First off, this was Michael's idea :)
Second, there were talks of two types of races for this event. It really depends on the interest of those who want to participate. For me an ideal race would incorporate more than a few hours of sailing, plus a place and time that would provide consistent winds. Most of our protected waterways in the Salish Sea run north and south, plus they tend to be inconsistent during the dog days of summer except for a few hours in the early evening. So to eliminate a possible drift-a-thon we could pick a time and place where we are almost certain to get good winds for a long distance. The Strait of Juan de Fuca would be the place, but it means the crew needs to be fairly experienced handling stronger winds (15-30 knots) with opposing current with ocean swell, navigating through areas with a good amount of commercial traffic, possibly having to go through customs, and limited to more experienced crew. Another possible issue might be a few boats who would actively participate in the race may be leaving down the coast during the most ideal conditions for the entire year. This usually falls within the dog days of summer, although could extend into late August. So if we were to race from say, Port Angeles to Victoria, it might be better to set the race for sometime in mid-June when the winds are superb in the Strait. The distance from Port Angeles to Victoria is anywhere from 17 nm to 20 nm, depending on start and finishing marks. The time only takes approximately 2-3 hours on a beam reach with sufficient winds so we could potentially cross there and back without checking into customs. Another course could be from Port Townsend to Victoria, with a stop in Victoria and an informal race back to Port Townsend (return journeys are rarely completed without some competition apparently). A shorter race may just be around Smith Island from Port Townsend, which would require tacking and running, as opposed to a reaching course. Since I am planning on heading South with a good weather window as well, but I also want to race, I would prefer mid-June and a course from Port Townsend to Victoria and back. I encourage everyone in the PNW who plans on participating in the 2016 rendezvous to chime in with your interest in racing, crewing, or a worthy course.
