2025 Wooden Boat Rendezvous Race Report

This year’s Rendezvous Race was one of the most challenging ever. Although we were spared any rain, there was very little wind over the eastern part of the course. So, we could not attempt to go around Jones Island and had to be content with one lap of the small course, from Deer Harbor around Yellow Island and back, a total of 4.7 miles. There were 12 entries, down from 18 the previous year. I was particularly impressed by the beauty of the boats this year.

There was just enough wind to have a clean windward start, but then it was a struggle to keep our boats moving until we got near Cliff Island. Occasionally some boats lost steerageway. Then Challenge, the 1930’s 6-meter based in Deer Harbor, caught the north breeze first and took off, leaving the rest of us watching in envy until she disappeared around the Wasp Islands. Good wind was to be had on both sides of Yellow Island, but once we went around the south end of Reef Island, the wind shadow from the Spring Point Hill to the north on Orcas Island had us creeping to the finish line. But we all kept moving and every boat managed to finish within three hours.

Challenge always does well in this race, but this year she was dominant, finishing 32 minutes ahead of the second-place boat, the immaculate Argentinian cutter Vito Dumas, on elapsed time. Varya, the Rhodes 27 also from Port Townsend, raced well and finished in third place to go with her second-place last year.

This year we were graced with the presence of two boats that were here for the first time: Fairwyn, a 42” Sparkman and Stevens yawl from California, and Anse La Roche, a Peterson Coaster II schooner from Anacortes. Both were well-sailed and gorgeous.

Attached are the corrected Race Results. After printed results were handed out, I was informed that I had mistakenly put Martha’s sail number down as her rating. Once I had fixed that she went from 5th to 8th on corrected time. Robert and the rest of her crew were good sports about it, as always.

After the race we gathered on the deck of Island Pie, the pizza restaurant across the road, for the awarding of the prize burgees for the first three places on Corrected time. The Thunderbird 26 named Tu-Tutsh was the proud winner of the green burgee for last to finish. We enjoyed the pizza and beer.

In summary, it was another interesting race and without any boat damage. We could have used more wind, but it was enough to have fun. Our thanks go to everyone who participated. The next wooden boat event here will be the Yellow Island Race on May 16^th, 2026. We hope you can make it!

Ward Fay, WBSSJI Secretary.