LEG EIGHT - WINTER HARBOUR TO UCLUELET

June 21, 2005 - Ucluelet, B.C.The feeling on the docks in Ucluelet after finishing Leg 8 of the Cadillac Van Isle 360 is one of jubilation. Everyone is in high spirits after having one of the best sails of their lives. Even experienced offshore sailors remarked that it was one the most beautiful night sails they had had - sailing down the moonbeam, with spinnakers full and warm northwest winds that built to approximately 18-20 knots and a 2 - 3 meter swell. Dragonfly and Cheekee Monkee were the only boats to finish before the wind shut down leaving the rest of the fleet fighting to the finish the next morning. Flash was the first boat to cross the finish line the next day followed closely by Diehler, a Santa Cruz 52. Bob Diehl, skipper of Diehler, remarked that he and Flash sailed so close together all night it was if they were attached by a bungee. Both Flash and Diehler did one gibe out and one gibe in over the 140 mile course. Dialer went on to win first place in Div. 1, while Flash placed third. At the finish line off Amphitrite Point, a pod of grey whales kept the race committee and the sailors entertained. A crew on the Beneteau 45, Farr-Ari, described their finish as spectacular, 'Our competition was approaching the line with us, but these grey whales were breeching right beside us, we had a hard time deciding, trim sails, watch whales, trim sails, watch whales.' Tough Life! There were a few sad faces aboard Cassiopeia, the Davidson 72, which broke the top 18 feet of mast. Though they managed to cross the line under a jury rig they have had to withdraw from the event. Flash got a running backstay around the top spreader during a jibe breaking the spreader and crushing the carbon mast. Flash also had to withdraw from the event to visit the mast doctor in Seattle. The competitors and organizers will miss these two boats as they added hugely to the event. The sailors have spent the last day and 1/2 chilling out in sunny Ucluelet, relaxing on the beach, hiking the Wild Pacific Trail and fishing. The town of Ucuelet is a big supporter of the Cadillac Van Isle 360. School children visited the yachts and presented the skippers with hand drawn pictures of their boat. The Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit 38 escorted each boat from the finish line at Amphitrite Point into safer waters and Jamies' Whaling Station assisted with escorting boats to their moorage slips. At 140 nautical miles this is the longest leg of the race - the remoteness and mountainous terrain conspire to make communications with the boats difficult. Thanks to MCTS Tofino (Ucluelet Coast Guard), there were scheduled roll calls which provided added safety for the boats. Winners on this leg were Div.1 - Diehler, Time Bandit and Flash. In Division 2. Myrrh, skippered by Michael Kalahar from Port Angeles WA., continues to dominate. Aeriel, from Nanaimo BC, placed second, while Meltem placed third. In the multihull Division, Cheekee Monkee again nailed first place, with Dragonfly second and Bad Kitty in third place. Tomorrow's leg goes down the Grave Yard of the Pacific, from Ucluelet to Victoria. The finish in Victoria could be quite interesting as the fleet will be finishing during the Tall Ships Festival. The forecast for tomorrow is brisk 20 - 30 knot northwest winds. June 20, 2005 - 2300 hrs Ucluelet - The skippers, crews and race committee are enjoying a lay day under sunny skies in Ucluelet. Results for this leg will be reported tomorrow evening following the awards presentation in Ucluelet. June 20, 2005 - 1000 hrs. Flash forced to withdraw with broken upper spreader, currently on route to Seattle for repairs. Cassiopeia withdraws as well with a bent mast top. She is currently tied up in Ucluelet. Boats who have finished this leg at the time of this report are Dragonfly, Cheekee Monkee, Flash, Diehler, Bad Kitty, LawnDart, White Cloud, Blue Lightning, Mystic and Cassiopeia. Only two boats managed to finish last night, Dragonfly and Cheekee Monkee, Flash was the first monohull finishing around 0630 hrs. Westerly breeze filling in all boats expected to finish during daylight hours. More news to follow............... June 19, 2005 - 1200hrs - Uclulet Dragonfly crossed the lined at 11:59:30. June 19, 2005 - 10:58 hrs - Ucluelet Dragonfly checked in for his 1 hour ETA to the finish. Bad Kitty ducks between Solander Island and Brooks June 19, 2005 - 19:54 hrs - Coast Guard Station - At the 18:00hrs report from MCTS Ucluelet, Bad Kitty, Karl Uthoff's 35 ft. catamaran was in the lead approximately 35 miles out. A tight group including Blue Lightning, Cassiopeia, Cheekee Monkee and Flash are following directly in Bad Kitty's wake. Komera, the smallest boat in the fleet (21 1/2 feet) is being double handed around the entire island. They are currently up in good company with some of the bigger boats in a second group slightly further behind including: Tripp Tease a Tripp 40, Lawndart a Santa Cruz 50 and Mystic, a Santa Cruz 52. The race committee is on station at Amphitrite Point where conditions are ideal - winds 15 knots from the west and a light chop. It is anticipated that many boats will finish before midnight. June 19, 2005 - 13:05 hrs - Winter Harbour - The view of the start of Leg 8 in Winter Harbour this morning was totally awesome. Perched from atop the Kains Island Lightstation itself the race committee looks directly up Quatsino Sound as well as out into the open Pacific Ocean. The boats started in very light airs and flat water under spinnaker. At the 1200 check-in the lead boats, Flash, Allons-y and Mystic were just off Brooks Peninsula. Wind at SW Brooks was 4 knots from the west. At the Coast Guard station on Amphitrite Point in Ucluelet, where the boats will finish, the wind is currently 8 knots from the west and clear skies. Next scheduled position report is 1800 hrs. More later........