More Sailing in Seattle
Seattlest continues our quest for sailing opportunities in the city. Most recently we have been racing sailboats at Shilshole Marina as part of a crew of low key sailors every Monday evening. Although a collision in this last race forced us out of the competition, we are still thankful we did not sail on Sunday. Sunday was the J24 National Championship race from Shilshole, coinciding with high winds up to 34 knots. This resulted in a tough race, several capsized boats, and one which sank. From the J24 National web site:
Three of the five crewmembers of Magic Hat were pitched into the water as the boat turned over, while the other two managed to scramble onto the boat’s bottom as it rotated until the mast was straight down and the keel was sticking straight up.None were injured, and a chase boat operated by Seattle Corinthian Yacht Club and a spectator boat owned by Seattle Sailing Club were on the scene before Magic Hat went down. From the time it capsized, it took about a minute for the boat to sink.
Somehow one of the capsized boats got itself together and came in third.
While sailing in a national event may require some serious skills, it is possible for novices to participate in a race in Seattle on almost every day of the week. We also raced on Tuesday at the Duck Dodge on Lake Union. We "trimmed" on a ship named Shoot the Moon, sailed a couple laps up and down the lake and came in 5th. Then came the requisite rafting up and hopping from ship to ship to meet all the skippers and drink beer. The evening is more of a social event than a serious race, which is ok with us.
Other weekly races include the J24 race from Leschi every Tuesday, Shilshole again on Wednesday for more serious racers, Friday there is a race from Elliot Bay Marina, and Saturday are larger Regatta races from Shilshole that sometimes last through Sunday. We also hear Race Weekon Whidbey Island in July is reportedly worth taking a week off of work.
If you can’t finagle your way onto a racing boat, there are seemingly endless ways to take sailing classes in Seattle. Add to the list Windworks Sailing Center which offers classes at Shilshole. Also the Washington Yacht Club through the UW is a great bargain. For $200 a year it gives you unlimited use of their lasers and free instruction once you are a member.
