July 22 Roll Call & Spectac Finish for ‘Round the Cans’ in the Pacific Ocean

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, July 22nd, 2022

This offshore race is NOT ‘round the cans’ racing. But try to tell that to Xiomara, Red Sheilla, and Planet Express. After having started on July 4 at 10 AM PDT (7 AM HST), the 3 in the fleet of 9 who began together, chose varying interpretations of the rhumb line, mostly running well down the coast to the south of California before making their way around a very variable set of conditions where the centre of the Pacific High kept trying to sit on top of them and the fleet. All three negotiated their way through remarkably light conditions, making their way back toward the rhumb line through the last week. Spitballing on board gave these 3 boats similar insights about the course to take.

So here we are – 2,308 nautical miles and a little over 18 days later – and Xiomara, Red Sheilla, and Planet Express are performing like this is a beer-can race, jockeying for their final position as they crossed the finish line.

No way anyone could have imagined it would be THIS TIGHT. Folks, we’ve just seen extraordinary yachtsmen & mariners work across the Pacific Ocean & arrive while joshing & yelping at their competitors crossing the finish line. Whew!

Sailors are a breed apart. They’re among the toughest people on earth. Why would you mindfully choose to put yourself in a situation of deprivation, discomfort, or worse? There’s no single easy answer but the one most often expressed is ‘because I just had to do it’ and this comes to the heart of being human. No logic, purely instinct. And for being this tough, in conversation they are usually some of the gentlest people on earth. Chat with a sailor – you’ll discover what this means.

Who would suppose each boat, skipper, navigator, and crew would analyze the route day-by-day, carrying different ratings, and arrive at their destination so flipping close to each other?

Worthy of knowing - Vic-Maui legend and Royal Vancouver Yacht Club Past Commodore Guy Walters and wife Barbara go on the pilot boat to greet each finisher at the finish line.

The rundown, in order of  crossing the Finish line, not the final result:

Xiomara finished at 13:02; Aidan Walters and Elaine Dumoulin’s X-43, racing for Glenmore Sailing Club in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (an absolute hotbed of international yachtsmen...). They had a dream, they’d never raced Xiomara before, shes’s brand new to offshore racing and what a fantastic start. Xiomara (pronounced SEE-oh-MAR-ah) means battle-ready and that she is. Two years of practising, preparing and pulling together a solid crew to bring her to paradise has really worked out for Xiomara’s ‘ team with a dream’ co-skippers Aidan Walters and Elaine Dumoulin, crew Isa Rosli, Scott MacDonald, Ian Dennis, Glyn Walters, Stephen Colleaux, Shannon Rae, and Kurt Baia can be very proud of their accomplishment. {NOTE: there was an incorrect finish time posted for a few hours on Friday - now corrected - Race Committee}

Red Sheilla finished at 13:03 HST and hit 19.7 knots at the finish line; Jim Innes’ Beneteau 49, racing for the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, has done this dance with the devil before with Red Sheilla and this is Jim’s 5^th Vic-Maui – with a pedigree such as his, from his father Jim Innes, founder of the Vic-Maui International Yacht Race, it seems destiny has played a big role. For this race, Jim has a phenomenal crew of fellows; Jim as skipper/naviguesser, Sean Stephenson, David Feinstadt (DJ), Paul Doran, Craig Plautz, Joseph (Joe) Drake, and Paul Thompson. Heck of a fine race all – with Maui Jim keeping the sunny side up

Planet Express finished at 13:18; Adam Serediuk’s Beneteau 43, racing for the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, is another new boat living a dream – in honour of Adam’s mom, Sue, who lost her life to cancer, Adam understands life is short and to seize the day, live your dreams. He couldn’t have brought together a better team for this adventure – the skill set of each crew member are incredibly complementary; Adam as skipper/navigator, Watch captain & Safety at Sea instructor RVicYC Commodore Vern Burkhardt, Watch captain Carl Blouw, crew Hayley Mcintosh, Bill Jones, Maggie Drinkwater & Michael Koster. The crew ate well with several great cooks aboard – hard to understate how motivating this is for a race team on this marathon. They had several creative McGyvers aboard who kept the boat in fabulous shape throughout, which enhanced all the effort Adam and the crew went to ahead of the race to make Planet Express race ready.

Outbreak has given us their ETA as 1800 HST today.

Flow, New Haven, Millennium Seagull are still racing, Flow predicts they’ll finish on July 23^rd and are enjoying their last day and one more mahi mahi dinner at sea. New Haven is getting closer. Annie M says to keep a good look out!

Lurline says this is their longest day, they’re still driving for Maui.

Oh yeah – one last thing; VMG. Why? Cuz all the cool kids say it. What is it? Velocity Made Good. What’s it mean? Let’s sit and have a cold one and chat.

Roll Call July 22 at noon HST from the fleet with recent finish times per YB Tracker:

Maui Jim is a happy man today - what a finish!

Kurt Baia of Xiomara enjoying the moment

Planet Express thank their greeter Skeeter Stebbins of Lovely Maui Homes

Red Sheilla popped her cork

Xiomara was shaking it up

Xiomara's Birthday Boy ready for a dip or ?

Commodore Vern Burkhardt of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club with Past Commodore

Guy Walters of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club

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