Finally, eight days into the ・gCapitol to Capitol 1000・h the sun is out and the temperature is above 53 degrees! We are in Blind Channel Resort, BC., well on our way into Canada. On 28 May 2010 eleven boats formed up off Olympia Shoal in calm drizzly weather to start the Alaska 1000 Predicted Log Contest to Juneau. With line abreast and all boats decked out in full dress colors, the Olympia Yacht Club Committee boat called each boat to start in order announcing the boat name and Captain. Forming line astern the racers made a running start at Doffelmeyer Pt Light and ran via Balch Pass to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The current was reasonable until the last leg to the finish where eight knot boats were flying along at 14 knots. Fred and Linda Cole of Port Orchard Yacht Club in ・gMouse Trap・h, bested the field with a score of 1.13% error; very well done in the difficult south Puget Sound environment.

With the next leg of the competition starting in Bedwell Harbour BC, the boats ran independently with everyone clearing customs on Sunday and the Canadian racers joined the group. Now with sixteen boats the competitors started a very challenging leg through the Gulf Islands ending south of Dodd Narrows just before slack. Wending its way from Boundary Pass through Navy Channel, past Active Pass, past Porlier Pass all with light winds and poor visibility in rain and low clouds the flotilla stretched out over three miles. With visibility about 400 yards in the middle of the route the turn mark required the use of a range between two aids to navigation. The rear range just came in view as the boats approached the mark saving several second of error for most competitors. Tallying up the score in Naniamo that afternoon found eight of the fifteen racers in the 2+% error range, not bad for a 47 mile route. But the best score was turned in by Bob and Sue Lindal in ・gSuzy Q・h. Bob, current Commodore of the North America Cruiser Association, represents Queen City Yacht Club and finished with a score of 1.47% error.

On June 1, fifteen captains representing eight area Yacht Clubs, meet at the ・gDingy Dock Pub and Restaurant・h Newcastle I, Naniamo for the pre-voyage conference. The plan was for a departure on June 2nd for a leg north around area ・gWG・h and across the Strait of Georgia to Pender Harbor. Mother Nature intervened and 40 knot winds in the Strait delayed the departure for 24 hours. Even with the delay, as the boats approached the final mark at the south end of Texada I. we were observing the condition of our opponents bottom paint while they observed ours! One racer turned in a remarkable one second error in spite of the nasty sea conditions. On to reliable Pender Harbor for respite from the storm. Royal Vancouver Yacht Club was gracious enough to allow us to use their excellent facility there and it was a welcome if brief rest. Off at ・g0 dark 30・h for a race leg to Squirrel Cove with some much appreciated sunny weather en route. The fleet departed Squirrel Cove for Blind Channel Resort June 5th in time to clear Yuculta and Dent Rapids at slack water. A quiet sunny day was appreciated by all and helped erase the dreary weather about Naniamo.

Bob & Sue Lindal aboard their boat ・gSuzy-Q・h entering Nanaimo