8:00PM PDT, latitude 37deg 40m N, longitude 122deg 58 min W, course 185 true, speed 5.5 kts.
Greetings from the good ship VALIS, on our first day of the Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii. We are: Paul Elliott (me), Paul Carson, Rich Jones, Michael Moradzadeh, Dick Holm, and Phil Mummah, and of course VALIS.
We arrived early to finish stowing gear and prepare VALIS for the race. Friends and family stopped by to wish us well, and as you might expect, it was difficult for us to cast off the dock lines. It’s hard to say goodbye, even for just two weeks.
But cast off we did, and we arrived at the starting area in time to make a few practice approaches and speed-calibration runs. Our division (Division A) got the gun at 1:00PM PDT, and the battle was on. VALIS was second across the line, and second under the bridge. Out the channel we went, on one tack and almost to Drake’s Bay. We tacked ond headed towards the Farallones. As I type this, we have just sailed past the southwest end of South Farallon Island, and are heading south and slightly west.
We need to get further west before the (forecast) wind dies tomorrow. The wind is currently about 8 kts from due west. Seas are comfortable, with swells 4-6 ft (I estimate). We are settling into our watch schedule (I have just come off watch), and it is getting *cold*. Dinner was sandwiches.
Now to get some sleep before my next watch (1:30 – 4:30 AM).