Roll Call August 10 & The Sturgeon Moon

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, August 11th, 2022

As corks fly off in every direction, our Maui-Vic fleet is celebrating the champagne sailing in many ways. Some have held their halfway party on board, with silly hats, cake, balloon toss below decks, a pinata, and a large serving of cocktails. One even reports sailing with blinky-light glasses and tiaras through last night (Phoenix – dudes know how to party). Read

Roll Call August 7 & The Variety Fish Pack

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, August 7th, 2022

Leader of the pack – Amun-Ra is now closest to the pin (JdF Strait) at 45.34 N, 151.11 W, and no doubt using her 2-iron in the calm seas. Xiomara and Red Sheilla are close behind. Wattson, Xiomara’s hydrovane, attempted Flow’s wind instrument strike but this was just not on, and Wattson is back on duty. Red Sheilla calculates they’re now east of the Hawaiian Islands – um, gulp, we thought they left Hawaii behind last week – but if you look at the easternmost end of the Big Island, it’s at 154.79 so yes, Red Sheilla, you are now beyond paradise. Read

Roll Call August 6 & The Delivery Fishing Derby Has Begun In Earnest

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, August 6th, 2022

Wind and seas are now settling for all, mostly off the nose, the bigger sails are coming out to play, and the fishing derby is now ON. Food – this and water are the basics for human survival. So when the possibility of free fresh food delivered straight to your plate from the ocean is there, the focus is on eating really, really well. Today’s menu is serving up mahi mahi fish tacos, the boats are pulling up to the window for their orders. Read

Roll Call August 5 for Maui Vic 2022 Boats Sailing for Home

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, August 5th, 2022

The fleet of Vic-Maui boats returning to the Pacific Northwest continue to progress toward their destinations relatively well. Those who left Hawaiian ports in the last week of July have encountered boisterous and confused seas with winds consistently above 20 knots and on the nose, gusting to above 30. Recently, the romping winds are starting to ease, and with it the comfort aboard the boats increase. Read

Roll Call of August 1 for 2022 Maui-Vic Fleet & Follow some on FB

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, August 2nd, 2022

The 10 boats in the 2022 return journey from Maui to Victoria (or to home ports around the Pacific Northwest) are making their way northward from the Hawaiian Islands, saying goodbye to our hosts at the Lahaina Yacht Club for another two years. Ten boats are returning. One is staying in the Hawaiian Islands - Lurline sailed in the Vic-Maui race from Canadian waters to her home at the Kaneohe Yacht Club. One - Peligroso - returned to California a bit ago. Read

Follow the Yellow Brick Home... Because, because, because, because, because

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, July 29th, 2022

There are 4 (make that 5) Vic-Maui boats that have engaged the use of the YB Tracker devices and will regularly transmit their positions. At present, only Xiomara is enroute, the others are anticipated to make their start homeward shortly. Read

2022 Vic-Maui International Yacht Race Awards - Pau!

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, July 28th, 2022

Thanks all - your extensive patience is about to be rewarded. We have learned that 'Pau' is the Hawaiian word for finished, pronounced 'pow' and we think this most fitting to end things with a Pau! The Awards for the 2022 Vic-Maui International Yacht Race are here for your pleasure. Including some images of the teams during the events following their first smelling land. Read

Annie M - Mea Culpa, Great to Celebrate Your Arrival

by Charlotte Gann, July 28th, 2022

Annie M - you were not forgotten, most definitely not. On July 25, you crossed the Finish Line at 06:01 and headed for Lahaina under escort of the pilot boat. You caught a mooring and the skipper and crew set off for Lahaina. Awaiting you was a throng of greeters, family, friends and some of the Vic-Maui organizing team. We were excited to see you waving back as the pilot boat turned the corner into the harbor and eased alongside. That first step off the boat was tentative but thrilling. That first hug and kiss with your loved ones was very sweet. Many well wishers reached out their hands and handed you cups of coffee - we knew you'd run out some days ago, quelle horreur! Read

New Haven Arrival

by Charlotte Gann, July 27th, 2022

New Haven crossed the YB Tracker geofence 'finish line' on July 26 at 21:47, nearly 12 hours after the extended Official Finish Time of 10:00 on July 26. Read

2022 Vic-Maui International Yacht Race Awards Banquet

by Charlotte Gann, July 25th, 2022

The concept of extending awards to a few boats is interesting in the context that every boat that competes and completes the Vic-Maui marathon, among the most complicated yacht races in the world, is in the real sense of the word a WINNER. Perhaps awards are intended as an additional mark of specialty, standing separately from others who compete. Perhaps awards shine a spotlight on the awarder, the group which has made a trophy available for the race to acknowledge a special focus. Yet we hope all competitors who successfully got to this point - of having competed and completed the challenge safely, and learned SO many new aspects about seamanship, navigation, the natural world around them that almost noone on the planet will experience in this intimate way - carry with them for the rest of their life the deep sense of accomplishment through this race, and continue to discover aspects about yourself for many years. You've risen to the challenge of the Vic-Maui race, had a wild adventure and developed teamwork skills in extreme conditions. Read

July 23 Roll Call Plus Catching up a little

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, July 24th, 2022

What with the Awards Banquet yesterday, a bit tardy on bringing the fleet status up to date – apologies but the party was fun (only slightly sore head this morning). This morning, Millennium Seagull rolled into Old Maui, Lahaina. Fantastic to have her here and she’s rolled into the Lahaina Yacht Club now. Certainly she’ll celebrate her finish in fine fashion. Read

Lurline - such fabulous spirit

by Charlotte Gann, July 24th, 2022

Lurline; Gib Black’s Tripp 47 sailing for Kaneohe Yacht Club, had studied up on past Vic-Maui races and, more importantly, routing plus attendant weather and decided 2022 was the year to bring Lurline home to Hawaii. The cold of the Pacific Northwest was a factor in doing the race and it’s a worthy consideration – it’s take almost a week, usually, to get away from the ocean chill and to warmer ocean temps. Gib got an actual pair of sailing boots, his crew are very experienced the Pac Cup & Transpac races and this was their opportunity to take on the real challenge of Vic-Maui, two races in one. Read

Catching up on Recent Finishers

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, July 24th, 2022

Since late on Friday night, two more boats have finished. Flow arrived just before midnight on Friday, some of us missed being present at her arrival (so sorry) but caught up with her on Saturday morning when she cleared customs at LYC and enjoyed a fine meal before joining all the rest of the crews at the Awards Banquet. More on this later. Just a short time ago, Millennium Seagull arrived at Lahaina and a happier crew you probably couldn't find. Read

Vic-Maui Results to July 23, 2022

by Race Committee, July 24th, 2022

Results at July 23, 2022 Read

Outbreak has landed at Lahaina

by Charlotte Gann, July 22nd, 2022

Outbreak finished at 18:20 HST on July 22; Patrick Fenton’s Nauticat 39, racing for Cascadia Yacht Club, is in the Lahaina Class of Vic-Maui where the rules allow such things as using their engine to advance their position, though this must be recorded in the ship’s log and an adjustment to their corrected time will be made by the Vic-Maui Race Committee upon finishing the race. The Outbreak crew have raced together for a number of years. Read

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 remarkable 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. Read

Amun-Ra Finished After Dark on July 21

by Charlotte Gann, July 22nd, 2022

Amun-Ra finished at 20:54:00 HST on July 21, and sailed into Lahaina after dark. Ben Homsy’s Beneteau Oceanis 45, sailing for Cascadia Yacht Club, is the first arrival of a Lahaina Class Vic-Maui boat. This class allows for such things as organizing for a fee-for-service routing service and using their engine for propulsion (but recording such in the ship’s log), where an adjustment to their corrected time will be applied. Read

July 21 Roll Call & She’s a Nail-Biter

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, July 21st, 2022

There’s that nervous energy in the air as you close in on the Finish Line. Is it really just about over? We’re just getting the hang of it. That feeling in the dying days of summer when you realize it won’t go on forever – that’s what the fleet is feeling right now. Savouring every last ounce of wind pressure, telling the last of the unlikely tall tales you’ve been sharing with each other. Just one more Happy Hour with the entire crew before everyone scatters like mice in a wheat bin (that’s for Xiomara). Read

July 20 Roll Call & Oscar Brand says Drinks All Around

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, July 20th, 2022

Gord Wylie’s XP 44, Phoenix, came alongside the docks at Lahaina a tad after 4 AM today and by 10 AM he and the crew and loved ones were together at the Lahaina Yacht Club, enjoying a meal and stories together. Meanwhile, Jan Nolan of Lahaina Yacht Club worked with the US Customs and Border Patrol to get the crew and boat cleared into the USA. All was smooth as silk. As well, Rochelle Mendoza distributed to crew their tickets for the Saturday Awards Banquet, which is proving to be super popular – tickets are now hard to acquire. Patti Link has been working with the local media, successfully getting the race profiled – we are all mindful this is the first time the Vic-Maui International Yacht Race has been run since 2018 and there’s an air of excitement at so many skilful yacht racers being in town. Read

Phoenix Arrived in the wee hours - First Canadian Boat to Finish

by Charlotte Gann & Race Committee, July 20th, 2022

At 03:17:34 HST on July 20, 2022 the race yacht Phoenix crossed the finish line near Kaanapali and became the First Canadian boat to finish. A short while later, the boat was piloted to the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor and came alongside to the wild cheers at about 4 AM of family, friends and the team of Greeters from Sea Maui. Champagne corks popped aboard Phoenix and many hugs and kisses were shared. Read