For the second year in a row, the rare PNW August rainstorm showed up the Friday evening before the regatta. While a few teams got some breeze-on practice sailing in on Friday evening, the planned pre-regatta fun race was postponed for sunnier weather next year.
Saturday came with clear skies and a dying breeze. With a start not planned until 1pm, the sailors took the opportunity to catch up with old friends who travelled from Oregon, California, Hawai’i, even England(!) to converge on the Penn Cove Yacht Club. The thirteen teams launched after a slight postponement to chase a light southerly. The RC got off one race in a light and shifty southerly before a beautiful 8-10 knot westerly filled across the bay.
The next four races were about as much fun as you can have sailing any boat in light breeze. Tight starts and steady breeze made for super close racing with lots of teams mixing it up at the front. Pretty much everyone was trapezing upwind with some boats opting for the wire downwind as well. Blaine and Elsa were on form winning the third race and posting top three finishes in three other races. Pierre and PVG showed great speed in the final two races on Saturday, winning both comfortably. Maddy and Mac from Hawaii came over from the i14 fleet to check out the 505. They seemed to pick up the 505 no problem with consistently good starts and solid tactical calls keeping them in the top of the fleet all weekend.
Overall the most fun part of the racing was how close it was. Every mark rounding was close and the results showed it!
After racing on Saturday, the grills were fired up and the keg tapped. With most of the fleet camping on the beach, everyone had a great time chatting and roasting s’mores around the fire well after the sunset.
Sunday morning came with fresh blueberry pancakes and coffee on the porch overlooking the beach. Unfortunately the missing ingredient was wind. With Penn Cove still as a pond and no wind in the forecast, an alternative to sailboat racing was organized. Two teams battled in a paddle board relay full of thrills and spills.
There’s really no other regattas or fleets that I’ve experienced which can match the challenge, fun, and camaraderie of the 505 fleet at this regatta. We will definitely be back next year and I hope to see even more of you there.
Results:
Stuart Sinclair Champions for 2025 – Miles and Ben
