Sweet Okole

[%youtube*WChVfVlzSzM%v]

Aloha,

The Pacific Cup race organizers cluster boats with roughly similar performance characteristics into divisions. In addition to clustering boats, they also assign a Pacific Cup Rating (PCR) handicap equal to some number of seconds per mile for each boat which factors in more subtle differences between the boats in any particular division. The PCR also allows for boats in different divisions to quasi-compete for overall standing. Realistically, with divisions starting over several days, luck will play a part in overall results. For example, Division C starts on Tuesday 7/15 and Division D on Wednesday 7/16. If one day is foggy and the other sunny, the wind conditions will likely be very different giving one of the divisions a big advantage.

Dean and Pam have been working hard to get SO ready to race. Today, they completely emptied the boat of everything that wasn't bolted on. Then they gave her a good cleaning. SO looks spectacular. I took this quick shot of the bow this afternoon. As wide as SO is toward the back of the boat (which was the inspiration behind naming her), she is equally radically narrow in the bow.

It's all about who you know and we are feeling so fortunate to have a friend over at the Clif Bar & Company who has offered to supplement our minimalist menu with a generous sampling of their bars. The Sweet Okole crew is half ecstatic and half relieved that we'll have such tasty alternatives to hard boiled eggs and PB&J's. Thank you Clif Bar & Company!

This is a test of our video equipment

An added twist: Team scoring = more chances at the podium! Sweet Okole is teaming with "Moore Havoc" and "Summer Moon". If it's windy, you gotta like this trio of downwind flyers.

Now this is more like it! Less than 5 hours of handicap allowance between the the slowest rated and fastest rated should make for fun racing.

This weather forecast shows promise that our race will take place with almost normal wind and pressure conditions. It is still forming, but the Pacific High Pressure Ridge is taking shape (roughly under the long yellow oval). The magic routing software would have us sail a southerly route. The red star show us theoretically crossing the 130 degrees West longitude at 29 degrees North latitude.