ron's racing story
by Ron M. MacKenzie

Ty Abrams, this year’s chair, asked me to write about my thoughts on having done 42 Straits Races. Having done 42, the distinction I share with Sandy Huntingford of WVYC, I look forward to my 43rd, and I hope Sandy does as well. (I own the J37 Future Primitive).

Since my first Straits Race (the 2nd Annual Southern Straits of Georgia race), I have raced approximately 10,000 miles offshore including the 2006 Sydney-Hobart, a few Vic-Mauis, the Pan American Clipper Cup series in Hawaii, LA-PV and Antigua Sailing Week (2011). In addition, after about 40 Swiftsures, a dozen Great Equalizers, Smith Island/Protection Island, and countless local races, I look back at my first overnight race, being the 2nd Annual Straits Race, as the start of it all.

The 2nd Annual Straits race was already a big deal. I don’t recall too much about the 1st Annual Race because I was mostly just getting involved in sailing at the cruising level. However, a friend asked me if I would like to do an overnight race on Easter weekend on his potential father-in-law’s boat (he didn’t become the son-in-law). His father was Alvin Narod and the boat was an Alberg 37 called Doran. An Alberg 37 was pretty much the queen of the fleet locally in those days. I asked Howie what we did at night, assuming we would anchor somewhere or tie up. He said “No, we sail during the night”, and that he generally brought along a change of clothing for the morning. I assumed that meant that we would be in our pyjamas overnight, freshen up in the morning with coffee and breakfast and see what was going on. Well, for those of you that have done a few Straits Races, you know that that is a rather unlikely event. It blew like stink after we rounded the first mark, which was Entrance Island. On our way to Entrance Island, Alvin’s wife had prepared a roast beef which was enjoyed with a glass of wine and the setting sun in about 15 knots of breeze. It was a lengthy trip over and as we rounded Entrance Island, dusk fell, and the wind picked up. And it really picked up during the night. We wiped out a few times and eventually the boat was well south of where we should be. The Southern rounding mark was Alden Bank. One of the navigational tricks, I found out much later, was that Alden Bank and Alden Reef were lined up not too far apart and had a similar navigational light. During the night, one of the boats (the name Jack Pinch comes to mind) wound up on the reef during the storm and the crew had to be lifted off by a US Coastguard helicopter. We, of course, were oblivious to all of this. The crew was a mixture of newbies (such as me) and slightly more experienced sailors. During the night, sea sickness prevailed and the boat was withdrawn. About 25% of the fleet that started the race actually finished. The well earned reputation as a Straits Race being a gear buster was furthered.

There was really no safety gear to speak of. In those days, we raced under Pacific International Yachting Association (PIYA) rules. I don’t recall anybody checking for PFDs, flares, emergency self steering gear, whistles, strobes, harnesses, etc. We have come a long way, as those of us who made it to the other side during the 2010 Straits Race can attest, with good reason.

While much has changed in terms of regulations, boats, gear, etc., the basic courses have also been altered. The Southern Straits of George Race was just that; most of the courses did take us south. However, for various navigational reasons (shipping), the courses have tended to taken us further north, usually to the cursed Sisters Islets. One year, we went further north up to Ajax. The light there seemed to be a 40 watt bulb in a bucket. A little hard to find in a dark blow.

For another year, we rounded Sisters to starboard which took us onto a very fast Starboard tack to Lasqueti Island. I remember that year very well because we stayed a little too long on starboard and approached Lasqueti in the dark rather too quickly. This was on a Spencer 52 called Nak Nek owned by Dick Nelson and skippered by Stan Wilson and Fred Russell. I raced on that boat for several years including a couple of Great Equalizers in Seattle. In fact, it was in one of the gear busting Straits Races where it blew well over 50 knots for the entire race, and we had just finished off Point Atkinson, that the coast guard rescue boat was heading up to Worlecomb Island I believe, to assist Ken Pearce’s Pearce Arrow which had gone aground after losing its rig during the night. Two boats did sail past during the race and did not offer assistance. I won’t mention the boats’ names but they were severely chastised.

After the 2nd Annual Straits Race, I swore I would never do that again (as I have on more than one occasion after a Straits Race), but I subsequently decided that this is something that I did want to continue doing. I called Bonar Davis who owned a Discovery 32 called Hyak. Bonar had been winning everything in the local waters for some time. I convinced him to let me join them for the 3rd Annual Straits Race, which we won on handicap, out of 75 boats. I remember finishing the race Saturday morning in snow, and sitting in my car while the heater warmed the car before I could even think about using my hands to shift the gears.

As I approach my 43rd Straits Race, I still consider it the most challenging local race each year, and a race that serious racers must attempt. There have been some very windy races and some very rough races. They are all challenging, but there is a great sense of comrodarie and accomplishment once completed. Be prepared. Be first.

Good Luck…