Anacortes Y
acht Club Northern Century
past Patos Island and down Boundary Pass with variable breeze and building adverse current. Many chose the traditional route north of Stuart Island hoping to gain favorable ebb currents in Haro Strait. Eric Nelson’s Gardyloo chose to pass just inside of Spieden Island and into Haro Strait, a tactical call that earned him first in class by the end of the race. Martin Vachon aboard his J/30 Limelight would take a calculated risk passing through the narrow John’s Pass south of Stuart Island to earn third in his fleet. Feeling fatigued from the night’s race we were refreshed with a strong inter-island breeze flowing northerly up the San Juan Channel. Once past the becalmed winds
The Northern Century, hosted by the Anacortes Yacht Club, is a
race of tactical prowess, cunning and determination. Traveling 100 miles, the race navigates among the beautiful San Juan Islands and through the challenging waters of the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca. During the race, competitors are met with the test of strong tidal currents, fog banks and variable breeze. In its fourth year, the Northern
Century was unique as it not only attracted up to 42 boats, but also offered competitors the choice of any path around the islands. The only fixed marks of the course would be Point Roberts and Hein Bank. The tactical strategy of how to round these marks was left to each crew.
Originally organized as a double-
handed race, the Northern Century was opened last year to fully crewed sailboats. While 16 fully crewed sailboats signed up for the challenge, the largest number of competitors, at 23, would be the double-handed crews. Among the double-handed crews there were several father-son teams; including the Jesperson’s, aboard the Ross 930 Emma, who earned first in class and the Buchan’s aboard Madrona who earned second. The race began in light breeze as the
sun set over Fidalgo Bay. Divided into five fleets, the doubled-handed boats started first and made way for the east side of Guemes Island. The majority of the fleet followed the leading boats
48° NORTH, OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 44
east. With all the fleets on course, it was anybody’s race and tactical creativity was paramount. While the winds began to wane near Saddlebag Island, Mick Corcoran’s Blackfoot, followed by Chris Roethle’s Emoyeni and Geoff Pentz’ ReignMaker headed for the Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait. Aboard Bob King’s Olson 40 String Theory we questioned our strategy for just a second as we drifted past Guemes Island. We then caught a nice building breeze west of Lummi Island that carried us swiftly north to Point Roberts. Once around Point Roberts, the fleet made its way west in the dark of the night
of the early morning the fleet entered one by one the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and made way for the fog enshrouded Hein Bank. Finding breeze among the pockets of fog proved to be tactically successful to make it to Hein Bank in increasingly variable wind conditions. Once around, each boat set their spinnakers and felt a sense of gratification as they made their way east for the final stretch and the finish at the entrance to the Guemes Channel. A double-handed distance race like
the Northern Century offers PNW sailors something very unique, the camaraderie of short-handed, competitive sailing surrounded by the regions most breathtaking landscape.
by Joshua May
results on next page* Photos by Matt Wallis
www.mattwallisphotography.com
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