Trans Pac Day 3

Winds on the Wane as Shanakee II Grinds Ahead

Winds on the Wane as Shanakee II Grinds Ahead

With the dreaded Pacific High lurking to their right and the promise of trade winds well beyond the blue horizon, the eight Aloha Division boats continued to struggle in 5 to 7 knots of wind Wednesday in the 41st Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii.

"Weather conditions have deteriorated," said Grant Baldwin, Transpac communications director aboard the communications vessel Alaska Eagle, the 65-foot cutter-rigged sloop from the Orange Coast College Sailing Program that left port Wednesday.

Jim Warmington's Shanakee II had the best of it. The late-model Pedrick 75 from Balboa, Calif., averaged 8.9 knots to log a 164-mile day toward the finish. If the math doesn't compute, that's because rather than sailing directly toward Hawaii most of the boats are diving south deeper than usual to stay in stronger breeze until they reach the tradewinds.

However, the trades are farther south than usual, so navigators will have to compute boat speed gained against distance lost to chart an ideal course.

Racing divisions III and IV will start off the Palos Verdes Peninsula Saturday, June 30, followed Sunday, July 1, by the larger Division I and II boats, all at 1 p.m. In all, 33 boats will be challenging the 2,225 nautical miles. Those awaiting their starts are watching the conditions and the progress of the Aloha boats closely.

Shanakee II took over the lead from the 24-year-old ketch Bonaire and reported a position farther west and south than any other boat, leaving it the most options. Stardust, Peter and Patricia Anderson's Wylie 46 from Laguna Beach, logged 169 miles and appeared to be in the next best position.

The Pacific High - an area of high atmospheric pressure that lies between the West Coast and Hawaii - is no man's land to Transpac sailors. Although its center currently lies farther north than is usual, its effects are felt along the rhumb (direct) line to Honolulu.

The best trade winds, meanwhile, showing winds of 18-24 knots, currently are around 20 degrees north latitude, well below a due west course to Honolulu. Lighter trades of 10-18 knots south of 25-north latitude are expected on Thursday, but it's uncertain if anyone can reach them before the weekend.

1. Shanakee II (Pedrick 75), Jim Warmington, Balboa, 1,969 miles to go.
2. Sea Dancer (Ericson 35), Al Wheatman, Marina del Rey, 2,021.
3. Bonaire (Moody 65), Gil Jones and Associates, Newport Beach, 1,992.
4. Seda (Ericson 41), Josef Sedivec, Bonita, Calif., 2,019.
5. Gecko (Tartan 41), Jim Fabrick, Laguna Beach, 2,025.
6. Willow Wind (Cal 40), Wendy Siegal, Sunset Beach, Calif., 2,045.

1. Axapac (Wylie 39), Barry Ruff, Vancouver, B.C., 1,998.
2. Stardust (Wylie 46), Peter and Patricia Anderson, Laguna Beach, 1,999.

Transpac Publicity:

Rich Roberts
Phone: (310) 835-2526
e-mail: richsail@earthlink.net