The First Divisions of the 2025 Transpac Are on Course to Hawaii

Each odd-numbered year since 1906, West Coast sailors have set off over the horizon from Los Angeles to the old Sandwich Isles. Wait, what? 1906 is an even-numbered year. OK, it wasn’t supposed to be this way. The race was supposed to start from San Francisco, but a certain earthquake and one hell of a fire changed that plan and the start was moved to Los Angeles. The Earl of Sandwich, who was a notorious gambler and didn’t want to stop for meals, figured sticking the meat between the bread would work, and voilà! The sandwich. The Hawaiian Islands then became our 50th state, the last one before Canada.

The Transpac was born, the granddaddy of West Coast ocean racing. Except for the war years in the teens and ’40s, intrepid sailors have pointed their bows west in search of foamy Pacific rollers and the glory that comes with ocean racing. More glory than money, in fact; you don’t win money. If you are first to finish you get a big chunk of wood affectionately known as the “Barn Door.”

This year there are about 60 vessels split into 9 divisions. To more easily coordinate festivities in Hawaii, there are three starts off point Fermin over six days, slow boats first.

How slow is a slow boat? Maybe a 14- to 15-day crossing. The record for the fast boats is a shade over five days, and this year a vessel named Lucky could just get that lucky. Shout-out to multihulls, with the record a shade over four days, but that record is fairly safe this year with only two cruising cats entered.

The boats race under the ORR handicap system, with a wind matrix applied each day. My computer doesn’t have enough pixels to explain, but you can go to the regatta website and read all about it. There is also a tracker to virtually watch your favorite team.

Tuesday was the first start for divisions 7, 8 and 9. These are vessels you might actually recognize and be familiar with. By the Saturday start, the entrants are mostly carbon rocket sleds with all-pro crews in matching outfits blazing through the water at speeds not thought possible just a few years ago. Just for comparison, it took the America’s Cup nearly 150 years for vessels to increase from 6 knots to 9 knots. Now, just a few years later, they are approaching 50 knots and better.

Division 9 has a couple of Cal 40s, and yours truly in an old wooden ketch. It was lively at the West End of Catalina yesterday. Wish us luck!

In Division 8, Macondo always proves fast and is notorious for their moves on the dance floor.

Division 7 has the mighty Lodos from the Pacific Northwest, hoping to show her heels to the competition.

Division 6 starts Thursday. A passel of J/125s. Reinrag has won before and is loaded with a team that could do it again. Of course. The Velvet Hammer hails from my club as well. Good ol’ RYC is “Pound dem da Hammer!”

Division 5 is a herd of Bill Lee’s finest. Westerly won it all last year; congrats, Captain Dave! Triumph will give them a run for their money, and speaking of money, are the taxpayers of California supporting yacht racing for the college kids from Cal on Oaxaca? Well, I say, I hope so, but I think it’s actually a foundation.

BTW, too late now, but in the future you can pay to play and step aboard J World’s Hula Girl. You get to race to Honolulu and receive a really cool foulie jacket. Call for details.

Division 4 is a mixed bag of speedy 40-/50-somethings. They’re all fast. Imagine calling USCG from “It’s OK. Mayday, mayday, mayday ….” USCG replies, “Who is this?” “It’s OK!” All righty then. Rapid Transit was built down the street in Berkeley, so why not cheer for them?

Saturday starts the boats whose first set of many spreaders is likely above your masthead, and now, more fun, they allow poles to leeward to open sheeting angles for these sleds that carry as many as four headsails at a time.

Division 3 comprises the original gangsters. These boats used to be the IOR “Maxi” class. The limit was a 70 rating and 80-ft overall. Well, time marches on and now they occupy Division 3. Ragtime is the crowd favorite. Originally Infidel, she is the fastest plywood you will find on the saltchuck. Merlin is barely recognizable now; first won in 1977, setting a record that stood for 20 years. Grand Illusion is on my Storm Trysail three-boat team, but who doesn’t wanna see the Disney mouse (Pyewacket) end up on top?

Division 2 are the 52s purpose-built for this race that somehow have become the darlings of the lakes in Europe. Meanie may be the favorite, with a crew heavy with Point Richmond’s finest, but the hippie and his people on Vitesse cannot be contained.

Division 1 is an international affair, and by God, they’re big. Tall masts, wide transoms, plenty of freeboard. Cheer for America or Canada’s greatest sailor Dan Sinclair — 27 meters is 88.6 feet. Lucky they taught us the metric system when I was a kid. Hey, how come we never switched?

My people were packing, checking and writing texts to loved ones while I was writing this. I should have done that too!

This will be my fifth Transpac and 59th crossing between the US West Coast and Hawaii on one sailing vessel or another. Actually, there is a half crossing in there, but that is a whole ‘nother story!

The Transpac put out a video with Stan Honey’s navigation advice on how to win — or lose — the Transpac:

The next start is tomorrow, followed by the big boats on Saturday after the Friday night fireworks. Follow them all here.