Cowichan Bay Regatta


For the 32nd year the Cowichan Bay


Sailing Association (CBSA) hosted the Cowichan Bay (Cow Bay) Regatta with this years total of nine racing divisions and up to 99 participating sailboats. With a venue nestled amongst steep mountains and visited by clockwork warm thermal breezes, the Cow Bay regatta would prove to offer us all a racing experience to remember. I arrived at Cowichan


Bay the afternoon before the regatta aboard Jude Stoller’s, F-25C Makika. After a 13 hour delivery and a pleasant spinnaker run along Satellite Channel into the Salish Sea, I was captured by the rugged beauty of the surrounding mountains and the distant Seymour Range. We arrived at the picturesque village of Cowichan Bay late in the afternoon, joining the ranks of 16 other multihull sailboats already docked in the marina. The Canadian regatta is known to attract a large fl eet of Pacifi c Northwest multihulls. In addition to the Multihull fl eet there would be four PHRF and four One-design fl eets with boats ranging from the Santa Cruz 52 Marda Gras to the diminutive, but capable Cal 20. As we prepared Saturday for our fi rst


the Bay. The main tactical decisions for the day would be to play the shore for current relief, while playing the thermal lifts east and the subsequent headers west. Our hosts also offered the advice


marks. The multihulls were sent on longer courses, while the monohull fl eets raced the northern portion of the Salish Sea from Arbutus Ridge across to Musgrave Rock and back. The PHRF fl eets were nicely matched for the race distances providing close racing throughout the day. While approaching the leeward rounding mark set deep inside the inner harbor, the fl eets would fi nd themselves slalom racing among several anchored boats including a large grey “ghost” ship swinging at anchor. Along with crewmate Judy Halls aboard Adalgis, we imagined turning the grey ship into a secret hideout. The Martin 242 is a


“Fetish”, Dave Richardson's Hotfoot 27, takes fi rst in the PHRF 3 division. Photo courtesy of Andrew Peter Bradley.


that there are no protests at Cow Bay, not unless you bring the race committee a bottle of rum and even then there is no guarantee. Cow Bay is a casual regatta in which the primary goal is to have the most fun possible. We started our fi rst day of racing


day of racing aboard Lynn Adkin’s J/111 Adalgisa, we were greeted by many racers eager to offer their “local knowledge” of


48° NORTH, SEPTEMBER 2011 PAGE 60


with sunshine and plenty of thermal breezes from the east. The race committee planned to run a total of three medium distance races with each course set to take advantage of both fi xed and temporary


popular boat in Southern British Columbia. Of the 30 regional boats, 10 would be present at Cow bay. I joined Achilles Bolhaine, skipper of the M242 Woodstock, later that afternoon to help celebrate


his birthday over a slice of Dutch cake. Achilles commented that “The M242 fl eet is a fun and competitive group. It is not often that you get to race in a one-design fl eet with such great numbers and with such competitive racers.” After the days racing, we all gathered


for a BBQ and dancing hosted by the Cowichan Tribe and CBSA along the Kil- Pah-Las beach. Often the best regattas are those that feel more like a laid back picnic with friends; Cow Bay is such a regatta.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106