Kaneohe Bay, HI, July 15, 2014 – The breeze is on and many of the fifty-five boats racing in the 2014 Pacific Cup are posting double-digit speeds and 200-nautical-mile-plus days. At this pace, Kaneohe Bay could be welcoming the first finisher as early as this Friday, July 18.
Venture, a Jeanneau 49 skippered by Michael Chobotov and leading the Holo Holo Cruising Division, has the bit in her teeth again and is starting to smell the Hawaiian plumeria with less than 600 nautical miles to go. She’ll want to keep an eye on the rear-view mirror as Invisible Hand, a Reichel/Pugh 63 skippered by Frank Slootman, is lit up and gaining fast at 16+ knots. If things stay at this pace, the Hand, which won its division in the 2013 Transpac, will be the first to enjoy Kaneohe Yacht Club mai-tais.
Moore 24 Snafu continues to dominate the ‘Iwi Doublehanded Division, with Blade Runner and Green Buffalo within striking distance. Meanwhile, in the Kolea Doublehanded Division, Wolfpack has the pedal to the metal, posting a 219-nautical-mile day – one mile less than California Condor. Awesome speed for this 30-foot boat!
Azure continues to lead the Alaska Airlines Division, with Back Bay and California Girl in hot pursuit. Green Buffalo has taken the lead in the Cal 40 drag race, while Azure, California Girl and Green Buffalo stand 3rd, 4th and 6th in the PHRF overall standings.
The leads for the Weems & Plath, Matson and Sonnen BMW divisions have changed within the past twenty-four hours. Sailing in the Weems & Plath Division, Free Bowl of Soup had a ‘souper’ day, posting a 202nm day in the last twenty-four hours to take the lead from Sweet Okole. This is the most competitive division in the race with only twelve hours separating the first boat from the last. In the Matson Division,Encore also had a great day, posting 196nm. Hamachi lit the afterburner with a 246nm day to move in front of Swazik in the Sonnen BMW Division; the top seven boats in this division are all in the hunt.
In the Latitude 38 fleet – the race’s fastest boats – Pyewacket, Roy Disney’s Andrews 68 and the sole Hawaii-based boat in the race, continues her leadership of the division as well as rating/overall dominance; both the Alameda, CA based Invisible Hand (Reichel/Pugh 63) and the Melbourne, Australia based Scarlett Runner (Reichel/Pugh 52) posted 300nm days while weaving their way through the fleet.
Tomorrow’s weather forecast suggests that the boats north of the rhumb line will see more breeze.
You can follow the boats on the Pacific Cup website’s tracking page or the Yellowbrick app for iPad, iPhone and Android devices. Positions are delayed by six hours until the first boat reaches the 200 miles to the finish point, when the data will become live.
Details and photos will be posted on the Pacific Cup's website and Facebook page. You can follow the boats on the Pacific Cup website’s tracking page or the Yellowbrick app for iPad, iPhone and Android devices. Positions are delayed by six hours until the first boat reaches the 200 miles to the finish point, when the data will become live.
For more information, please contact:
Karin Knowles
(510) 232-8420
media@pacificcup.org
Or Mele Pochereva
(808)286-8830
media@pacificcup.org
High resolution images are available from Pacific Cup photographer, Leslie Richter, contact:leslie@rockskipper.com, 415-509-1777 www.rockskipper.com
About Pacific Cup Yacht Club – The Pacific Cup Yacht Club is responsible for organizing the biennial Pacific Cup, dubbed the "FUN RACE to Hawaii." Since 1980, the Pacific Cup has been sailed from San Francisco Bay to Hawaii every other year, and since 1988 the finish has been at the warm and welcoming Kaneohe Yacht Club on Oahu. With an emphasis on pre-race preparation for the 2070-mile race, PCYC’s volunteer membership has helped to ensure that thousands of racers have been delighted with their Pacific Cup experience. For more information about the Pacific Cup, visit http://dev.paccup.org
About Richmond Yacht Club – Since 1932 RYC has been dedicated to serious sailing while at the same time having tremendous fun. The club's Point Richmond location and excellent harbor facilities make it easy to hold both small boat and big boat regattas, and RYC has a proud tradition of hosting world class championships as well as many regattas for Bay Area racers, junior and youth boaters, and its own members. A significant percentage of Pacific Cup competitors have always come from RYC, so it's not surprising that the two clubs joined in partnership to establish RYC as the Start Line headquarters for this year's race. For more information about Richmond Yacht Club, www.richmondyc.org
About Kaneohe Yacht Club – Established in 1924, Kaneohe Yacht Club is dedicated to promoting an appreciation of sailing and boating, and has proudly hosted the Pacific Cup finish line since 1988. KYC is located on beautiful Kaneohe Bay, on the island of Oahu’s windward coast, and is home to a full spectrum of competitive and non-competitive racing events that appeal to serious sailors and fun-loving boaters alike, from youth to the young-at-heart. With the magnificent Ko‘olau Mountains as a backdrop, the protected waters of the bay, together with Hawaii’s renowned trade winds, provide a world-class venue for year-round sailing. Each year the club hosts two of the state’s most prestigious sailing events – the IRF Summer Circuit and the Kalakaua Cup – and five state championship regattas, and it has staged national and international regattas, including the 2013 Moth Worlds and the 2013 El Toro Nationals. For more information visit www.kaneoheyachtclub.com
16 Jul 2014
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