Leg 9 - Ucluelet to Victoria
97 nautical miles

A FAST LEG, LOTS OF WIND AND A CAPSIZE IN LEG 9 OF THE CADILLAC VAN ISLE 360

Leg #9 of the Cadillac Van Isle 360 started in Ucluelet with sunny skies and light northwest breeze in the harbour. Out at Amphitrite Point the fog was thick, obscuring the fleet as they entered the starting area, and completely blanketing the pin end of the start line. The gathering crowd of onlookers had many questions for the race committee – everyone wondered how a race could be run if the start line was invisible. Miraculously, the fog cleared 15 minutes before the start and boats began the 1oo nm trip to Victoria in a steady 10 knot north-westerly breeze. Within 10 minutes the fog returned, enveloping the starting area and eliminating spectator views of the departing boats. The boats were off, however, with good speed, and spinnakers flying.

Some sailors spent the day in fog, finding sunny spots only occasionally as they sailed into the southern waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Others, like Santa Cruz 52 Diehler, sailed in American waters in bright sunny skies all day. Most boats experienced steady 15 to 20 knot winds throughout the day. For the last third of the race, winds piped up, gusting frequently to 30 and reportedly to 40 in the waters around Race Rocks. By the time the wind increased the tide had turned, bringing extremely steep choppy waves to steer through.

Speed records were broken again on this leg. Dragonfly finished at 19:03:02, more than 3 hours faster than her previous top time. After 90 miles of sailing the fleet finished quite close together – half the boats crossed the line between midnight and 0100h Thursday. All boats were home by 0220h Thursday morning.

The tide through Race Passage got up to 2. 5 knots and Dragonfly and Bad Kitty were two of only a few boats that sailed through here. Most chose the outside route around Race Rocks due to the high winds and ebbing tide. Both Bad Kitty and Dragonfly reported conditions inside Race Passage, as the worst they had ever seen it here. With steep standing waves of 5 to 6 feet, and big winds. Dragonfly feared their boat might not survive the pounding, but she came through relatively unscathed.

Sailors spent a sunny lay day on Thursday at the Empress Docks in downtown Victoria, drying gear and preparing for the last leg of this fantastic race. This last leg is one of the most tactically challenging, and takes sailors through the Gulf Islands to Nanaimo. Navigators must pay close attention to the currents throught the various passes and this leg is always full of surprises.

Going into Leg 10 , Vaca Loca leads overall in Div 1, with Crossfire in second and Evolution in third place. In Div. 2, Lordelpus continues to hold solidly to first place overall, with Ockhams Racer and Il Pelicano in second and third place. As the last leg has the highest value in points, and there is still one throw out allowed, nothing is written in stone yet.

The Capsize of Redshift

Redshift, the F31 Trimaran owned by Cadillac Van Isle 360 race organizers, Wayne Gorrie and Janine Bell capsized SW of Race Rocks just 10 miles from the finish line of in Victoria at approx. 1855 hours on June 25. The crew, which included, Tormay Weflen and Mike Lough were all uninjured and are all safe. The boat had been sailing for the previous two hours in about 25 knots of breeze against an ebb tide, with a reefed main and Symmetrical Spinnaker dead down wind, and according to all crew members was not over-pressed and was handling the seas beautifully. Once abeam of Race Rocks, the crew were attempting to take the spinnaker down to harden up for the approach to Victoria. During the spinnaker takedown, a gust of 30 knots hit the boat and refilled the spinnaker from behind the main, snapping the lines from the crewmembers hands, at the same time the seas suddenly increased in size and steepness and the wind increased again to over 35 knots. The combination of the sudden increase in wind and a particularly large wave which crashed over the leeward bow pulled the boat over in a classic pitchpole. The skipper and crew member who were in the cockpit were thrown into mainsail as the boat went over.

Wayne Gorrie and his crew were well prepared for just such an emergency. All were wearing PFDs. Once everyone on board was accounted for, a waterproof hatch accessible from the upturned hull was opened, and a neoprene bag containing a waterproof VHF radio, an EPIRB (emergency position indicator rescue beacon) and parachute flares were retrieved. Within an hour, Canadian and American Coast Guard Rescue Centresand the Sooke coast guard auxiliary had dispatched three boats and a helicopter to the scene, and picked up the sailors. The decision was made to airlift the female crew member off the boat as she was the most susceptible to hypothermia and an American Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer assisted her into the helicopter and onto Port Angeles., the others were taken by Canadian Coast Guard by boat into Victoria. All four and one Coast Guard Person were treated for minor hypothermia.

The Sooke Coast Guard Auxiliary managed to get a line onto Redshift and towed her in very difficult conditions to a navy buoy off Pedder Bay where she was retreived by her owner the next morning in remarkably good condition. The skipper of Redshift along with Sandy McMillan (co-owner of Flip, Flop and Fly) and his Beneteau 54, LaToche, and a dedicated group of volunteers from the Cadillac Van Isle 360 fleet managed to right the boat and get her back to Royal Victoria Yacht Club. The boat is minus a mast but most sails and running rigging were retrieved. Redshift will live to win another day!!!

. The skipper and crew of Redshift would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the Canadian Coast Guard from Victoria the American Coast Guard from Port Angeles and the Coast Guard Auxiliary from Sooke for their rescue which was accomplished in an amazing time of less than one hour. The rescue of the boat was accomplished due to the efforts of the Coast Guard Auxiliary from Sooke; Sandy McMillan and his yacht La Toche; John Denny from 3F; Kelly O'Niel and her rib Smile; “Super Dave” McCallum from the race committee and Alec from the Santa Cruz t52 Mystic. The effort and kindness shown by these folks and others will not be forgotten.

Contrary to media releases, it was Mike Lough who was inside the boat. He was not trapped inside, but rather the decision was made, that due to the conditions of the sea, it was best that he remain inside the boat until help was on hand. Mike Lough swam out of the boat unassisted, but under the watchful eye of the American Coast Guard Swimmer, Jason.

Tomorrow's leg starts at 1000 hrs off Amphitrite Point, and takes the crews down the Graveyard of the Pacific, to Victoria. For full results and photos see www.vanisle360.com

The Cadillac Van Isle 360 is a 580 nm (nautical mile) point to point race circumnavigating wild and rugged Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada from June 14 to 29, 2003. Sailed in ten legs the course provides inshore, offshore and overnight legs through some of the world's most challenging and beautiful waters.