In light of the fact that the great Windward Passage had her 32 year-old elapsed time record broken (by Z5) in the Miami to Montego Bay race, I thought I'd tell about the one and only encounter I've ever had with Windward Passage.

It was 1975, and I was on my very first long-distance race, Marina del Rey to Puerto Vallarta, something around 1,100 miles. I was still in high school, and I remember feeling like I was the luckiest kid in the world because my parents had just told the school that I was going to be gone on this incredible adventure for two weeks. Where I grew up, nobody ever got to do anything like that. I was with my friends (Gary Swenson, David J. Klatt, Mike Johnson) on a Ranger 33 named Hornblower. Keep in mind, back then 33's were still pretty hot boats, although for most of the race we were getting beaten by the (then) new Ranger 37's on corrected time. Out in front on elapsed time were Windward Passage and another Classic, the Spencer 62 Ragtime. These incredible things were the ultimate big boats back then, and we were just amazed by them. Everybody was.

Fast forward to the last day of the race. We had been no higher than 4th on corrected time, but we got blown in that afternoon on a building breeze, and snatched the victory for 1st in Class and 1st Overall! An incredible feat for the smallest boat in the race, and here's the coolest part, besides winning. When they brought us in to the harbor, they purposely rafted us between WP and Rags! It was so great - this little giant killer 33 wedged between these two monsters. For me, it was a time like no other; to win offshore on my first try, and then get to hang out with Passage for a couple of days. Of course the boat was incredible, and I was in complete awe. About every five minutes, I'd look over at Passage, and think "Oh my god, that's Windward Passage, and we beat her!" Now that my friends, are Good Times.

02/12/2003

Old School

A few days ago I wrote a little semi-nostalgic article about remembering Windward Passage, circa 1975. Lo and Behold, a very good friend produced a picture from said story. Yep, that's your Ed (the short one, thanks, along with Dave Klatt) standing on the deck of Windward Passage and acting like we own it, which in a sense I guess we did.. And there's that little Ranger 33 Hornblower that I told you about, sandwiched between Passage and Ragtime. It is incredible that there is actual proof to back up one of my sea stories. I guess it really only proves one thing though: I am truly old.

02/23/2003