VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Making its way south out of the Pacific Northwest, the fleet in this biennial marathon to Hawaii continues to spend a good deal of its time sailing in fog, but fortunately there has been enough breeze to keep all 20 entries moving toward Hawaii. Most of the boats have reported winds around 12-16 knots. In Class A, Grand Illusion continues to lead the fleet, having covered 282 miles in the last 24 hours. As of early Thursday, she had some 1,900 miles left to sail. Grand Illusion's fellow sled and rival, Renegade, appears to have found her pace as well, matching the former's daily mileage as the two continue to lead the fleet with average speeds in the 11 to 12-knot range.
The action in Class B has recently seen Joia find some extra speed, averaging nine knots thus far while logging the best distance for her class. In Class C, Night Runner has averaged eight knots and now sits in first place, while Prairie Voyager leads the six entries in Class D.
For the first time since the dedication of the Team Trophy, two clubs are competing for this prestigious honor within the Victoria to Maui Race. The Lahaina Yacht Club is represented by three entries: Midnight Special, Grand Illusion, and Show Me, while the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club has Renegade, Fastrack, and Tethra on its roster. In an interesting twist, the Commodor of the Lahaina YC is racing aboard a Royal Vancouver YC boat. For more information and position updates, log on to the event's web site at www.vicmaui.org.