Rich Man, Poor Man

The movement of the North Pacific High, as noted in today’s Pac Cup story, has affected many of the singlehanders as well. The smaller, slower boats are seeing lighter winds, forcing them to head farther south rather than rhumblining it to Hanalei. As Mark Deppe of the J/120 Alchera put it in his log yesterday, "It’s the classic case of the ‘rich get richer and the poor get poorer’. The boats in the front stay in the good wind and continue to go fast, while the boats at the back lose the wind and continue to go slower. Life just ain’t fair, and sailboat racing is no different."

Many of the racers had expressed concern over the silence of Barbara Euser on the Bristol 34 Islander. Euser’s shoreside contact reported this morning that Islander is still in the race but her battery troubles are preventing her from checking in. Apparently the suggestions from the group didn’t solve her problem, but she hopes to start checking in again as soon as she can figure out a fix.

One of the most inspiring aspects of this race is the camaraderie between the racers. While they are indeed racing, they’re also ready to help their competitors with advice and encouraging words. Jeff Lebesch, who has been frustrated with chafe on the spinnaker halyard aboard his Hammerhead 54 trimaran Hecla, reports that Al Hughes on Dogbark has been very supportive in their frequent radio chats. "Al has been encouraging me to work through my problems and stay in the hunt." We wonder if a competitor in any other race would do the same.