LongPac’ers Get Hammered

Twenty-seven boats started the Singlehanded Sailing Society’s LongPac Wednesday and, as of this morning, only four boats were still racing — all of them singlehanded entries. Bob Johnston’s J/92 Ragtime! was the first to touch 126° 40’W, and is 170 miles away from the Bay after a blistering outbound leg. The next closest boat is David Morris’ Wylie 31 Moonshadow, which has so far sailed a similar track and has about 50 miles to go before the turn. About 30 miles to the south, Tom Watson’s Pearson Triton Darwind, and Randy Leasure’s Westsail 32 Tortuga are still outbound with about 120 miles left to go, facing what’s likely to be a pretty unpleasant ride home due to their angle.

Much farther south, the fast boats in the 46th TransPac get going today from Pt. Fermin at 1 p.m., while the little guys have finally been able to pick up the pace, with the top five boats in Division six reporting 180- to 200-mile days.