Tahiti Transpac ’16 Seeks Entries

Back in 2008 when the Transpac YC decided to resurrect the long-dormant Los Angeles-to-Tahiti Race, cosponsors at the Tahiti YC in Papeete initially had to root around in the club’s dusty attic before finally locating the event’s top prize, the Fritz Overton Memorial Trophy. It will soon be polished up again, however, as the Transpac YC is now seeking entries for a 2016 race. 

First established in 1925, the 3,700-mile course from San Pedro’s Pt. Fermin to Papeete’s Point Venus is roughly 40% longer than the Hawaii Transpac (slated to begin in July). But the biggest difference between the two contests is that the Tahiti Race is generally half running and half reaching, with the vagaries of the equatorial doldrums (ITCZ) thrown in as the ultimate wild card. 

The Tahiti race’s first reincarnation in 2008 drew four entries, with Doug Baker’s Andrews 80 Magnitude 80 setting a new course record: 11 days, 10 hours, 13 minutes and 18 seconds (roughly a 13.5-knot average). The 2012 race attracted only two entries, but both were impressive: Karl Kwok’s Hong Kong-based Farr 80 Beau Geste took line honors, but two day’s later Steve Rander’s Oregon-based Wylie 70 Rage corrected out to win — despite bow damage from colliding with a whale the night before her arrival. Neither boat broke the record.

Currently, "Transpac has received several inquiries from interested sailors about another race," says Race Committee Chair Dave Cort. Entry info and the official Notice of Race will be available on the Transpac website soon. Although a start date has not yet been announced, the race is expected to begin in mid-June 2016. Marks along the way? There aren’t many: After the start, simply leave Catalina and the Tuamotu archipelago to port.