The 2014 Pacific Cup Race Has Started!
Point Richmond, CA, Sunday, July 6, 2014 -- The first division of the 2014 Pacific Cup, the Holo Holo Cruising division, took off for Hawaii this morning in 12-15 knot winds under lifting fog over the Golden Gate Bridge. This is the first year the Pacific Cup has had a cruising division, opening the race to boats interested in the voyage but not the competitive racing. Holo Holo is Hawaiian slang for walking around and having fun, and this “joy ride” spirit permeated the cruisers’ start ─ but being a few minutes late doesn’t matter much on a 2070 mile race.
First to cross the start line was Med Viking, a Beneteau 411 from Southern California, skippered by Bernard Debbasch, followed by four San Francisco-based boats. Venture, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49, skippered by Michael Chobotov, was a close second. KnopKierrie a Pacific Seacraft 37 skippered by Monika Majewska was next, followed by Rapture a Caliber 40LRC Sloop-Cutter, skippered by Gregory Newman, and thenKoh-Ring, a Tayana 48, skippered by Wolfgang Hausen.
The common theme expressed by the skippers in this division is “we want to sail to Hawaii, and the Pacific Cup has enabled us to do it with wonderful support.” The cruisers can run their engines at any time (although they must log the time), but Med Viking’s skipper says he would be delighted if he never had to put the engine in gear.
If these boats were striving to win a race, Venture, a beautiful ocean cruiser that was first out under the Golden Gate looks like a winner. The crew yelled out that they were “feeling good and ready,” were planning to catch some fish and hoping to win the “wine prize” – a Holo Holo division award for the best wine list, assessing both quality and quantity.
Soon after leaving San Francisco Bay, Rapture radioed that she was unable to turn off her engine and was concerned about continuing. Several competitors immediately offered suggestions and well wishes, butRapture is now back home in Berkeley dealing with her problem.
The serious racing starts tomorrow, Monday, July 7, with the start of the Alaska Airlines Division (higher-PHRF rating boats) and the 'Iwi Double-handed Division (for smaller boats), the first of two double-handed divisions. The remainder of the boats start Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Starting times for all divisions can be found Pacific Cup's 2014 Race Entries by Division list. Details and photos will be posted on the Pacific Cup's website and Facebook page.
For more information, please contact:
Karin Knowles
(510) 232-8420
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