NORTHWEST HARVEST
SAILING & PARTYING TO BEAT HUNGER The 27th Annual NW Harvest Race to Fight Hunger, sponsored by the Seattle Singles Yacht Club, brought 23 boats out on the water, including a TP 52 (the first one that’s ever participated in this race!), a trimaran, and several schooners. How many races can boast that kind of variety? The forecast was a bit bleak in the wind department, but
C&C 41 "Surt" makes the most of the light conditions. 48º NORTH
Benefit
good winds in front of Shilshole got the racers off the start and around the first leg of the course. Unfortunately, that would be the best breeze of the day, and eventually the wind gave out and the race had to be shortened—an outcome that we all occasionally have to accept in a weather dependent sport like ours. Many of the sailors on the water have a long history with this race, but everyone was happy to see a number of new faces this year too. Al Johnson, who has done this race since 2012, won the Flying Sails Fast class with his Quest 30, Charlotte. Jeff Blyth’s Catalina 36, Mata Hari, a first time participant, won Flying Sails Slow class. Alan Vogt, who has also sailed this race for more than ten years on his Catalina 42, Blue Fin, took first in the Non-Flying Sails class, beating out SSYC Commodore Brad Lefton, who took second. The Half-Fast class winner is drawn from a hat and perennial NW Harvest racer High Hopes, whose Nauticat 44 crew was dressed as pirates, were the lucky winners. Commodore Brad announced the winners and gave them their trophies at the evening dinner, which also included a lively auction & dance held at the Ballard Elks. In this regard, in spite of the underwhelming breeze, the “Benefit” part of this event was still an overwhelming success! For the past 27 years, Seattle Singles Yacht Club has proudly helped sailors contribute to Northwest Harvest, Washington’s hunger relief agency. Georgia Selfridge, the evening’s chair, met the goal of selling out all 120 seats and the auction raised $17,000 for NW Harvest, the most raised by this event since 2009! by Sue Weiss photos by Kathy Oman of Big Camera Productions Results on page 46 44
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