55 replies to this topic

[Mistaken]

Registration for the 2012 Northern Century opens tomorrow at www.anacortesyachtclub.com. If you haven't heard about this event - the

Northern Century is held each year at the end of August and is fast becoming one of the most popular distance races in the Pacific Northwest. 2012 will be the fifth running of this great event and as before we are planning three separate races:

1. Double-handed mono-hull
2. Fully-crewed mono-hull
3. Double-handed multi-hull

The race is approximately 100nm in length and starts on Friday, August 24, 2012 in Fidalgo Bay, heads north to Point Roberts, down Boundary Passage, then south through Haro Strait to Hein Bank and returns to Anacortes with a finish at the west entrance of Guemes Channel. Double-handed entries start at 1930 on Friday, August 24 followed by fully crewed entries at 1940. It will likely take most competitors until Saturday night to finish and perhaps later.

One interesting twist to this event is that many father-son teams enter the double-handed races -- this year we are planning some special recognition (prizes) for these teams. Also, here is a list of the various courses taken by the fleet in 2011 --

Registration opens June 1, 2012 -- don't be late!

Attached Files

•  2011 N100 - Complete Track List of All Boats (compressed).jpg   610.69K   182 downloads

[ShockValue]

Looking forward to another year!

[Tysk]

Here is a link to the race page:

http://www.anacortes...rthern-century/


Also don't forget Windermere Regatta is coming up too on June 9 & 10.

[F#&%IFIKNOW]

One of my favorite races.

[bizirka]

I just registered Chaos in the Double-Hand. I am so excited to do this!

[gimpy]

I am really looking forward to this. We have a great group coming together, all really good people and awsome sailors and of course a great boat (Scimitar). Sounds like alot of great boats are thinking of going and I love the course. See you all up there. Gimpy

[Tysk]

Only a month to go!

[Mistaken]

For those our there who are sitting on the fence with this race -- registration fees increase from $75 to $100 on August 10. If you haven't done this race before, it is one of the best in the PNW...

[ShockValue]

"My God, it's full of stars."


Sailing at night in the San Juans is gorgeous.

[Sock Puppet]

For those our there who are sitting on the fence with this race -- registration fees increase from $75 to $100 on August 10. If you haven't done this race before, it is one of the best in the PNW...

Better get hopping. Only a week left before the price increases.

[Asymptote]

The White Cloud crew, being cheapskates, have signed up!

[CharlieCobra]

Ah, still have no functional boat in the water. Rediculous, own four and not a one in the water. Maybe next year....

[Tysk]

"My God, it's full of stars."


Sailing at night in the San Juans is gorgeous.

So very true.

[Sock Puppet]

Time is running out for reduced registration fees.

Will there be more double handed or fully crewed entries?

[Micksails]

Time is running out for reduced registration fees.

Will there be more double handed or fully crewed entries?

Bump! Blackfoot's in. Fully crewed (maybe).

[Mistaken]

23 boats registered as of this morning -- can we break 40?

[Vincent DePillis]

Not having done this race before, could use some tactical advice. Looks like an ebb gets going shortly after the start. All things being equal, I was thinking that means you start out going south to Hein Bank, especially if winds are mild. There are too many tactical choices-- not sure how to think about this race.

Vince DePillis

[sloansailing]

So sorry to miss this race. The first one I will not be sailing since the inception on '08. Have fun everyone! Looks like the DH entries have narrowed down to 24-33 foot boats, nothing over 33' this year. Where are all the SC27's? And why is Rumpus listed as fully crewed? (Especially given this race was Stephanie's idea six years ago!)

Vincent, unless something changed (and by my reading of the NOR) Pt Roberts is the first mark of the course, after which any route may be taken to Hein Bank, with the finish back in Anacortes.

Still wish the course required rounding Turn Pt, its not the same race without that requirement.

[Tysk]

Stolen from here:

http://blog.anacorte...rn-century.html

Top Ten reasons to do Northern Century

#10 Only 1 multihull is signed up; if you were at Cowichan Bay Regatta you know what I mean...
#9 It starts @ 7pm even bankers and financial advisers are awake by then
#8 It's actually only 94 knautical miles
# 7 You don't have to pay 3 days for a condo you're only going to be in for 1 night in Roche Harbor
#6 No schooners are entered.... yet
#5 While you are in A town you can visit the Rockfish/Anacortes Brewery
#4 80% off on moorage, the town crier, and real live Fidalgo Artillery for start
#3 You haven't signed up yet?
#2 Sun, wind, moonlight, starlight, and favorable current
#1 Legendary AYC hospitality, come play with your friends!!! Time spent on the water does not count against the time you're allotted!

[CharlieCobra]

Favorable current? Maybe this year. I spent six hours sailing backwards during the inaugural race...

[Tysk]

Favorable current? Maybe this year. I spent six hours sailing backwards during the inaugural race...

Well at some point during the race there will be favorable current

[Mistaken]

Sailing instructions have been posted -- you can get yours HERE... It looks like the weather will be great this weekend -- there is still room for a few more boats, so if you haven't registered there is still time!

[PDG]

Okay...I'm officially not looking at the weather forcast any more. I'm good with this one.

PZZ133-230715-
NORTHERN INLAND WATERS INCLUDING THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS-
302 PM PDT WED AUG 22 2012

FRI
SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING S 10 TO 15 KT IN THE
AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

FRI NIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

SAT
NW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

SAT NIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

SUN
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

[nige]

That forecast is making even more disapointed that despite plans, we will not be able to make it this year. Will be following it....

[Asymptote]

Don't worry, the odds of a forecast for sunny, warm, somewhat breezy weather made three days out turning out to be accurate are vanishingly small.

[Vincent DePillis]

Could whoever objected to scoring the lone multihull in the race with the fast monos send me a PM? It's an old issue, which I don't want to rehash in the forums, but I'd like to establish a direct line of communication with folks on the other side of this particular fence.

Vince DePillis

[Hayden C30]

Great job and congratulations to the finishers. It looked like a really challenging race this year with the prize going to the persistent. I can't wait to see the results.

[Hayden C30]

I have a question about a couple of tracks.

The Tracker shows Frog Prince returning through Thatcher Pass but lists her as finishing.

Quantum Leap is listed as a finisher but the track runs from Cattle Pass at 2100 to Iceberg Point at 2200 without rounding North Hein Bank. This is about 4 miles in this hour. I know that sometimes the tracker will miss a position but in order to make it from the two shown positions they would have needed to cover at least 13 miles between 2100 and 2200.

[alymatt]

Preliminary results are up.......

Grueling race double handed! We had a great sail Friday night and rounded miles ahead of any other DH and next to white cloud. Had a great battle with Shada - the j 109 from Alden bank to Pt Roberts and then to East Point.

Congrats to all those that finished!

I was surprised how early some boats retired..........quitting Friday night makes no sense to me.

Lastly - I really hope the organizers put Turn Point back in as a mark of the course!

CdM

[Mistaken]

Most certainly a grueling race for all participants -- here is the track of all the boats. Congratulations to those who hung in there and finished!

Attached Files

•  2012 Northern Century Race Track.jpg   433.56K   62 downloads

[Vampire]

Wow!! what a race.
I cant say it went to plan as we never planed on spending 6 hours at turn point. I was so close to throwing in the towel it was not funny. we decided to sail down to discovery and wait for a customs dock to open in the morning. low and behold the wind began to fill in. I hate to retire from a race so we said we would finish. we were in last place for petes sake. then fortune shin on us as we picked our bridges of wind to be in a position to capatalise on the new breze out of the south in the morning. we were stunned to see every one there. we had not had internet for hours so no tracker since 3 am. And then to see that finish!! wow. blasting across the line with you after going through such trials. This race made my summer.
This was the first race for Vampire after a 3 week refit with new paint and a new bottom. thanks for making the work worth it.

Kevin and Andy you have a great race here. I think it will be one of the PNW's biggest in years to come. its tough. realy tough. it has the deepest lows and the greatest highs mentally and phisicaly. you should send an invite to every top 3 boats for all major long distance race in the PNW for next years race.

and I agree with John. put turn point back in as a mark. other wise is it still 100 miles?

thanks again. and we will be back. Vampire loves the night races

[Mistaken]

Thanks for participating and glad you stuck it out -- it is most certainly a tough race and one that I hope will continue to grow.

The debate as to whether to leave Turn Point in or our is a difficult one -- by leaving it in you limit the options and keep the fleet together, however in general taking any other route than Boundary Pass and Haro Strait is a very, very risky proposition. This being said Madronna made it pay last year (although they didn't try it this year -- wonder why?), and Wild Rumpus almost made the route south down Rosario pay, so you be the judge.

Either way even though the actual rhumb line distance with Turn Point in the course is just slightly less than 100nm, look at the track I am sure everyone sailed considerably more than 100nm and then some...

[Vampire]

Just my two cents. certainly does not mean I am right.
I have to admit we were planing to chase Riot down the middle as well.
that was our only moment of indecision.

again great race and thanks to every one that made it happen.
great food. great time and a very hard race. I talk it up at all the races I do.

cheers

[alymatt]

The issue I see is this, with Turn point not being a mark of the course - and everyone having access to the other boats positions and speeds, people may and actually do, consider retiring as they see other boats zooming along in another direction ( tracker doesn't show DNF ) and give up.

With the race evolving to a 40 + boat race with multiple divisions, boats should be sailing with somewhat similiar rated boats. Rewarding boats for taking complete flyers on various routes detracts from the challenge and skills of the other sailors battling to progress along the designated course.

[Vincent DePillis]

Put me down for NOT having Turn Point be a mark of the course. I think the course options reward other skills-- navigation, current analysis, etc-- skills that get no work out at all in the typical regatta. Course options are part of the uniqueness of the race.

[alymatt]

Vincent DePillis,

I am not sure how taking turn point out as a mark of the course allows you to use navigational and current analysis any more so than if it were a mark of the course but we are all entitled to our opinion.

I would ask anyone who reads this board and either did the race this year or has done it in previous years to voice your opinion here one way or another, that way the organizers can have real data to go by.........

So by my count I have the following info.......

Vampire - Cinco de Mayo - Stranger for putting turn point back in as a mark.
Freda Mae - keep turn point out.

[xx-nero-xx]

Having done this race twice, once fully crewed and now double handed on the J24 Plus Ten i really start to love and hate it at the same time. there were a lot of highs and lows in this race weekend - actually more than a weekend as we left Point Roberts Thursday night and returned Sunday at midnight - total distance travelled - 170nm!

Highlights include:
warm dinner before the race
starting this race
screaming across Georgia Strait
passing a bunch of boats at East point by staying high and going to Turn Point
very peaceful run down Haro Strait to Hein Bank
Rounding Hein Bank marker
grey whale coming up for air and swimming along with us for around 20 minutes towards Davidson Rock
spectacular sunrise behind deception pass
finding the entire fleet at Davidson Rock once the lights turned back on
screaming spinnaker run into the finish after the parking lot at the entrance

Lows:
intimate familiarity with Village Point
being flushed back out after finally rounding Turn Point (i was ready to throw the towel - Thanks Veli for not caving in and continuing to fight)
trying to round Hein Bank marker for almost 2h
sitting in no wind 3.5 nm from the finish line with the time ticking away

All in all, this was my/our first doublehanded distance race and we are pretty excited to have finished - this was the goal.

As for the Turn point mark - keeping it in would keep the fleet better together and you would have a better understanding of your position within the fleet, still leaving navigational challenges about which side to take for currents and wind. We only checked the race tracker after rounding point Roberts. After being flushed back out at Turn Point and then not seeing another boat or light all the way down Haro, we were surprised to find everyone down at Davidson Rock once the lights turned back on waiting for the Gate to Rosario to open. Keeping it in would potentially also serve to keep more boats in the race as you are better aware of your position.
Leaving it out would leave more options for route options - with distances only varying marginally - so keeping it based on 100 nm seems OK. The challenge is that the fleet gets split up in a lot of different ways making it a lot harder to determine your position within the race and a lot more potential for boats getting stuck and dropping out as a result. It would be good to keep the options for course choice a little more limited to keep the fleet better together.
So my vote would be to keep Turn Point in.

Thanks to the organizers for a great weekend on the water.
Looking forward to next year!
Cheers!

Andy

[nige]

I could not make it this year but did it last year. Its going to be in my plans every year and my preference is for having turn point as a mark of the course. Its fun having that many options but I dont think it makes it a better race. Its a bit too boom or bust for my liking, there is no way to work yourself back in and a lot of it will be down to luck. Luck is obviosly prevalent everywhere but this absoltuely makes or breaks the race.

[Asymptote]

In my opinion, the current gates are too open or shut and the winds, especially on the "alternate" courses through the islands, too unpredictable to make choosing alternative routes an act of rational thinking or, really, much more than a crap shoot. They may work, but not really due to exceptional navigational skill.

We tried to be prepared. We lined out current patterns for each of the likely course options (with the exception of Wild Rumpus' unusual selection!) and regularly checked on Dial-aBuoy and VHF weather reports, tracked competitors, did all that stuff.... and had no real clue as to what might work.

So my vote is one course, around Turn Point.

[Mistaken]

So it sounds like the vote is to leave Turn Point in -- any other changes that you would like to see made? This year the race was clearly a challenging one given the light winds, etc -- what about the start time?

[nige]

I'd like to see the start time an hour or two earlier to start with a little more breeze (chance of) but seem to recall being the minority on that one last year. Probably as I have to take the day off to get over there anyway and the current time allows locals to get prepped after work?

[Asymptote]

Thanks for participating and glad you stuck it out -- it is most certainly a tough race and one that I hope will continue to grow.

The debate as to whether to leave Turn Point in or our is a difficult one -- by leaving it in you limit the options and keep the fleet together, however in general taking any other route than Boundary Pass and Haro Strait is a very, very risky proposition. This being said Madronna made it pay last year (although they didn't try it this year -- wonder why?), and Wild Rumpus almost made the route south down Rosario pay, so you be the judge.

Either way even though the actual rhumb line distance with Turn Point in the course is just slightly less than 100nm, look at the track I am sure everyone sailed considerably more than 100nm and then some...

Madrona and White Cloud both edged toward San Juan Channel, then we both thought long and hard about scooting through the passage north of Jones Island.

We gave up on that idea and headed south to San Juan Channel. Madrona made one more try at Jones and then went north to Turn Point. I don't know why they didn't follow us south, probably because the likelihood of making Turn Point work seemed higher.

San Juan Channel/Cattle Pass seemed pretty hopeless when we took a look and a sick family member was expecting me back in Seattle by the end of Saturday. So Friday Harbor and the ferry to Anacortes was the call.

[Vampire]

So it sounds like the vote is to leave Turn Point in -- any other changes that you would like to see made? This year the race was clearly a challenging one given the light winds, etc -- what about the start time?

Not sure the few of us that piped up are enough to make that call. we are just the loud ones.
this was my third kick at this cat and doing both ways has pros and cons. I like the turn point option as previously stated.

posibly an email asking for input from all registered skippers for a survey on if they DNF'd and why and what they would change would shed more light.

the few of us that are talking should not be the majority. If you do switch the turn point mark back on it would make your record time would stand again and give a bench mark to shoot for. I know Stu is looking to do this but could not make it.

some year we will have wind for the whole race and be able to keep pace with the current. I know Cinco came close the first year they did it.

this is defiantly a race you have to put your time in to do well. some very dedicated crazy people were all there at the end. lets hear from them.

[Vampire]

Question. who did the write up on the N100 page for the race this year?
they unfortunately exaggerated our win. I am very happy to do as well as we did but first over all should go to Bingo right? or is there some calculation I am missing? was there a massive protest?

and the guys in Div 2 did great. we were 7th over all.

Just don't want any one thinking we misled the win. Every boat has its day and I am very happy with this race but lets raise the beer to Bingo

[jasonj82]

Mayhem! skipper here. Crew and I have done this race the last two years. Last year we didn't finish. This year, i was very pleased with our performance and I would say we did better than expected. I would like to see the flexibility that the open course gives for make or break chances.(I chose turn point )

On a separate note, why did Vampire receive overall 1st if Bingo's time was better? Isn't this the reason we have PHRF? Vampire had a great race, but Bingo was impressive and had the best time. Thoughts?

Jason

[PDG]

Mayhem!

Attached Files

•  Mayhem.jpg   80.47K   35 downloads

[rawthul]

Question. who did the write up on the N100 page for the race this year?
they unfortunately exaggerated our win. I am very happy to do as well as we did but first over all should go to Bingo right? or is there some calculation I am missing? was there a massive protest?

and the guys in Div 2 did great. we were 7th over all.

Just don't want any one thinking we misled the win. Every boat has its day and I am very happy with this race but lets raise the beer to Bingo

That writing style in the re-cap is uniquely Andy Schwenk...

[Mistaken]

The finish results are being updated so stay tuned -- sorry about that!

The whole Turn Point thing still seems to be 50/50 -- however in practice it is very, very risky not to round Turn Point and take Haro Strait. The only fairly consistent alternative course winner is running east of Lummi Island which some have been able to make work in a SE'er...

[Zipper2]

Around turn point worked great last year, leaving Waldron to Stbrd. and down San Juan channel worked for us this year, but only because we made the current window at narrows off Cattle Pt. by 6:30 Sat eve. just before total termal shutdown out by Hien Bank.

My vote, start 2 hours earlier Friday, leave Turn point out and PIYA Cat 3 race not Cat 2.

[jasonj82]

Mayhem!

The photo is AWESOME! THank you! Where was this taken? Do you recall?

[PDG]

Mayhem!

The photo is AWESOME! THank you! Where was this taken? Do you recall?

Somewhere between Alden bank and Pt Roberts Saturday morning. If you'd like, I'll send you the full size pic. PM me your e-mail address.

[bizirka]

I agree with Zipper 2

[Vincent DePillis]

This thread got me thinking about different kinds of events: Races vs. Adventures... The raciest of races are one design buoy racing. Adventures are things like is the Everglades Challenge, Van Isle 360, or the ARC-- which have seen increasing participation.

I have a bit a of a weakness for the adventure type event-- and I think the idea of allowing course variation increases the "adventure" at the cost of the "race" component. Problem is that in August in the San Juans, the main goal has to be to encourage the maximum number of finishers-- and keeping the fleet together seems like it would further that goal, hence my support for restoring the turn Point mark.

Seems to me that Sloop Tavern Yacht Club and Anacortes Yacht Club have taken the lead in coming up with races that are more "adventur" oriented. Shorthanded is part of that. Isn't it also a response to the difficulty of coming up with entries from the 35 foot cruiser racers that used to make up the huge fleets that participated in things like the CYC's spring distance races?


Vince.

[thunter1234]

Question. who did the write up on the N100 page for the race this year?
they unfortunately exaggerated our win. I am very happy to do as well as we did but first over all should go to Bingo right? or is there some calculation I am missing? was there a massive protest?

and the guys in Div 2 did great. we were 7th over all.

Just don't want any one thinking we misled the win. Every boat has its day and I am very happy with this race but lets raise the beer to Bingo

I am curious about this too. The results are final and Bingo finished 2 minutes faster corrected. The write up still has "Vampire skippered by Don Millie competing in the DH division led all finishers and is now wearing the coveted 1st overall jacket."
Does having the fastest corrected time overall not count? Hmmm.

[Mistaken]

I think this has been fixed in the AYC blog has it not?

[thunter1234]

I think this has been fixed in the AYC blog has it not?

Last I checked, the quote is still on the home page for the race. http://anacortesyach...rthern-century/

Sorry to be such a pest but being crew on slow boats, you rarely get the opportunity to savor an overall victory. I followed the race online and I know the skipper. He earned it fair and square and should be recognized for the achievement.