such a race. And that is really a big reason why the plan is so far out: I only started sailing less than 10 years ago. Never too late I'd say - but I've a lot of growing and learning to do as a sailor before I do this kind of race. Hope to share ideas and plans, learn and share what I know. Many great sailors here, heaps of history and knowledge to soak up. I'm super keen to do it!
 
Last edited:
Hi Scott,

Welcome to the forum. The volume of posts has dropped off significantly but there's a wealth of information in the Archives.

Do you know Eric Thomas in Duluth, MN? He nearly won the 2008 SHTP overall with his Olson 30 Polar Bear. He's also done a lot of shorthanded racing on the Great Lakes. Last I knew he ran a boatyard in Duluth so he knows the boat prep side well.

Bob J.
 
I've spent time looking at the Archives, which have been very helpful! I've been a member of this site since 2015 but never posted! Only read many posts. I've spent a bunch of time this year researching ideas for autopilot installations especially, we're putting a proper pilot on the boat currently and there's a lot to consider.

I know Eric slightly. Know of him also, a famous and wonderful photo of him hanging ten on the bow of Polar Bear! I am part of the organizing group of an Olson 30 regatta on Labour Day weekend this year, at his home club in Duluth, he is Chair of this event. So we're in touch a little but I've not spoken to him about the SHTP but surely I should. I've chatted a little with the owner of Kato, Jiri, who did SHTP maybe in '18 or so? And Adrian too. But most of these conversations with O30 SHTP sailors were not from the perspective of being interested in doing the race myself, more for info on the Olson 30 site and so forth. All good!
 
Last edited:
Hello Scott-

We found our Olson 29 on the Olson 30 class website. It was at Skipper Buds dry storage in Winthrop Harbor, IL.
 
My birth certificate says Etobicoke although I was actually born in Long Branch, which is nothing but a stop on the Go-Train now.

Good luck in your SHTP quest. I'll just assume you've read "Singlehanded Sailing, Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics" which is pretty near a how-to book for the race.
 
Foolish said:
My birth certificate says Etobicoke although I was actually born in Long Branch, which is nothing but a stop on the Go-Train now.

Good luck in your SHTP quest. I'll just assume you've read "Singlehanded Sailing, Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics" which is pretty near a how-to book for the race.
Click to expand...

Long Branch = Etobicoke, but go 100 yards east and you're in a different city! I am a hop and skip from there. There's the Legion too, right beside the GO. Hear they have good deals on draft beer.

I've not read your book Foolish but know of it.
 
Last edited:
todd22123 said:
Hello Scott-

We found our Olson 29 on the Olson 30 class website. It was at Skipper Buds dry storage in Winthrop Harbor, IL.
Click to expand...

Wonderful. I manage the classified section. Facebook Groups seem to have eaten up all the discussion on the Olson 30 site, unfortunately, but the classified section and the knowledge base is still useful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top