Daily Report - July 18 - Pele is Having Some Fun

by Race Committee, July 18th, 2014

Yesterday I mentioned that Pele, the Hawaiian god of wind (and volcanoes) will have her say. And she is being particularly capricious; delivering different winds over different areas and challenging all 12 boats still working hard to complete their journey.

Longboard finished around 11 pm last night and New Haven finished around Noon today. Longboard has put a good time up on the board for the Overall Winner (after handicap correction). But now Peter Salusbury and crew are like Tiger Woods finishing early on Sunday and waiting to see what happens. Will any of the approaching boats score a hole-in-one? While they are running out of race course, there may be still time for String Theory, Kahuna or Alegria to sail hard and catch Longboard. None of them will finish before the 5:00 pm Roll Call tomorrow, so the wait will be excruciating for all.

John Mortimer’s String Theory (with 248 miles to go) still has the best chance to catch Longboard. Hanging out on the west of the course, he has the best line and the strongest winds at northeast 23 kts. Alegria is 86 miles directly behind String Theory and knows the direction to sail. But Pele is only giving Colin Jackson winds in the mid-teens. And Kahuna is to the east with 243 miles to go and even less wind. If the wind does not pick up to the strength that Longboard and New Haven rode into the finish…… Can you spell frustrating?

And the battle for the lead in Division C is heating up. The 3 Amigos who sailed with String Theory and Alegria over the top of the Pacific High are now running down the Rhumb Line together. Travis McGregor on his Beneteau 50 Turnagain is in the driver’s seat with 264 miles to go. But Warren Hale’s Turicum is only 79 miles behind and Pete Shainin’s Passepartout is 126 miles behind. But Turnagain owes handicap time to both. It is likely Pele that will also decide who wins this battle.

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