We depart Ilwaco, WA for Victoria, BC on May 15, 2025!
Register here:
https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_registration_form.php?regatta_id=28867
Check out current registrants:
Thank you to all of our new and returning sponsors! Schooner Creek Boat Works has been an enduring Title sponsor for eight years, and we are delighted to announce Goslings Rum as a new Platinum sponsor for the 2025 season.
The official 2024 Pacific NW Offshore Sailing Instructions are now posted on the Official Notice Board and on this website under Race Information. Here are the links for the Notice Board and directly to the document.
https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_notice_board.php?regatta_id=27201
https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/regatta_uploads/27201/2024PNWOffshoreSI.pdf
Pacific NW Offshore Skippers, Crews, Support Teams, and Fans,
We dug in this year and added our own Gear Store on the PNWO website! Cool no? Here's the link: https://www.cycportland.org/store. Order hats, T-shirts, vests, etc. We'll ship them to you or bring them to Ilwaco. Don't delay. Tell your friends and crew mates. See the hat below.
Along with all the other changes we’ve made this year, we’ve moved the PNWO kickoff party to Wednesday May 1 and changed the venue to Portland Yacht Club. It should make parking easier, and it’s a more “nautical” environment. We’ll have samples of all of this year’s race shirts, hats, etc. to view and the online store will be available for you to make purchases in time for delivery before the race. Mark your calendars. See you at PYC at 6:00. The bar and kitchen will be open.
Bruce Hedrick has over the past few years provided the PNWO with race weather reports. His final report as of the skippers meeting Wednesday night 5/10/23 is is available for download on this website under Other Info/Links or download the PDF file here: Bruce Hedrick Final Weather
Bruce Hedrick has over the past few years provided the PNWO with race weather reports. His preliminary report as of today, 5/8/23, is available for download on this website under Other Info/Links, or download the PDF file here: Bruce's Weather
Pacific NW Offshore Racers,
News from Mary Hartel our Gear Master:
ALL MERCHANDISE TO BE DELIVERED AT SKIPPERS MEETING
Good News: The merchandise ordering window has been extended to April 30, 2023 (midnight)!
More Good News: There are no shipping fees!
Additional News: There will be no shipping. All items will be available for pick up in Ilwaco, May 10, 2023.
The link is still the same and working. https://www.companycasuals.com/PNWO/start.jsp
Go get some swag. Tell your crew and shore support.
See you in Ilwaco,
Denny Damore
PNWO Race Captain
Pacific NW Offshore Racers/Crew and Supporters
We are only a couple of weeks out from the race, and we have some updates.
First, we are using a different vendor this year for race gear, and although very late, we finally have a working website to buy T-shirts, hats, bags, etc. for the race. Ugh, but there is a DEADLINE TO ORDER IF YOU WANT THEM FOR THE RACE. IT IS NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 25!!! The link is below. The site will stay up for all of May, but to get the products before the race you must order by next Tuesday. Please pass the link to your crew and friends. Given shipping costs, it will pay to aggregate your order. Your call.
Second, attached is a flyer detailing restaurant availability on Tuesday May 9th and Wednesday May 10th. These are usually the days that these restaurants are closed. They are opening just for us. Please provide them with business. Note also that the hospitality suite has been moved to the second floor of the Salt Restaurant because the old location next to the port office has been sold.
If you are a racer, check-in is Wednesday between 3 - 5 on the second floor of the Salt Restaurant to pick up trackers, etc. Skippers meeting (skipper and crew only) is in the same location at 5:30.
More to follow.
See you in Ilwaco.
Denny Damore
PNWO Race Captain
Craig Garrison
CYC Vice Commodore
Pacific NW Offshore Racers
A quick update. There may be some confusion about the Kickoff Get Together next Monday at 6:00. It's at the Kells Brewery on 21st in Portland NW. The address is: 210 NW 21st Street.
The Sailing Instructions have now been published on the race website: www.pacificnwoffshore.org under Race Information. They will also be available on the Notice Board, www.sailpdx.org. They are only 2 pages. Please review and keep a paper and electronic copy on your boat (belt and suspenders, don't ya know). There are key links and data embedded. A big thank you to Eric Rimkus for writing them and Mike Turner for reviewing and agreeing to be our judge up in Victoria.
We have confirmed that Bruce Hedrick (www.sailish.com) will do a weather briefing at the skippers meeting on Wednesday evening. Thank you Bruce.
That's it for now.
See you in Ilwaco,
Denny Damore
CYC Pacific NW Offshore Race Captain
Pacific NW Offshore Racers,
OH MY! The race is one month out! Sneaks up on you (and me) doesn't it. Lot's of final details to cover over the coming several weeks. There is still time for a boat to register because registration closes next Monday, April 17. If there is a boat that is interested and can pull it together, please have them contact me or Craig Garrison, now.
It's been awhile since I've posted. Clearly I'm wearing too many hats. Craig has been a trouper with this year's race, and handling lots of tasks in my absence. Thank you Craig. If you are a skipper and haven't scheduled or been in contact with Craig about your inspection, please give him a jingle and while you're at it thank him for all his hard work.
As to the Kickoff Get Together, it'll be at Kells on 23rd like last year. It's this Monday April 17 at 6:00. Everyone is welcome racing or not. Pass the word.
If you are a skipper and haven't made moorage arrangements in Ilwaco or Victoria, please get on this item immediately. The links are on the website.
The Sailing Instructions will be published on the website late today or tomorrow. No surprises.
Look for an increasing number of mails from me as we tidy up loose ends.
See you in Ilwaco,
Denny Damore
CYC Race Captain
Pacific NW Offshore Racers
A few reminders:
Pacific NW Offshore Introduction
Saturday Feb 4 at 10:00 at PYC. Doug Schenk, Eric Hopper, and Craig Garrison have put together a straightforward presentation introducing the event to those who haven't ever done it as well as folks who may have done it awhile ago. The NOR is available at the following link for your review. This is free and open to anyone irrespective if you are a PYC member.
As of a few days ago, the Vancouver Safety at Sea session had only 10 slots left. Quick like a bunny if you want to attend. Link: https://thesailingfoundation.org/what-we-do/safety-at-sea/
PNWO NOR: PNWO Notice of Race
See you in Ilwaco,
Denny Damore
CYC Pacific NW Offshore Race Captain
Just in time for the holidays, CYC registration is now open for the Schooner Creek Boat Works Pacific NW Offshore. We’re headed back to Victoria, BC with our post race barbecue and awards at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club. Nevertheless, we want to send a big shout out to the folks at Port Angeles Yacht Club for all their help and hospitality over the last two years. The race will have Ilwaco, Washington as our host city again for the start. Our dates are two weeks before Swiftsure, May 11-14, 2023, which is a great shakedown race to get you, your boat, and your crew ready to kick behind in Victoria over the Memorial Day in one of the Swiftsure races. The registration link at Regatta Network is: PNWO Registration
See you in Ilwaco.
CYC Board and Schooner Creek Boat Works
Pacific NW Offshore Skippers, Crew, and Supporters,
KICKOFF GET TOGETHER, Monday April 18 (one week out): We have decided to go ahead with a traditional “kickoff,” in-person, get together here in Portland on April 18. The tradition goes back many years having been held at Kells Irish Pub in downtown Portland, but, alas, that’s not possible for a variety of reasons. Instead, they have a smaller place, Kells Brewery, on NW 21st Street that looks perfect. [ 210 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209] They’ve given us the same deal as always, no charge for the venue, but their revenue comes from food and drink. Please bring your hungry stomachs and a healthy thirst. We’ll start at 6:00. This is NOT a skipper’s meeting or anything formal related to the NOR, SI, SERs, etc. We’ll save any of that for the Skippers Meeting and the official Notice Board. It’s just a time to celebrate getting mostly back to normal for the PNWO.
See you at Kells and Ilwaco,
Denny Damore CYC Commodore, Pacific NW Offshore Race Captain
Pacific NW Offshore Skippers, Crew, and Friends,
We are now a little more than 5 weeks out from the PNWO. We’ll be providing you with details about the race, tracker, logistics, and events going forward. Here’s today’s bullet points:
T-Shirts, Hats, Etc. Our marketplace at Coral Reef Sailing Apparel for hats, shirts, and other gear is now open! Here is the link: https://stores.coralreefsailing.com/pacific-northwest-offshore/shop/home With the exception of a very few number of hats that we may have at the dock in Ilwaco, we are no longer going to be inventorying product and selling it at events. The logistics are just too crazy. If you want a shirt or hat or vest or, well, any sailing gear including Gill products with this year’s logo on it, you need to buy online. The shirts and hats can be customized and there is a bulk discount if you would like to make a single purchase for your and your friends. Also, if you would like the items before the race, order soon.
Lodging Discounts: The Long Beach Peninsula Visitor’s Bureau has arranged for hotel discounts. You might want to take advantage. They are shown on their companion website for us at: https://pnwsailingdays.com/lodging/
That’s it for now. More to follow every few days until the race.
Pacific NW Offshore Skippers, Crew, and Supporters,
This is the first of routine posts as we close in on 2 months to the start of the PNW Offshore. We currently have 22 boats registered and room for more. If you are still on the fence or know someone who is, contact me, or have them do it, to discuss their hesitancy. There's more than enough time to get ready to race, and we are full speed ahead on all preparations.
As you may have heard elsewhere, we have changed the finish destination from Victoria to Port Angeles. I could detail the reasons, but suffice it to know that a lot of thought went into the decision and with still uncertainty about the logistical issues for a race such as ours relating to getting into Canada, we felt it was better to go to Port Angeles and have a race than risking cancellation. Besides, the Port of Port Angeles, Boat Haven marina, and most especially the Port Angeles Yacht Club did an amazing job last year and have welcomed us with open arms this year. And a further besides, given the race dates, you can still get over to Victoria for the Swiftsure with only few hours on the water. Win-win.
A couple of other quick points: If you are a crew member on one of our entries, please get your waivers to your skippers and all your emergency contact numbers. I'm going to be pushing hard to get paperwork tidied up in the next several weeks. Next, we're working hard with our partner, Coral Reef, to have the web connection up shortly so you can buy shirts, hats, other gear directly from them. Look for an announcement as soon as the site is live and then make your purchases in a timely fashion so you can have them before the race. We're not going to go through the crazy ritual of handing out gear at the pre-race gathering. Goods will be shipped directly to you from Coral Reef. Finally, we're on task to figure out pre and post race gatherings given the continually shifting Covid regulatory landscape. In that regard, more to follow.
That's it for now. Let's get 25 boats on the line.
See you in Ilwaco,
Denny Damore
CYC Commodore, Pacific NW Offshore Race Captain
Pacific NW Offshore Racers,
I'm forwarding an email regarding this year's class put on by the Sailing Foundation. Follow the link in the note to get further information.
Denny Damore
CYC PNW Offshore Race Captain
Hi everyone,
We've finally got the pieces pinned down, wanted to give you a heads up to alert your racers:
The Sailing Foundation will be hosting a US Sailing International Offshore Hands-on Safety at Sea Seminar on Sunday, February 13, 2022 on Bainbridge Island. It will be a "hybrid" course; students will first complete online modules, then do the one day hands-on training. Once registration goes live, an update will be posted on our Safety at Sea page, and an email with a link to sign up will be sent out to the Safety at Sea mailing list (sign up to be on the mailing list on the Safety at Sea Page here: https://thesailingfoundation.org/what-we-do/safety-at-sea/) This course has filled up quickly in years past, and we expect this one to as well. If you want to do it, save the date, sign up to be notified, and don't wait to register.
Margaret
~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please support The Sailing Foundation; For the Advancement of Sailing in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific NW Offshore Racers,
If any of you missed the opportunity to get a shirt from the race, Coral Reef has opened a web page so that you can order again. Not sure how long it will be operational. Here's the link: http://stores.coralreefsailing.com/2021review/shop/home
You will need to scroll down to our listing. A screen cap is below.
Denny Damore
CYC Pacific NW Offshore Race Captain
Pacific Northwest Offshore Racers,
From the entire Corinthian Yacht Club of Portland and Schooner Creek Boat Works, our title sponsor, we'd like to extend a heartfelt invitation to register for the 2022 Pacific NW Offshore International Yacht Race. Here's the link: https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_registration_form.php?regatta_id=23509.
We also want to extend a heartfelt "Thank You" to those of you – skippers, crew, support teams – who participated in last year's race (24 boats) that finished in Port Angeles. You helped us keep the unique history of this race alive during a time of dramatic uncertainty. In that regard. we so appreciated the Port Angeles Yacht Club for stepping in as the substitute finishing club and for all their hospitality. This year, baring any extraordinary new drama, we're headed back to Victoria. We're also back on the usual dates of two weeks before Swiftsure, May 12-15. We hope you all will continue to support this race as you have in the past and sign up today. Since registration has just opened, you can actually be the first to register and then be the first boat we profile on the entrant's page of the website. Cool, no?
While there still may end up being some logistical hurdles that we'll all have to jump over, know that all of us here at CYC will do whatever it takes to make the process easy for you. Moreover, the folks in Ilwaco are already preparing to up their game from last year, which any of you who were there for the start will attest was already an incredibly supportive performance.
So, sign up today. If you have questions or concerns, send them directly to me at: race.c...@cycportland.org.
See you in Ilwaco.
Denny Damore
CYC Pacific NW Offshore Race Captain and CYC Commodore
Pacific NW Offshore Racers, Crew, and Support Teams,
OK, well we now have 20 boats registered!! Well, technically, we only have 19, but if you round up and you count a boat that is sorting out an SER concern before he registers, we have 20! That was our first goal. Now it's on to our Stretch Goal of 25! Who do you know that wants to do the race? Put them in touch with me. This race is gonna happen, and it's gonna be a good one.
In other news, the 19th boat to register has two hulls! Yep, we have our first multihull in the race who will be handling "safety boat" duty and will act as a test case for multihull SERs for a division next year and as a direct link to the multihull community here in the PNW. The owners are Joe and Sue Dazey with their Chris White 48 named Presto. Here's a bit of their sailing bio:
We started sailing multihulls in the mid-1970s. In 1981 we made a voyage to Alaska and couldn't stop going back so we started commercial trolling for salmon. In 2014 we retired from fishing. We bought our 48' Chris White catamaran in Florida, sailed to the Chesapeake, sailed to the Caribbean a couple of times with the Salty Dawg Rally (13 days and 9 days), crossed from Antigua to Panama (12 days), went through the Panama Canal, cruised the coasts of Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico. In June of 2019, we left Ensenada and arrived 17 days later in Sitka. We're based in Poulsbo, WA. We did a bit of racing in Puget Sound in the 1970s/80s, and raced more recently in the Chesapeake. We enjoyed good success in the 2016 and 2017 Cape Charles Cup.
More details:
For folks thinking about hotels and such in Ilwaco/Long Beach Peninsula, the Visitor's Bureau will be updating their site shortly with information and we'll include links on our PNWO website.
The Port Angeles Yacht Club has worked with Westport Yachts to provide 195' and 205' of dock space for us in addition to the space the marina is making available.
Boats have started registering for moorage in Ilwaco using the link on our site. If you haven't registered, here's the link. https://www.portofilwaco.com/2021-pacific-nw-offshore-reservations/
An updated inspection guideline will be published later today on the Regatta Network site through www.sailpdx.org notice board and inspections will be starting soon.
The registered boats are going to start showing up on the website and in social media with photos and commentary from Eric Hopper and Lilli Matzke. Check 'em out.
We are locking in a volunteer that will likely do video interviews with skippers and crews for posting before, during, and after the race. Cool, no?
Sailing Instructions are being drafted and will be posted most likely within a few weeks.
We have signed an agreement with YellowBrick to do race tracking this year. It should be cool.
So you can see, the race is on! I'm shooting for weekly posts from here on out. Look for us on Facebook and other social media.
See you in Ilwaco.
Denny
Dennis Damore
CYC Commodore, Pacific NW Offshore Race Captain
A year or so ago I posted a question about whether any readers knew about an Offshore race that happened around 1959. John Vynne at a Safety at Sea seminar told me that he helped bring a boat down from Seattle to Astoria and then turned around and raced it back up north. I’d never heard of such a race. He didn’t have any other information about the race that he could recall, and so I reached out with no success.
Last week, Nicole Sirois passed on from Tom Tenney a Seattle Daily photo of the “NORPAC” race from Astoria to Port Angeles from 1960 (included below). From the photo it almost looks a bit like a mizzen mast one design fleet. Other than the caption, there was no other information about the race. Filling in the missing pieces, our partners at the Port Angeles Yacht Club, including Commodore Erika Hansen-Dahlin and their club historian, Carla Bamer, were able to dig up the attached article from the Port Angeles Evening News that covered the race. History repeats itself. So, in one sense this race began in 1976 with a race to Newport, Oregon, but in another more significant sense it began in 1960, up the Washington coast and down the strait to finish where we’re going to finish again this year. Pretty cool. Enjoy.
Denny Damore
CYC Commodore, Pacific NW Offshore Race Captain
