Final SSS Finishers and the Sense of Community

With less than 340 miles to go to the finish line of the Singlehanded TransPac, Stuart Paine’s Capri 25 Jack is farthest back of the three boats that have yet to finish. She’s expected to reach Hanalei Bay, Kauai, on July 19, 21 days after starting from San Francisco. Paine has a good excuse for taking so long; he lost a spreader and a stay early in the race. He’s currently moving along at a relatively fast 5.3 knots under jury rig.

Ahead of Jack and now homing in on the finish are Brian Cline’s Dana 24 Maris and Barry Bristol’s Catalina Capri 30 Fast Lane.

Tuesday was a big day for arrivals at beautiful Hanalei Bay, as five of the 14 starters sailed into the bay: Nathalie Criou’s Express 27 Elise, Przemyslaw Karwasiecki’s Mini 6.5m Libra, Ken Roper’s Finn Flyer 31 Harrier, Gary Burton’s Westsail 32 Elizabeth Ann, and Steve Saul’s Wauquiez Pretorian 35 Grace.

Yesterday’s skippers, their families, and friends gathered under ‘The Tree’ on a Hanalei beach — a longtime Singlehanded TransPac tradition. After hearing their stories and insights, there seems to be general agreement that this race is less about finishing in first than it is about a sense of community.

Solo TransPac veteran Mike Jefferson of the Garcia Passoa 47 Mouton Noir put it best: "We singlehanders are very competitive, but it’s not about winning, because the TransPac is sufficiently sketchy and dangerous. It makes you realize that the real winning is not the prize you get from others, but the prize of personal acknowledgment from peers. Most people can’t appreciate how challenging it is to keep a boat going at speed 24 hours a day. So when you are under The Tree, people come up to you and shake your hand, knowing that you know."

Jefferson had to abort his Singlehanded TransPac effort shortly after the start this year, but couldn’t resist the temptation to fly over to Hanalei for the camaraderie. 

Look for our complete Singlehanded TransPac coverage in the August edition of Latitude 38 magazine.