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Pacific Cup Weather Winners and Losers

The Pacific Cup weather looks as if it will be . . . well, interesting.

Passage Weather
©2014Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Boats in the first two starts of the Pacific Cup — Sunday and Monday — have been enjoying reasonably good ‘get away from the coast’ conditions so far. Not so for the three divisions that started yesterday, which are dying not far off the normally breezy California coast.

But as the accompanying Passage Weather forecast for Friday shows, things aren’t looking too promising for the two multihulls that start on Thursday, or the big boats that start on Friday. On the other hand, the lucky-so-far earlier two divisions are soon to hit a massive area of light air, just as strong breezes reach those who haven’t had any wind luck so far. Look for big changes in the standings, so it should be interesting.

Dean Treadway’s Farr 36 Sweet Okole(l), Gary Troxel’s Beneteau 423 Tiki Blue (m) and Erik Hopper’s J/105 Free Bowl of Soup in Tuesday’s Weems & Plath Division B start off St. Francis YC.

latitude/Ross
©2014 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Currently the lead boat in the Sunday starting fleet is Michael Chobotov’s Jeanneau 49 Venture, some 1,500 miles from the finish. She’s moving at 7.8 knots and is leading the Holo Holo Cruising Division on corrected time.

Jim Quanci and Mary Lovely, Monday starters with their venerable Cal 40 Green Buffalo, are leading the ‘Iwi Doublehanded Division and are third overall. They recently reported doing 7.8 knots.

Another Cal 40, Rodney Pimentel’s Azure, is currently leading the Alaska Airlines PHRF division, with yet another Cal 40, Victoria Lessley’s California Girl, right on Azure’s tail.

We’re not sure how Overall Corrected Time is being figured in this Pacific Cup, but it shows Dean Treadway’s Farr 36 Sweet Okole first in Class, first in PHRF and first Overall — even thought she’s stuck near the coast reporting half a knot of boat speed. 

But as we mentioned, the Tuesday starters, including the Kolea Doublehanded boats, which are among the biggest threats for Pacific Cup honors, are dying. They’re going to have to make up a lot of time to be competitive.

For more details, visit the Pacific Cup website.

 

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