Photos by Joe Nicholson/The Olympian
Crew members of the Flying Circus tack the Olympia-based vessel Saturday during the Toliva Shoal Race. The annual race, which drew 76 entries, runs from Budd Inlet, around Anderson Island and to Toliva Shoal, but it was cut short this year when the wind died.

Photos by Joe Nicholson/The Olympian
Sailboats cruise down Budd Inlet shortly after the start of the Toliva Shoal Race.

Becalmed boats find race is no breeze

South Sound event cut short again by uncooperative winds

N.S. NOKKENTVED, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Sunday, February 17, 2002

OLYMPIA -- With spinnakers billowing and mainsails filled, the boats set off from the starting line -- barely moving.

Light and changing winds plagued sailboat racers Saturday, cutting short the annual Toliva Shoal Race. It was what the sailors call a "drifter."

"Weather like this, you really have to show your skills as a sailor," said Joe Neel, a race official.

Sailors have to know how to take advantage of every puff of wind and the outgoing tide.

"If the tide is going (against you), you might as well anchor and wait for it to change," said Pete Holm, another race official.

With barely enough wind to move them to the starting line, groupings of boats were started every five minutes until all 76 boats entered were under way by about 10:30 a.m. The light breeze out of the south was enough to spread the brightly colored spinnakers across Budd Inlet.

Biggest race in South Sound

The Toliva Shoal Race is the biggest sailing event in South Sound and one leg of the four-race Southern Sound Series held every winter. The first in the series was Dec. 1 at Vashon Island. The second, the Duwamish Head race, was in January.

The final race in the series, the Islands Race, starts at Gig Harbor on March 16.

Slow going

Not long after the Saturday morning start, the light wind tapered off. By 11:15, the wind had died in Budd Inlet. Sails hung limp above glassy water. The outgoing tide seemed to be all that was moving the boats.

But out in Dana Passage beyond Dofflemeyer Point, a northeast wind ruffled the water. The spinnakers were pulled in, headsails set and boats heeled over as they tacked into the 6- to 8-knot wind.

It began to look like there would be some racing after all.

The event was hosted by the South Sound Sailing Society and the Olympia Yacht Club. Race organizers and officials -- and the boats they rode -- all were volunteers.

"Nobody's paying anybody to be out here," chase-boat driver Mike Miranda said.

Out in the tidal rip currents where Case Inlet meets Dana Passage, the wind started to fall off again. By this time, the boats were spread out in Dana Passage -- from Boston Harbor to Johnson Point -- the light northeast wind barely enough to fill their sails.

Race officials were trying to decide whether to cut the race short -- and where. And then it started raining.

"We wish there could have been a little stronger wind," said Judi Kruller, race organizer and vice commodore of the South Sound Sailing Society.

There was a good turnout for the Friday night prerace party that raises money for youth sailing programs.

The Toliva Shoal Race was first run in 1971 as a local event. The following year, race organizers invited sailboats from all over Puget Sound. The race has been run in late February ever since, except one year when the race was canceled because of a snowstorm.

The race started outside the east marker of the Olympia shoal in Budd Inlet, out past Dofflemeyer Point and into Dana Passage.

Normally the race is 39 nautical miles around Anderson Island to Toliva Shoal and back. Because of Saturday's light winds, officials ended the race at Lyle Point at the southern tip of Anderson Island.

Last year's race also was shortened because of light winds. The 2000 race was delayed by fog and shortened by light winds.

N.S. Nokkentved covers the outdoors for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5445 and at nnokkent@olympia. gannett.com.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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