Tahiti Transpac Attracts 10 Entries So Far

Back in April, Dorade owners and St. Francis Yacht Club members Matt Brooks and Pam Levy submitted the first entry to the upcoming 2020 Tahiti Race. Since then, the entry list has continued to grow and now numbers 10 boats.

Ninety years after her launch, Dorade will compete in the 3,570-mile race from Los Angeles to Tahiti beginning on May 28, 2020. Organized by the Transpacific Yacht Club, the Transpac Tahiti Race was last staged in 2012.

Matt has had his eye on this race for years. “The Tahiti race has always been on my bucket list. It’s a very significant race, and I love long, substantial, challenging bluewater races.”

Matt acknowledges that the competition will be significant. “If we complete the 3,570-mile race in good order, we’ll have accomplished something.”

Sailing with Matt in the race will be many of Dorade’s regular roster, including Matt Wachowicz, Kevin Miller, Eric Chowanski, John Hayes and Mike Giles. Steve Branaugh will be joining the crew, several of whom were aboard when Dorade won the 2013 Transpac between Los Angeles and Honolulu.

Archipelagoes, which promotes “nautical tourism and the maritime economy in French Polynesia, New Caledonia and the South Pacific” organizes the finish for the race, in Papeete, Tahiti. Completing the race in one of several South Pacific island groups fits with Matt and Pam’s vision for Dorade. “One of our goals,” says Pam, “is to do races in places where people may never have seen Dorade — different audiences to see the boat is competitive after all these years.”

The current entry list includes:

• Angelique, Columbia 57, Andy Kurtz
• Cabrón, Botin 80, Steve Meheen, San Diego YC
• Dad’s Dream, Morgan 38.2, Bill Boyd, Hawaii YC
• Dorade, S&S 52, Matt Brooks, NYYC
• Espiritu, Atlantic 57, Santi Santiago Becerra, Transpacific YC
• Medicine Man, Andrews 63, Bob Lane, Long Beach YC
• Nacira, Class 40, Benoît, Parnaudeau YC de Tahiti
• Pyewacket 70,  Modified Volvo 70, Roy Disney, SDYC
• Tritium, ORMA trimaran, John Sangmeister, NYYC/LBYC
• Zephyrus, R/P 77, Damon Guizot, Los Angeles YC

There’s still time to join the list and follow in the wake of so many other racers and adventurers who’ve sailed off to the tropical peaks of Tahiti. Given that the race was last held in 2012 and has been sailed only 15 times since 1925, the next opportunity may not come for a while.