99 replies to this topic

[Mistaken]

We are now about 18 months away from the 2013 Van Isle 360 -- Blast (who now owns the event) has been completely silent on their plans and now that Skinny is gone it is unclear who will be running the event. Anyone out there have any insight.

After having done a couple of VI360's it would seem that a few changes would be good for the event -- some of these include starting & finishing in Victoria (easier to get to, more convenient for the US boats), slightly varying the course each time to give exposure to more other Vancouver Island places, and possibly adding a stop on the west side...

Anyone out there?

[The Dude]

We are now about 18 months away from the 2013 Van Isle 360 -- Blast (who now owns the event) has been completely silent on their plans and now that Skinny is gone it is unclear who will be running the event. Anyone out there have any insight.

After having done a couple of VI360's it would seem that a few changes would be good for the event -- some of these include starting & finishing in Victoria (easier to get to, more convenient for the US boats), slightly varying the course each time to give exposure to more other Vancouver Island places, and possibly adding a stop on the west side...

Anyone out there?

I think you'll hear something from Blast shortly. Nothing has been signed yet, but I am sure we will be involved in some capacity. I am in contact with them on a regular basis....

[Mistaken]

I realize that we are 18 months away but any chance we will see some changes to the event? This is one of the best events going yet with a few tweaks it could be made even better...

[alymatt]

I realize that we are 18 months away but any chance we will see some changes to the event? This is one of the best events going yet with a few tweaks it could be made even better...

I loved the race so much I pretty sold my soul to get my wife to agree to let me do it again next year:) So Cinco will be back for another lap in 2013:D


Though I do think Victoria would be the best place to start and finish the event, the last leg to Nanaimo is pretty tough to replace!


What other stops are you thinking about Mistaken?

[Mistaken]

I think they could drop French Creek & Hardwicke Island and perhaps add two stops on the west side of Vancouver Island - say Winter Harbor to Walter's Cove, and from Walter's Cove to Hot Spring's Cove, and then on to Ucluelet. I think I would make variations to the course each lap around the rock, perhaps even considering a stop in Vancouver -- but then what do I know...

[alymatt]

I think they could drop French Creek & Hardwicke Island and perhaps add two stops on the west side of Vancouver Island - say Winter Harbor to Walter's Cove, and from Walter's Cove to Hot Spring's Cove, and then on to Ucluelet. I think I would make variations to the course each lap around the rock, perhaps even considering a stop in Vancouver -- but then what do I know...

Interesting...........I think the loss of French Creek wouldn't be a bad idea as it is one of the toughest spots to get enough moorage - see limitting entries to the 40 odd they get now. Hardwicke Island is a cool stop but I am sure there are other's that could be just as interesting.


The biggest issue is the fact that we seem a little rudderless at this piont in terms of organization. The event needs a title sponsor and lots of massaging at the different stops to keep things alive.........If we - the competitors - haven't seen a press release announcing we are going next year, then I pretty sure nothing has happened behind the scenes.

[Kahuna]

Would love to see a slightly later start date.... after schools let out.

[Ishtarsdog]

+1 on after schools let out. This is a hard race logistically so anything we can do to make it easier for families to participate would be good.

I am conflicted about changing the outside portion. I love the long legs, that's part of what gives the race it's character. But there are some pretty special places we blast right by. Not sure.

[Skinny]

A couple of things to note.

1.If we wait until school gets out the marinas get busy and you may not even get space in these marinas as they fill up with summer travelers.

2.Add in the fact the race dates revolve around the currents north of Campbell River and the narrows and you have to bump things a month not days.
- if you need to see evidence of this check out the VanIsle web site under videos. The guys are setting the mark at Campbell River.

3.Different places to stop are always considered but we are limited by marina sizes, depth in marinas, access to these places by road (shore crews).
- the logistics of getting race folks to and from starts and finish areas is also a consideration
- of course you could alter the "style" of boat. Like some that take up too much room with two many hulls (Just kidding Bob!!!!!!)
- the upside is the boats with more than one hull have less depth issues !!!!!!

All and all other than changing the start/finish local you are going to be hard pressed to find a better racing/adventure anywhere !!!!

Skinny

[Mots]

The Van Isle 360 will be on in 2013, June 8 - 23

Pop by the shop on Granville Island during the Vancouver Boat Show next week Feb to 12.

Blast Performance Sailing 1814 Mast Tower Road, Granville Island, Vancouver BC Telephone 604 669-7245

New e-mail address for the race office is vanisle360@blastsailing.com



Mots

[cancouper]

Have never done this event but it right at the top of the 'todo' list. Sure hope it doesn't fall off the radar.

[casc27]

Love the adventure of this race. Was trying to look at the docs from 2011 for more info (things like equipment requirements, eligible boats etc.) but they are no longer available. Not like I'm going to be able to do it in a 27 ft boat from 900 miles south...I think I need to look at the vids when I get home (all the good stuff is blocked at work, grrr...)

[Skinny]

casc27

In GENERAL terms from the last race here are some guidelines.

PHRF max rating of 135
PIYA Cat 2 or OSR cat 3 with some additions/mods
Liferafts are required the whole way round
Shore support is almost essential
Stereo's with cockpit speakers are almost essential
You race with multihull's so be careful
You had better like Salmon, awesome scenery, and a new town after every leg.
Many crews change at Port Hardy. The inshore guys go home and the offshore guys step in.
Book your shoreside accomadation early. Allison Wilson (C&C115 Merlin) has this down to a science.
A big sail repair bag is a must !!!

Most boats will look for good crew as it is a big ask for anyone to do a full two weeks.

[RavenNW]

Attached is some information from 2011.
Looking forward to it.

 2011 VI360 notice of race1.pdf   44.38K   8 downloads  2011 General Leg Descriptions.doc   311.5K   16 downloads

[Mistaken]

+1 on after schools let out. This is a hard race logistically so anything we can do to make it easier for families to participate would be good.

I am conflicted about changing the outside portion. I love the long legs, that's part of what gives the race it's character. But there are some pretty special places we blast right by. Not sure.

I agree with both of these points -- a little later would be better for those of us who have kids in school, but the weather might not be as nice. I too like the outside legs, but we do blast by a lot of cool spots that would be nice to stop in at...

I really like the idea of mixing things up each time (as they do with Straits) -- keeps things interesting, new challenges and lets us see more of Vancouver Island with some adult supervision...

[Basiliscus]

I think they could drop French Creek & Hardwicke Island and perhaps add two stops on the west side of Vancouver Island - say Winter Harbor to Walter's Cove, and from Walter's Cove to Hot Spring's Cove, and then on to Ucluelet. I think I would make variations to the course each lap around the rock, perhaps even considering a stop in Vancouver -- but then what do I know...

Nanaimo is harder to get to for US boats, but I like the rhythm of the event with the way the legs start off easy and get progressively more difficult. The French Creek leg is like a regular club middle distance race, and it helps the less experienced boats get into the groove. If there are problems with the boat, it's not too far back to Nanaimo by land to get support and parts. The leg from Victoria to Nanaimo is the most difficult of the entire event from the standpoint of navigation. The whole route builds progressively to the Winter Harbor-Ucluelet and Victoria-Namaimo legs. The Ucluelet-Victoria leg is like doing Swiftsure, and is a bit of familiarity for the boats between the two most difficult legs.

Hardwicke Island is one of the high-points of the whole event. Typically, that is where the fleet camaraderie is cemented, because everyone is in close quarters and there's nowhere else to go and no non-fleet people around. And when are you ever again going to have the chance to have a great salmon dinner with the salmon jumping right outside the door? There are few other places for the fleet to stop in between Campbell River and Telegraph Cove, and to not have that stop would make for a very long leg in narrow treacherous waters. I wouldn't want to be doing the Johnstone Strait at night with retreat through Seymore Narrows as my only alternative to getting to the destination. We were faced with that alternative when we ripped our mainsail shortly after Ruf Duck lost her rig, and it was good to know we could motor to Hardwicke Is. to work on it.

One of the major attractions of the race, and one of the keys to the support from the island population, is the fleet stops in places that aren't the usual places yachts or tourists go. Ucluelet vs Tofino, for example. It's one reason why the towns go all out to support the fleet. The last Van Isle 360 was the first one in which I had made it to Victoria, and I thought the response was decidedly "Ho, hum." There was nobody there to help yachts finishing in the middle of the night, for example, and not even a place open to relieve oneself on shore! By contrast, the hospitality in the little out-of-the-way places was just fantastic.

On my first two experiences with the Van Isle 360 in its early years, I hadn't appreciated just how much it all depended on the personal relationships Wayne Gorrie had built up on the island. That was really evident to me this last time. Wayne may have officially been in an advisory capacity, but he was still critical to the running of the event. I think Blast would do well for their first time solo to run the race exactly as it has been. Then, once they have built on that tradition and really understand the subtleties of how the race was put together, think about tweaking it.

[Basiliscus]

I agree with both of these points -- a little later would be better for those of us who have kids in school, but the weather might not be as nice.

The timing of the whole event is dictated by the tides at Seymore Narrows. The fleet has to be able to get through on slack tide early in the morning, in order to start the race on time in Deepwater Bay. I haven't looked at the calendar and tide tables for 2013, but I bet you'll find the feasible dates are fairly constrained.

[Boomberries]

A few thoughts about the Van Isle 360 Race ...

I`m a passionate fan/participant of the race. It is an incredible sailing/racing opportunity and IMHO absolutely the best race on the entire West coast. I know folks who have traveled from Europe, Florida and across North America to partake in it.

I've raced in 4 of them (& hoping to do more), so I'd like to think I have some experience to back my reasoning.

Re: the start location- Although it may be a bit more difficult for the US boats, I believe Nanaimo lends a better atmosphere for racers to mingle and get into race mode. Victoria is often a very busy, more spread out place and there is a lot of dilution of the boats and crews, due to the bustle in the harbour at that time of year. Nanaimo is intimate enough to really lend that bonding atmosphere among crew and skippers prior to the start of the race. Although Victoria rolls out the carpet for the Swiftsure race in May, it is a different feeling when the Van Isle 360 is in town. As someone already posted, a bit ho - hum, and one would hardly notice the race happening.

The tenth leg - (from Victoria to Nanaimo) has the highest co-efficient of any of the legs in the race. There is always a ton of anticipation of the final leg, and rightly so. There is always a chance of an upset in the standings with significant strategy and tactics involved, potentially affecting the final standings of the boats in any one division. It would be a shame to have this over and done with on the first leg.

Re: Start dates of race - I disagree with moving it later. Marinas will be busier, and the tides and currents really dictate the dates. They are a very significant part of the start dates picked as I understand. Excellent crew are clambering to do this race, and they will make time for it (they always have). It will be a priority for those who really want to commit to it.

Re: Outside legs - I would find it very disappointing to have more legs of shorter length on the outside. I ( & countless others) love the longer legs which are overnight races and are truly a test of mettle for crews. Although there are some beautiful places along the way, they are likely best visited on a cruise (sail boat), kayaking or pleasure trip. The west coast legs are really the adventurous legs (& hands down my personal favourites) Many crew like the outside for the challenge and excitement that they can potentially offer.

It's a race ... it's tough, challenging, exciting, hard work, exhausting at times and it attracts some excellent sailors which thrill at the opportunity to really expand their abilities, and to share in a very unique and wonderful event.

Perhaps there is enough interest for some who wish to have a more "Cruising" oriented race circumnavigate on alternate years which will allow a more leisurely trip around and time to check out different attractions and areas. It is a gorgeous part of the world with much to explore.

Wayne and Janine's influence in building rapports with the follks in the towns around the Island and gaining support for the race, is an integral part of it's success.

[Moclips]

I think they could drop French Creek & Hardwicke Island and perhaps add two stops on the west side of Vancouver Island - say Winter Harbor to Walter's Cove, and from Walter's Cove to Hot Spring's Cove, and then on to Ucluelet. I think I would make variations to the course each lap around the rock, perhaps even considering a stop in Vancouver -- but then what do I know...

Nanaimo is harder to get to for US boats, but I like the rhythm of the event with the way the legs start off easy and get progressively more difficult. The French Creek leg is like a regular club middle distance race, and it helps the less experienced boats get into the groove. If there are problems with the boat, it's not too far back to Nanaimo by land to get support and parts. The leg from Victoria to Nanaimo is the most difficult of the entire event from the standpoint of navigation. The whole route builds progressively to the Winter Harbor-Ucluelet and Victoria-Namaimo legs. The Ucluelet-Victoria leg is like doing Swiftsure, and is a bit of familiarity for the boats between the two most difficult legs.



Hardwicke Island is one of the high-points of the whole event. Typically, that is where the fleet camaraderie is cemented, because everyone is in close quarters and there's nowhere else to go and no non-fleet people around. And when are you ever again going to have the chance to have a great salmon dinner with the salmon jumping right outside the door? There are few other places for the fleet to stop in between Campbell River and Telegraph Cove, and to not have that stop would make for a very long leg in narrow treacherous waters. I wouldn't want to be doing the Johnstone Strait at night with retreat through Seymore Narrows as my only alternative to getting to the destination. We were faced with that alternative when we ripped our mainsail shortly after Ruf Duck lost her rig, and it was good to know we could motor to Hardwicke Is. to work on it.

One of the major attractions of the race, and one of the keys to the support from the island population, is the fleet stops in places that aren't the usual places yachts or tourists go. Ucluelet vs Tofino, for example. It's one reason why the towns go all out to support the fleet. The last Van Isle 360 was the first one in which I had made it to Victoria, and I thought the response was decidedly "Ho, hum." There was nobody there to help yachts finishing in the middle of the night, for example, and not even a place open to relieve oneself on shore! By contrast, the hospitality in the little out-of-the-way places was just fantastic.

On my first two experiences with the Van Isle 360 in its early years, I hadn't appreciated just how much it all depended on the personal relationships Wayne Gorrie had built up on the island. That was really evident to me this last time. Wayne may have officially been in an advisory capacity, but he was still critical to the running of the event. I think Blast would do well for their first time solo to run the race exactly as it has been. Then, once they have built on that tradition and really understand the subtleties of how the race was put together, think about tweaking it.

+1 I think you really capture the feel of the race. Well said.

[Jack Dale]

I have only done the race once on Carene in 2007. But I have been around over a dozen times while instructing.

Boomberries and Basilicis are correct - tide and time wait for no man. The currents dictate my route east of Campbell River.

Hardwicke is a must from a sponsor's perspective.

French Creek is a good shakedown. I remember seeing the crew of Mad Max building spin sheets on the dock.

The outside legs should be different. I regularly sail from Winter Harbour to Hot Springs via the South Brooks weather buoy - an intro to offshore sailing

Hot Springs is too small and too remote. But I love.

My best memories are trimming the spinnaker in the Strait in the middle of the night.

Do not mess with success.

A thought - if you get into Ucluelet early, go out to Barkeley Sound and anchor out for a night. You will miss the banquet in town, but ...

[Irish River]

IMHO, the only thing the race needs is to be able to add more participants. Where to put them in a few harbours is tricky though.

As for timing, later in the summer can lead to large amounts of fog on the southern west coast.

[WHL]

Amen to Basiliscus, Boomberries and Skinny

When it's honking, the outside legs are a blast and a great contrast to the shorter inside legs. There really is nowhere to stop between Winter Harbour and Ucluelet for 40+ boats and shore crews, and it would add a few days to the existing time commitment to do the whole event. As much as I like the relaxation, lay day and fun with other crews in Winter Harbour, an occasional change in format by going straight from Port Hardy to Ucluelet would make an interesting 2 to 3 day long leg. It might also be interesting to have a longer layover in Port Hardy (the town could do with more tourist dollars) to prep for doing Port Hardy to Victoria as a very long offshore leg the entire length of the island. That leg alone would rival the distances of good races like the Oregon Offshore Race which doesn't seem to attract the entry numbers of the Van Isle.

I like the tactically challenging last leg ending in Nanaimo. A number of boats come up from the US for Southern Straits for a single overnight race. I can't see the issue going about the same distance to Nanaimo to start a 10 day race. Victoria already gets over hyped with Swiftsure and Vic-Maui. I think Boomberries described very well why Nanaimo is a good place to start.

[Basiliscus]

The bigger boats may be able to bypass Winter Harbor, but for the smaller boats like mine, the outside leg is already all we can manage in one go. And Winter Harbor is the best stop-over of the whole race. It's not to be missed.

Remember, this is a multihull race in which monohulls are allowed to participate!

[Asymptote]

I think Nanaimo is fine as a start/finish for US boats, and much better for staging, food shopping and fleet cohesion.


My choice for a layover day before the outside would be Telegraph Cove. Lots of one day hops start adding up and a break there, before the outside would be great. Fleet all together, good moorage, good motels, decent pub.

Winter Harbor to Ucluelet is one of the best legs...one of the few offshore legs we have around here. And to go from middle of nowhere to the comforts that Ucluelet provides is great.

[WHL]

The bigger boats may be able to bypass Winter Harbor, but for the smaller boats like mine, the outside leg is already all we can manage in one go. And Winter Harbor is the best stop-over of the whole race. It's not to be missed.

Remember, this is a multihull race in which monohulls are allowed to participate!

Good one !!

I admit, I like the race the way it is. I agree that Winter Harbour is a great lay over. I also think Asymptote's idea of Telegraph Cover being a good place for an additional lay day (if we cut a day somewhere else)... good food and socializing, great kayaking, whale watching, scuba diving, hiking (if you look out for the reported Cougars - note: some may already be on some boats ).

The only reason for me advocating a longer outside leg is that it's too bad in the NW, that we have all these great offshore boats, and only have two mid distance, truly offshore races: Oregon Offshore, and the outside legs of the Van isle, and even then they are basically 2 days with one overnight. The Swiftsure is an overrated overnighter, and what else? Southern Straits which can be a real challenge, despite being inshore.

I wonder how many would be interested in another race that sits between Vic Maui/Pac-Cup ocean races, and Van Isle and Oregon Offshore in terms of distance and time.

[svgreatwhite]

The bigger boats may be able to bypass Winter Harbor, but for the smaller boats like mine, the outside leg is already all we can manage in one go. And Winter Harbor is the best stop-over of the whole race. It's not to be missed.

Remember, this is a multihull race in which monohulls are allowed to participate!

Good one !!

I admit, I like the race the way it is. I agree that Winter Harbour is a great lay over. I also think Asymptote's idea of Telegraph Cover being a good place for an additional lay day (if we cut a day somewhere else)... good food and socializing, great kayaking, whale watching, scuba diving, hiking (if you look out for the reported Cougars - note: some may already be on some boats ).

The only reason for me advocating a longer outside leg is that it's too bad in the NW, that we have all these great offshore boats, and only have two mid distance, truly offshore races: Oregon Offshore, and the outside legs of the Van isle, and even then they are basically 2 days with one overnight. The Swiftsure is an overrated overnighter, and what else? Southern Straits which can be a real challenge, despite being inshore.

I wonder how many would be interested in another race that sits between Vic Maui/Pac-Cup ocean races, and Van Isle and Oregon Offshore in terms of distance and time.

There used to be a race in the early 80's that started in Victoria went to Triangle Island and back. Can't remember how many times it ran, maybe two? And before that was the Cobb Seamount Race.

[Boomberries]

I think they could drop French Creek & Hardwicke Island and perhaps add two stops on the west side of Vancouver Island - say Winter Harbor to Walter's Cove, and from Walter's Cove to Hot Spring's Cove, and then on to Ucluelet. I think I would make variations to the course each lap around the rock, perhaps even considering a stop in Vancouver -- but then what do I know...

Nanaimo is harder to get to for US boats, but I like the rhythm of the event with the way the legs start off easy and get progressively more difficult. The French Creek leg is like a regular club middle distance race, and it helps the less experienced boats get into the groove. If there are problems with the boat, it's not too far back to Nanaimo by land to get support and parts. The leg from Victoria to Nanaimo is the most difficult of the entire event from the standpoint of navigation. The whole route builds progressively to the Winter Harbor-Ucluelet and Victoria-Namaimo legs. The Ucluelet-Victoria leg is like doing Swiftsure, and is a bit of familiarity for the boats between the two most difficult legs.



Hardwicke Island is one of the high-points of the whole event. Typically, that is where the fleet camaraderie is cemented, because everyone is in close quarters and there's nowhere else to go and no non-fleet people around. And when are you ever again going to have the chance to have a great salmon dinner with the salmon jumping right outside the door? There are few other places for the fleet to stop in between Campbell River and Telegraph Cove, and to not have that stop would make for a very long leg in narrow treacherous waters. I wouldn't want to be doing the Johnstone Strait at night with retreat through Seymore Narrows as my only alternative to getting to the destination. We were faced with that alternative when we ripped our mainsail shortly after Ruf Duck lost her rig, and it was good to know we could motor to Hardwicke Is. to work on it.

One of the major attractions of the race, and one of the keys to the support from the island population, is the fleet stops in places that aren't the usual places yachts or tourists go. Ucluelet vs Tofino, for example. It's one reason why the towns go all out to support the fleet. The last Van Isle 360 was the first one in which I had made it to Victoria, and I thought the response was decidedly "Ho, hum." There was nobody there to help yachts finishing in the middle of the night, for example, and not even a place open to relieve oneself on shore! By contrast, the hospitality in the little out-of-the-way places was just fantastic.

On my first two experiences with the Van Isle 360 in its early years, I hadn't appreciated just how much it all depended on the personal relationships Wayne Gorrie had built up on the island. That was really evident to me this last time. Wayne may have officially been in an advisory capacity, but he was still critical to the running of the event. I think Blast would do well for their first time solo to run the race exactly as it has been. Then, once they have built on that tradition and really understand the subtleties of how the race was put together, think about tweaking it.

+1 I think you really capture the feel of the race. Well said.

+1 Great post, Basiliscus.

I wanted to add that in the history of this race, there have been boats who have lost rudders and emergency rudders, two multihulls that have flipped, broken masts, MOB's, injuries, countless repairs needed etc. throughout the two weeks of racing. I can not say enough about the folks and volunteers in the towns along the way. They have made huge efforts to help the crews and skippers in endless ways, to help ensure that their journeys are safe, exciting and successful. As special as this race is special because of the sailing and the spectacular scenery, it is all the people involved that make it truly magical.

[Jollymon]

The bigger boats may be able to bypass Winter Harbor, but for the smaller boats like mine, the outside leg is already all we can manage in one go. And Winter Harbor is the best stop-over of the whole race. It's not to be missed.

Remember, this is a multihull race in which monohulls are allowed to participate!

Good one !!

I admit, I like the race the way it is. I agree that Winter Harbour is a great lay over. I also think Asymptote's idea of Telegraph Cover being a good place for an additional lay day (if we cut a day somewhere else)... good food and socializing, great kayaking, whale watching, scuba diving, hiking (if you look out for the reported Cougars - note: some may already be on some boats ).

The only reason for me advocating a longer outside leg is that it's too bad in the NW, that we have all these great offshore boats, and only have two mid distance, truly offshore races: Oregon Offshore, and the outside legs of the Van isle, and even then they are basically 2 days with one overnight. The Swiftsure is an overrated overnighter, and what else? Southern Straits which can be a real challenge, despite being inshore.

I wonder how many would be interested in another race that sits between Vic Maui/Pac-Cup ocean races, and Van Isle and Oregon Offshore in terms of distance and time.

I vote for leaving the VI360 format alone, it is a great race the way it is. I'm hoping to do my fourth time around next year.

We have invited the Blast folks to Portland Yacht Club on April 13 to help with a VI360 presentation to get folks thinking about the next race.

As for another long distance race, maybe something combining some long distance races like Anacortes to the mouth of the Columbia River and back. That would be around a 400nm race.

JM

[Mistaken]

Now that's an interesting idea -- how about combining it with Oregon Offshore??

[Jack Dale]

Now that's an interesting idea -- how about combining it with Oregon Offshore??

I thought the Oregon Offshore was a lead in to Swiftsure.

[Jollymon]

Now that's an interesting idea -- how about combining it with Oregon Offshore??

I thought the Oregon Offshore was a lead in to Swiftsure.

For us folk in Oregon, the Offshore is a feeder race to Swiftsure, held two weeks before Swiftsure.

What I was proposing was a long distance race that was longer than anything else in the area. Starting near the San Juan Island area (pick a place), and then going offshore for a few days and back without any stops may be a sellable race. Probably about a week long event with start and finish line parties. Finding a time to hold the race would be hard so that it didn't take away from the two other big summer events (Vic-Maui and VI360).

But it couldn't be combined with the Oregon Offshore, and I wouldn't want to take away from the Oregon Offshore. If it was held after Swiftsure then the Oregon boats could participate as they could stay up north. I don't think they would want to deliver from south to north, race, and then deliver back.

[WHL]

There used to be a race in the early 80's that started in Victoria went to Triangle Island and back. Can't remember how many times it ran, maybe two? And before that was the Cobb Seamount Race.

The Cobb Sea Mount is intriguing. I've sailed over it a number of times and always thought it would make an interesting offshore scuba dive adventure too. It's certainly in reasonable reach for a dive.
The sail down to Astoria on an Oregon Offshore delivery can be a blast. Too bad it isn't a feeder race. The Oregon Offshore race might get a few more entries if it were a feeder race going down. You could even have a combined trophy for lowest corrected time for both legs there and back.... lots of possibilities to drum up interest in offshore courses.

[Tom Keffer]

Now that's an interesting idea -- how about combining it with Oregon Offshore??

I thought the Oregon Offshore was a lead in to Swiftsure.

For us folk in Oregon, the Offshore is a feeder race to Swiftsure, held two weeks before Swiftsure.

What I was proposing was a long distance race that was longer than anything else in the area. Starting near the San Juan Island area (pick a place), and then going offshore for a few days and back without any stops may be a sellable race. Probably about a week long event with start and finish line parties. Finding a time to hold the race would be hard so that it didn't take away from the two other big summer events (Vic-Maui and VI360).

But it couldn't be combined with the Oregon Offshore, and I wouldn't want to take away from the Oregon Offshore. If it was held after Swiftsure then the Oregon boats could participate as they could stay up north. I don't think they would want to deliver from south to north, race, and then deliver back.

How about out the Straits and back, leaving Destruction Island to port?

-tk

[Jollymon]

There used to be a race in the early 80's that started in Victoria went to Triangle Island and back. Can't remember how many times it ran, maybe two? And before that was the Cobb Seamount Race.

The Cobb Sea Mount is intriguing. I've sailed over it a number of times and always thought it would make an interesting offshore scuba dive adventure too. It's certainly in reasonable reach for a dive.
The sail down to Astoria on an Oregon Offshore delivery can be a blast. Too bad it isn't a feeder race. The Oregon Offshore race might get a few more entries if it were a feeder race going down. You could even have a combined trophy for lowest corrected time for both legs there and back.... lots of possibilities to drum up interest in offshore courses.

Doing the trip in two legs would mean more work for a committee boat off the Columbia bar. CYC-Portland runs the Oregon Offshore and just runs out with a boat for the start and then goes back into Astoria. A finish boat would have to spend more time out there. But it makes for an interesting idea to have the Offshore be part 2 of a longer race. So now we're talking a feeder race to the feeder race? I like it!

JM

[RavenNW]

From BLAST Sailing today

June 8th to 22nd 2013

Attached Files

•  2013 Van Isle 360.pdf   966.95K   106 downloads

[SailnGame]

+1 Great post, Basiliscus.

I wanted to add that in the history of this race, there have been boats who have lost rudders and emergency rudders, two multihulls that have flipped, broken masts, MOB's, injuries, countless repairs needed etc. throughout the two weeks of racing. I can not say enough about the folks and volunteers in the towns along the way. They have made huge efforts to help the crews and skippers in endless ways, to help ensure that their journeys are safe, exciting and successful. As special as this race is special because of the sailing and the spectacular scenery, it is all the people involved that make it truly magical.

Basilisucs has a story from being on one of the multi's that flipped years ago.

Gotta say that some of the stuff that racers put their shore crews through could become stuff of legend. Makika and Raven had some spectacular stories in the past edition, and I've been told of some other great happenings in years before.

[Desperado Racing]

Astoria to San Francisco on Pac Cup years could make for a killer race. Might also increase Pac Cup numbers from NW boats. I think a reverse feeder to the Oregon Offshore would be a cool idea, but highly doubt any Oregon boats would participate, but might increase the number of Seattle and BC boats for the Oregon Offshore itself.

[The Dude]

The Vanisle 360 Website has been updated...Dates are now posted & new email in the contact section.

[dangerzone777]

The webpage no longer is active. Anyone know what is going on?

[Skinny]

Not sure about the website BUT I was in the Blast office yesterday and had a long chat with Sylvia (Jeff's wife) about the race. I told her that many people are starting to ask about details and they should at the very least send out updates a couple of times a month.

I know that Jeff is meeting with a potential title sponsor shortly. They contacted Blast to get the ball rolling and I think it will be very positive. Once that is done you will see much more from the folks at Blast.

Interest is very strong and I would suggest that if you are thinking about SERIOUSLY entering a boat contact the office and let them know the size of the boat. That is one of the factors that determines how many boats are entered. I have chatted with both Jeff and Sylvia and I know we could "squeeze" more boats into the race.

As for the rest of the details I would expect to see some minor changes. Nothing major just some logistics upgrades and support on the shore side.

Skinny

[alymatt]

Not sure about the website BUT I was in the Blast office yesterday and had a long chat with Sylvia (Jeff's wife) about the race. I told her that many people are starting to ask about details and they should at the very least send out updates a couple of times a month.

I know that Jeff is meeting with a potential title sponsor shortly. They contacted Blast to get the ball rolling and I think it will be very positive. Once that is done you will see much more from the folks at Blast.

Interest is very strong and I would suggest that if you are thinking about SERIOUSLY entering a boat contact the office and let them know the size of the boat. That is one of the factors that determines how many boats are entered. I have chatted with both Jeff and Sylvia and I know we could "squeeze" more boats into the race.

As for the rest of the details I would expect to see some minor changes. Nothing major just some logistics upgrades and support on the shore side.

Skinny

I was in the BLAST office a few weeks ago and was told that the owners were going to heading around the island later in the summer to meet with the people in charge of the different spots and make sure all was good to go for 2013 edition Van Isle race!

[Skinny]

From the Vanisle guys this morning.




Dear all Van Isle 360 skippers

Yes, almost exactly one year to the start of the 2013 Van Isle 360 and the Van Isle 360 website decides to broach. No worries, vang is off, but the spinnaker halyard is a pile of spaghetti, we are on it and hope to have the website back up and running very shortly without having to cut the halyard!

We are working towards minimal changes for the race in 2013. As previously mentioned, the dates are June 8 to 22nd or 23rd 2013.

The final day of the race is one of the changes we are considering as we know a lot of folks come from far away, and it would be nice if we could have a wind up at the end of the race on Saturday with as many boats as possible before the delivery home begins. Yes pros and cons on this one, so for planning purposes now, assume 14 days as in previous races.

The other major change will be the crew requirements for the Safety at Sea Course. It has always been recommended that each boat has crew members who have successfully completed the course.

In light of the recent announcements by the Canadian Government choosing to close Coast Guard Stations on the West Coast, it seems evident that we may not be able to rely on the professionals who have always been there for mariners. We may have to rely on each other in a potential emergency and therefore it will be required that each skipper ensures that they have at least two crew members on each leg who have successfully passed the Safety at Sea course, and have a valid certificate.

The Notice of Race and registration will begin earlier with successful skippers being notified as early as possible to aid in boat and shore crew preparation.

Indeed there has been significant interest from veteran crews and crews looking to enter for the first time. The number of vessels that can be accommodated is directly proportional to the length and beam of the vessels entering. If there are more big boats entering, the number of spots available will be diminished, more small boats, more spots available. As has been the process in previous races, registration packages will be reviewed in the order that they are received. Incomplete registration packages will be returned to the skipper, and if resubmitted, will then re-enter the queue.

We will update you as further information is available, and we recover from the broach.

Please feel free to pass this e-mail on to anyone who is interested in the race.

Kind regards

Jeffrey & Sylvia Motley

Shop (604) 669-7245
Fax (604) 669-7255

[Mots]

The web site is back up, and we will begin updates as information is made available.


Jeff

[HardOnWind]

Astoria to San Francisco on Pac Cup years could make for a killer race. Might also increase Pac Cup numbers from NW boats. I think a reverse feeder to the Oregon Offshore would be a cool idea, but highly doubt any Oregon boats would participate, but might increase the number of Seattle and BC boats for the Oregon Offshore itself.

How about an Anacortes to San Francisco race?

[cinnr]

Looking forward to this race - Jeff any updates?

[RavenNW]

I was in contact with Jeff at BLAST and there will be information out shortly.
Time to be getting organized, we have booked our accomadation at French Creek, Port Hardy, Winter Harbour and Ucluelet and team selection is underway. Need to build a better emergency rudder still.

[alymatt]

I have French Creek, Telegraph and Winter Harbour booked...........now need find out who is coming with me next year:)

oh and get a depth sounder that works.

[Asymptote]

We will very likely be doing the spin around the Isle. But as far as booking....don't we need a schedule to do that?

Sooner than later will help us plan.

[alymatt]

The dates have been announced - and all the usual places for stay know them too as they are taking bookings accordingly.

Sorry don't know the dates off of the top of my head right now.

[RavenNW]

Race is June 8th to 23rd. If you make your bookings now you should be able to adjust them if needed, but the organizers have indicated the same format as previous years

[Boomberries]

Just peeked at the website.

Impressed to read that PRO for the Van Isle 360, is Paul Ulibarri. He is excellent.

Smart idea - "A minimum of 2 crew on each leg must have completed a Safety at Sea Course." It's a comprehensive and fun course, and they recommend a reasonable number of crew required to have it.

Great news that they are starting the final leg, earlier in the day. : )

[Boomberries]

I am very curious which boats are planning on entering to do this excellent race. From the website - the entry deadline is November 16, 2012. This deadline is a fair bit earlier, than in years past.

Who is returning for a repeat race 'round the rock, and which "new" boats are rumoured to be interested?

[RavenNW]

Rubato has entered
Raven is planning to
Radical Departure is planning to
Cinco de Mayo is planning to
White Cloud indicated probably
Tiger Lilley (Beneteau 50) is considering it

[Moclips]

Night Runner, I think.

[alymatt]

Cinco's application has been sent.

I believe the organizers expect more entries than spots available this year. Already 3 boats new to the race have applied.

[sluggo]

Farr-ari is a definate, possible maybe!

[alymatt]

Looks like the early registration deadline is having the desired effect - well that is if they wanted people to committ early this time around.

Website lists 12 boats as being entered with 4 more completed entries on hand.

No 109's yet, and no big boys on that list.

[RavenNW]

There is a J133 and a J46 that are new boats to the event. Raven's appication is ready to submit, but likely won't go in until early November.

[RavenNW]

21 boats in now (Oct 30), thats the halfway mark.

[RavenNW]

Ravens is in, making it 22 registered as of Nov 5, the Farr 40 Gem and the 1D35 Radical Departure have indicated they will be entering.

[cinnr]

Registration deadline is tomorrow. Website reports 35 registrations, however I suspect there are more in the inbox.

[alymatt]

37 and counting.......

[Boomberries]

37 and counting.......

Awesome!
I hope to see Nightrunner in the final list.

[FastRobert]

Hiya BB,

Well, many sailing miles since my friend, but my count has the 2013 Event at 10 years since we 1st met in the early stages of this fabulous VI360.

[Boomberries]

Hiya BB,
Well, many sailing miles since my friend, but my count has the 2013 Event at 10 years since we 1st met in the early stages of this fabulous VI360.

Hola amigo. Yes, ten years and it sure has flown by. Many, many sea miles under the hull, in that time. Good memories.

[sloansailing]

Westerly and ICON signed up, as well as (surprise!) Flash! Rumor is Neptunes Car is trying to put it all together as well. Could be an epic big boat battle!

[Asymptote]

Westerly and ICON signed up, as well as (surprise!) Flash! Rumor is Neptunes Car is trying to put it all together as well. Could be an epic big boat battle!

Hey, Wait for us!

[sloansailing]

Westerly and ICON signed up, as well as (surprise!) Flash! Rumor is Neptunes Car is trying to put it all together as well. Could be an epic big boat battle!

Hey, Wait for us!

Hoping we get a big boat division so we don't have to wait! Don't worry, we'll still be there to show you where the holes are...

[wildangels]

Night Runner is in.....

[alymatt]

oh goodie - hope we have to go upwind the entire time again then!

[alymatt]

Add Kiva to the list of returning Div 3'ers.....will we see Kotuku?

[Boomberries]

Night Runner is in.....

Love the boat, and how it's so well sailed.

[Eric]

Time Bandit is in.

By the way the two hound dog in the companion way (avatar) are Charlie and Crosby. The photo was take during the Van Isle 360 in 2001.

[alymatt]

Looks like Dark Star and Gem are in too - so a pretty decent big boat fleet - especially if the Car is a late entry!

Congrats to the organizers - they pulled off a 41 boat ( sellout??? ) 7 + months prior to the start of the race!

[WHL]

Looks like Dark Star and Gem are in too - so a pretty decent big boat fleet - especially if the Car is a late entry!

Congrats to the organizers - they pulled off a 41 boat ( sellout??? ) 7 + months prior to the start of the race!

Hopefully a lot of off the wind for your big red whomper !!

[Jollymon]

Night Runner is in.....

Love the boat, and how it's so well sailed.

Drop by for a visit again (I missed your visit two years ago).

JM

[Boomberries]

Night Runner is in.....

Love the boat, and how it's so well sailed.

Drop by for a visit again (I missed your visit two years ago).
JM

I will definitely stop by again, JM. Thanks

Kudos to Jeff & Sylvia for securing a fantastic fleet for the race, and in record time with the early registration.

[RavenNW]

Interim crew list posted on Vancouver sailing forum

sailingX.com

There are a number of boats still looking for crew, so you can get your name out to the skippers.

[Boomberries]

Kind of disappointing that the Van Isle 360 website has not been updated for well over a month.

[RavenNW]

A new website is being built (by Reacher) it is nearly complete, there are a few people looking to crew registered on the sailingX forum out of Vancouver. I guess not much to update when we are registering so far in advance.

[cinnr]

New website looks good! www.vanisle360.com

[Boomberries]

New website looks good! www.vanisle360.com

Yes, it does look great. = ) Worth the wait.
Excellent Race Committee lined up. Competitive fleet. Lots of VI360 veterans sailing in it.

[cinnr]

Question for VI360 veterans...radar useful or not? Ours is removable, and I want to keep our J109 as "one design" as possible. Boat partner wants safety. Perspectives?

[Irish River]

Personally, I don't see the need for radar. The only time it will really be useful is in the Jaun de Fuca, but that is easy enough to navigate in the day. If we encounter fog which is not uncommon, but it is less likely in June, then using radar would be useful. The J109 is a great boat for the VI. Diva and Astral Plane are well sailed and really duked it out all the way around the course. If you are looking to do well against them, be prepared to push the boat hard and offer the crew of AP Jagr Bombs, I think it's their Achilles heel.

A good chart plotter is very important! Lots of obstacles to avoid, and a vigilant look out for kelp.

[Asymptote]

With five of these under my belt, I can say I've never felt the need for radar. I think it could be a distraction. However, if your partner is safety oriented (which is a good thing), an AIS transponder could be a good investment in piece of mind. The cruise ships fly by off shore and they and the tankers and freighters slide down the Straits pretty quickly, although most of the course is essentially inside the shipping lanes (except, of course, up through Haro Strait/Boundary Pass.) I know my i-Phone-based AIS app doesn't work on the outside. Great tool on the inside, though.

I'm not sure an actual chart-plotter is needed. Navionics on a GPS-enabled i-Pad works just fine.

Kelp stick is a must. Practice with it.

[sloansailing]

Don't need radar. AIS is helpful, though not totally necessary either. Good nav software is necessary though, whether a good plotter, laptop, or i device. Good to have a backup navigation system ready as well, in case of a failure.

Ah the kelp...

[Irish River]

Ok fair enough, there are lots of navigation options out there now. I really liked having a small screen in cockpit to see how close we could push it to avoid current. AIS is a good investment for distance racing around here.

[alymatt]

All you need is an I phone - with appropriate Apps - don't ask how I know:(

Personally I took off my radar and went with a chartplotter with AIS overlayed on the screen and it is fabulous!

[Gong Show]

Man I feel like an old fogey when my dander gets up over claims that an iPhone is the only thing you need.
I am sure there is some reason for saying that, but it is frightening.
I go crazy when there are duelling phones on deck by the non navigators.
Please prepare professionally so we do not all get over regulated when the inevitable fatality occurs.
More than one "uncharted" obstruction has been discovered on this race.

Rant off

GS

[alymatt]

GS,

I think you missed my attempt at humor - during the last vi360 , we lost all our electronics on our way to Hardwicke and didn't get them repaired until Ucuelet! All we had were paper charts and an I phone, and I will say this, the I phone and the apps for it are amazing!

Each leg we would get them working but they would only last for an hour or so - became a running joke on board as to when they'd crap out each leg!

I sail knowing my boats polars so racing not knowing your boat speed or wind angles was a real challenge. We knew where we were at all times but had to sail more conservatively as we approached shore lines.

[Flash48]

I don't ( on Flash) have radar - I kind of wonder if we had, who would have been down below, on the leg in 2011 from Winter Harbor to Ucluelet, looking at it? My navigator would go below and listen to the reports while puking in his hat....

I think Radar would probably be " nice to have", but I would certainly want some form of display where it could be seen? I believe that listening on the VHF is important. I think it was in 2009, that I had some question as to where a tug was going while we were on the outside leg, so we called him and discussed what we each should be doing.

I would suggest that you be proactive on anything.

Your partners concern about safety is all of ours!!!, We all want to finish and have fun while doing it!! Which by the way is the key to the event - other than watching the hockey games..............................

[Boomberries]

The only VI 360 leg I can recall when radar would have been helpful, was in the 2003 race on the Ucluelet to Victoria leg. It was very foggy and windy. (it was a great year for downwind sailing on the outside legs)
It was an interesting leg to say the least esp. for those not reading the SI`s re: the start in Ucluelet, and a tad stessful listening to CG rescue (successful) of the crew of Redshift near Race Rocks.

A kelp stick (with a blade?) is very helpful!

[WHL]

Man I feel like an old fogey when my dander gets up over claims that an iPhone is the only thing you need.
I am sure there is some reason for saying that, but it is frightening.
I go crazy when there are duelling phones on deck by the non navigators.
Please prepare professionally so we do not all get over regulated when the inevitable fatality occurs.
More than one "uncharted" obstruction has been discovered on this race.

Rant off

GS

The Iphone or ipad isn't the only thing, just like a fixed chart plotter isn't the only thing. Paper charts are also aboard.
Inavx with CHS raster charts are showing you what's on the paper charts. So where's the issue?
 image.jpg   63.89K   23 downloads

Having even an iphone with charts, and an AIS overlay, and nav data like BTW, TTW, DTW, COG, SOG etc... handy is a great tool and a good quick reference particularly on a boat that doesn't have the blinding chart plotter at the helm.

[sloansailing]

other than watching the hockey games..............................

Don't forget being updated on the score by the Canadian CG when we can't watch the games...

[Gong Show]

I know, I know, that's why I put in the wimp ass caveat.
I don't post much, but some issues make me react.

I was not suggesting that your actual navigation plan was to be based on a single iphone.
When I cut my teeth commercial fishing on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, no chartplotters or AIS, so it was all dead reckoning and loran.

Part of my rant is due to a cultural shift that I find distasteful, people more interested in their phones that with others around them. The other part is the fear of more government regulation of my recreational activities due to complacency of competitors, ie. an iphone as primary navigation equipment.

I'm cool and looking forward to having a great time on the VI360. Just a small rant.

Sail safe, it's more fun!

GS

[cinnr]

Are there camping options at Winter Harbor? Needless to say, I didn't get accommodations there.

[Boomberries]

Are there camping options at Winter Harbor? Needless to say, I didn't get accommodations there.

There is a campground there. Lost of support crews will have booked spots for the campers etc, but give them a try. Some individual cabin owners might also have space for a tent ot two. They are a friendly, helpful group. Good luck
http://www.winterhar...flash_index.htm

[Boomberries]

Wanna race and have experience? Need crew?  There  are still at least a couple boats looking for crew.  Quite possibly some crew are still clambering for a ride  for this most excellent two week adventure/race/adult camp.

There are always a few  last  minute spots to fill, as a few folks back out at last minute for various reasons.

 

Lots of folks  are still unaware that there is a Van Isle 360 "Crew bank" link of sorts on  the Vancouver based   http://www.sailingx.com/forums/  website. This is to help facilitate crew hoping to find a boat to race on and  boats looking for crew. 

 

It is not an ideal set-up as a crew bank, but it is all that exists. The hopes of having the new website include a dedicated  crew-bank link seem futile at this point.  The crew bank on the previous website was an excellent source.

 

Hope this helps to fill the last few crew positions for various boats still looking for crew.

 

Less than a month to go...

 

 

[svgreatwhite]

Wanna race and have experience? Need crew?  There  are still at least a couple boats looking for crew.  Quite possibly some crew are still clambering for a ride  for this most excellent two week adventure/race/adult camp.

There are always a few  last  minute spots to fill, as a few folks back out at last minute for various reasons.

 

Lots of folks  are still unaware that there is a Van Isle 360 "Crew bank" link of sorts on  the Vancouver based   http://www.sailingx.com/forums/  website. This is to help facilitate crew hoping to find a boat to race on and  boats looking for crew. 

 

It is not an ideal set-up as a crew bank, but it is all that exists. The hopes of having the new website include a dedicated  crew-bank link seem futile at this point.  The crew bank on the previous website was an excellent source.

 

Hope this helps to fill the last few crew positions for various boats still looking for crew.

 

Less than a month to go...

 

I threw my name into the crew pool several months ago. So far nothing. It worked in 2011 and I got an excellent ride around the Island. I guess there is still time.

[ShockValue]

Still trying to figure out how to put the wife and kids in some kind of stasis so I can go for that long without looking for a new wife and kids when I got back.