PORT TOWNSEND — Sailing season is in full swing in Port Townsend Bay.
Sailors come out every Friday to race during the Port Townsend Sailing Association spring racing season.
Friday’s was the second race of the season — and participants said it was easily the best day of sailing this year so far.
“It was beautiful,” said Lucas Hurt, who served as the helmsman aboard the Blue Bird, one of eight Thunderbird class racers, which won the 6 p.m. race in Port Townsend Bay.
“It was light wind but very consistent,” Piper Dunlap said.
The Port Townsend Sailing Association hosts a variety of races throughout the spring, summer and fall.
The season officially kicked off with the Shipwrights’ Regatta in February, but the races go on a weekly schedule starting in April.
The Spring Whitecap series started late this year. The April 7 race was canceled due to weather, so the season opener was last week, on April 14.
The Whitecap series runs until May 19. The Summer Catspaw series runs from June 9 to July 21.
After that comes the Dog Days series from Aug. 4-25.
“It’s a little more informal since people are out on vacation a lot,” Dunlap said. “People can miss races in that series and it’s not a big deal.”
The final series of races, called the Nightcap, runs from Sept. 23 to Nov. 4.
A distance race series began April 1 with a race around Smith Island. That runs until Sept. 17. The final race sets out from Sequim Bay and ends back in Port Townsend.
The Sailing Association also hosts a number of stand-alone races, the most notable this year being the Thunderbird International Regatta on Aug. 19.
“That’s what we’re all gearing up for,” Dunlap said. “It’s an international series since we used to get a lot of teams up here from Australia and places like that, but Thunderbird racing has really dropped off in other places.”
However, Port Townsend has bucked that trend and boasts seven Thunderbird racers. Dunlap said that’s impressive for a town this small.
More information on all the sailing races happening in Port Townsend can be found at www.ptsail.org. The next spring series race will be at 6 p.m. April 28.
Membership forms and liability disclosures for the races can also be found on the Port Townsend Sailing Association website.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
