Posts from ‘December, 2009’

SWIFTSURE WEATHER
 
The Strait of Juan de Fuca lies between Cape Flattery and the North coast of Washington State, and the Southern portion of Vancouver Island. It is about 12 miles wide and 50 miles long. The weather in the Strait dictates the conditions for Swiftsure.  Wind usually blows into the Strait from the Pacific Ocean, [...]

I felt good as we motored out to the start of the 58th Swiftsure Classic Yacht race. It was a warm, sunny morning and I was with three experienced crewmates on Bad Kitty, a 34 foot “one-off Uthoff” catamaran in full ”racing” trim.

I have completed more than 15 Swiftsure races in the Cape Flattery multihull division, and apprehension of the unknown has long since been replaced with anticipation of the familiar. This is a challenging race with strong, complex tidal currents and bedeviling wind patterns. This year looked to be even more challenging than usual, with light winds and a large adverse current kicking in right from the start.