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Transpac Race History


Milestones and Miles PDF Print E-mail
Transpac Race History - About the Race
Written by Transpac YC   
Friday, 10 December 2010 10:08

Radiant in Molokai Channel 2005 Transpac

Transpac veteran Kimball Livingston embarked upon a mission in the opening decade of the 21stcentury, inspired by the unique opportunity to sail milestone editions of America's three classic distance races:  Centennial Transpac, Centennial Bermuda, and the 100thrunning of Chicago-Mac. He made them all.  Better yet, he made the Centennial Transpac on a Cal 40, the most influential boat of the second half of the Transpac century, and he tagged base with Transpac Yacht Club member number one. Apparently, it was a helluva ride.  

In the photo above taken by Charlie Beven, Kimball on the left, Ric Sanders, David Griffith, and Skipper Fin Beven on the Cal40 Radiant blast down the Molokai Channel heading for the Diamond Head finish line. 

Kimball's full article is on his blog at: http://kimballlivingston.com/?p=5478

 
Speed! PDF Print E-mail
Transpac Race History - About the Race
Written by Transpac Staff   
Friday, 22 October 2010 10:34

Alfa Romeo - Transpac 2009
Photo - Murray Spence

Alfa Romeo's fastest day's run rollcall to rollcall was 430.97 nautical miles, from rollcall 8 July 09 to rollcall 9 July 09.· On her way to smashing the previous elapsed time record by 26 hours establishing a new race record of 5 days, 14 hours, 36 minutes and 20 seconds.

Stan Honey, Navigator, Alfa Romeo, Transpac 2009

 

 
Transpac Race History PDF Print E-mail
Transpac Race History - About the Race
Written by Transpac Staff   
Saturday, 26 June 2010 10:05
Since 1904 the Transpac Races to Honolulu and Tahiti have produced some great stories.  Enjoy some of them here.
 
History PDF Print E-mail
Transpac Race History - About the Race
Written by Transpac Staff   
Sunday, 08 June 2008 13:49

A Brief History of the Transpacific Yacht Race

With 44 races starting in 1906, the Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii is well into its second century as the longest of the two oldest ocean races in the world. The first race was the year of the great San Francisco earthquake, which literally altered the course of the event.

The race was inspired by King Kalakaua, the revered Hawaiian leader of the late 19th century who believed that such an event would strengthen the islands' economic and cultural ties to the mainland. But it didn't happen until Clarence MacFarlane, a Honolulu racing sailor, invited several contemporaries in San Francisco and Los Angeles to race to the Hawaiian Islands. The race was scheduled to start in the early summer of 1906, but when MacFarlane sailed his 48-foot schooner into San Francisco Bay he realized there would have to be a change of plans. The city lay in ruins following the great earthquake 27 days earlier.

But MacFarlane wasn't easily discouraged. He simply changed the starting point to Los Angeles, and except for one nostalgic return to San Francisco for the start in 1939, the race has started in Southern California ever since. The starting line is now off the bluffs of Point Fermin in San Pedro at the southern edge of the City of Los Angeles. The finish is off the Diamond Head lighthouse just east of Honolulu, establishing a distance of 2,225 nautical miles.

 
Spectators PDF Print E-mail
Transpac Race History - About the Race
Written by Transpac Staff   
Sunday, 08 June 2008 13:58
The Transpac Race offers excellent venues for the general public to view both the start and finish of the Race.  The start of the race is staggered over the period of a week to allow the slower boats to arrive in Hawaii about the same time as the larger and faster boats.  For the start spectators can view the boats from the park above the bluffs at San Pedro’s Pt. Fermin.  During the starts spectators will be able to view the fleet in large groups as they are sent on their way to Hawaii.  It is a different story for the finish as boats usually arrive one at a time after racing 2225 miles across the Pacific.  The viewing however is spectacular from the Lighthouse on Oahu’s famous Diamond Head volcano.  With the tradewinds blowing strongly the race boats surf past Diamond Head buoy under spinnaker often in speeds exceeding 20 knots!
 
Transpac Race and Facts PDF Print E-mail
Transpac Race History - About the Race
Written by Transpac Staff   
Thursday, 29 April 2010 13:50

Fastest elapsed time (monohull): 5 days 14 hours 36 minutes 20 seconds.  Neville Crichton, Alfa Romeo, Reichel/Pugh 100, 2009.  More than 26 hours were knocked off of the old record that had been set by Hasso Plattner , Morning Glory, Reichel/Pugh maxZ86 in 2005.

Fastest elapsed time (multihull): 5 days 9 hours 18 minutes 26 seconds, Explorer (86-foot catamaran), Bruno Peyron, 1997.

Slowest elapsed time (monohull): 23 days 23 hours 55 minutes 4 seconds, Viking Childe (42-foot ketch), William Merry, 1939 (Note: race started in San Francisco; slowest ET from Los Angeles was 22 days 11 hours 36 minutes 15 seconds by Camille (Stewart 42), James and Ann Read, doublehanded, San Francisco, 2005).

Total starters (44 races): 1,700.

Largest fleet: 80 boats, 1979.

Smallest fleet: 2 boats, 1932.

Largest boat: Goodwill, 161 feet, 1953 and 1959.

Smallest boat: Vapor, 25 feet., 1999.

Oldest boats: Alsumar (70-foot Sparkman & Stephens yawl), 73 years; and Odyssey (58-foot yawl), 68 years, 2005.

Oldest full crew: Bubala (Cal 40), six crew members ages 66 to 72 (average 68.3), 2005.

Oldest doublehanded crew: Tango (J/133), Michael Abraham, 70/Phillip Rowe, 70, 2007.

Youngest crew: On the Edge of Destiny (1D35), six crew members ages 17-23 (average 19.8), 2007.

 

 
The Course PDF Print E-mail
Transpac Race History - About the Race
Written by Transpac Staff   
Sunday, 08 June 2008 13:51

CHALLENGE

Starting off Point Fermin at the southern edge of Los Angeles, the challenging race course takes competitors through a myriad of unforeseen conditions: from the cold, wet northeastern Pacific, through doldrums, enormous seas, abundant squalls and scorching heat, to the blustery tradewinds of the Molokai Channel near the finish.

After a long and grueling voyage across a lonely expanse of ocean, the racers arrive to the warm “Aloha” greeting promised by the King; honored to this day by scores of island volunteers, visitors, media and supporters.

 
Why We Race PDF Print E-mail
Transpac Race History - About the Race
Written by Transpac Staff   
Sunday, 08 June 2008 13:52
For more than a century, sailors have competed in the Transpacific Yacht Race, a 2,225-nautical mile blue water contest envisioned by Hawaii’s last monarch, King David Kalakaua. From the shores of California to the foot of Diamond Head, Oahu, since 1906 the Transpac has been synonymous with challenge, adventure, teamwork and excellence: inspiring a sense of achievement and camaraderie in participants, that lasts a lifetime. Held biennially (the next Transpac starts June 29, 2009) ceremonies and festivities see the competitors off from the colorful Rainbow Harbor Marina in downtown Long Beach, California - one of the nation’s top tourism destinations. A prime venue for racers, spectators and sponsors, Rainbow Harbor is the official Mainland Port of the Transpac and hosts a series of permanent monuments along the Transpac Walk of Fame.
 
History PDF Print E-mail
Transpac Race History - About the Race
Written by Transpac Staff   
Sunday, 08 June 2008 13:55

In 2007 the 44th Transpacific Yacht Race kicked off Transpac's second century: the longest of the two oldest ocean races in the world, which were first sailed in 1906. That was the year of the great San Francisco earthquake, which literally altered the course of the former event. Clarence MacFarlane of Honolulu invited West Coast sailors to race to the Hawaiian Islands from San Francisco, but the city's devastation forced the three entries to start from Los Angeles, as the race does today. The finish is off the Diamond Head lighthouse just east of Honolulu, establishing a distance of 2,225 nautical miles.

 


Transpacific Yacht Club and the Transpac Race wish to extend our greatest thanks to the photographers whose images grace these pages.· Sharon Green, Phil Uhl, and Geri Conser among others.· Thank you all for your work, and your many contributions to Transpac over the years.

Aloha and Mahalo nui loa