What’s the Best Transpac Halfway Package?

With the Transpac start coming up on July 1, a reader wrote in to ask, “What are the best things to include in the halfway package?” What’s the halfway package? It’s a tradition of family and friends of Transpac crews who put together a Transpac package that the crew gets to open at the race’s halfway point. The package contains “goodies.” If you’ve raced the Transpac or Pacific Cup, or even circumnavigated, what is the best surprise, food or goodie you’ve received?

Packages have included love letters, brownies, spare parts, assorted food items, limes to prevent scurvy, fresh reading material, party favors, celebration costumes, and divorce papers (just kidding). Keep it light.

We spoke with Scott Easom about rituals on Pyewacket and he replied, “We practice ‘Fellowship Hour’ every evening at 6 starting when the boat flattens out on its way west.” Each evening they get out two bottles of wine with a connoisseur explaining the wine. They share it with cheese, crackers, fruit and fellowship for team building and relaxation. Many of the crew have done the Transpac more than 20 times. We’ll have a Transpac profile on Pyewacket coming soon.

There are currently 61 boats signed up for the Transpac including the previous Transpac winner, Dave Moore’s Westerly. There’s a host of very competitive boats, including the J/125 Velvet Hammer and Tina Roberts with the Spencer 62 Ragtime, which will be lining up against the Bill Lee 68 Merlin and Roy Disney’s Andrews 70 Pyewacket.

We’ve done Transpac profiles on Greg Dorn’s TP52 Favonius 2 and Andy Schwenk’s Custom 49-ft schooner Sir Edmund. If we can profile your crew for the upcoming Transpac, send us an email at [email protected].

Otherwise, you can help out friends and family back home by including some halfway-package suggestions in the comments below.