Online entry for the 2016 Vic-Maui is now open at: Official Notice Board and Online Entries.
The early entry time window runs from March 15, 2015 to September 15, 2015; the final entry deadline is February 3, 2016.
The Notice of Race has been published for the 2016 Vic-Maui International Yacht Race. It is available for download: click here for Notice of Race.
Appendix A to the Notice of Race has also been published. It is available for download: click here for NoR Appendix A.
The first entry is in!
“Red Sheilla” is the first boat to enter the 2016 Vic-Maui!
In July 2016, Red Sheilla skipper Jim Innes will sail in his fourth Vic-Maui, following the pioneering course blazed by his father JG (Jim) Innes in 1965.
The first Vic-Maui was sailed in 1965. The race was a dream of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club member JG (Jim) Innes who at that time was a Captain for Canadian Pacific Airlines. Jim convinced three other skippers to start with him off Brotchie Ledge in 1965. With Jim in his Lapworth 36′ “Long Gone”, there was Lol Killam of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club with the 45′ sloop “Velaris”, Ron Ramsay of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club with the 45′ ketch “Norena of White” and Boo Paskel from Seattle Yacht club with his 73′ ketch “Tatoosh”.
The 1965 race and weather were typical; Westerlies in the Juan de Fuca Strait, a left turn down the coast to about the latitude of San Francisco, followed by a right turn under the North Pacific High and a gybe with the Northeast trade winds filling spinnakers for the sunny run to Maui.
“Long Gone” won the first Vic-Maui with a time of 15 days, 6 hours and 55 minutes. Records have been broken many times since 1965. The current record holder is “Grand Illusion”, skippered by James McDowell of the Lahaina Yacht Club, who completed the race in 9 days, 2 hours and 8 minutes in 2000, beating out the previous record of 9 days, 19 hours and 36 minutes set in 1996 by “Pyewacket”, skippered by Roy Disney.
Vic-Maui is celebrating the Half Century mark in 2016. We invite you to join us!
Vic-Maui Half Century Poster: 1965 – 2016
Vic-Maui was first sailed in 1965 and has been sailed every two years since 1968. During the 2016 Vic-Maui cycle, we will be celebrating a Half Century of Vic-Maui.
The Vic-Maui Half Century poster features “Long Gone”, the winner of the 1965 race, skippered by Vic-Maui’s founder, the late JG (Jim) Innes.
The poster is available for download: click here for 2016 Vic-Maui Half Century poster.
Victoria to Maui International Yacht Race
The Victoria to Maui International Yacht Race is hosted by the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club and the Lahaina Yacht Club. First contested in 1965 and sailed every second year since 1968, Vic-Maui is the pinnacle of Pacific Northwest ocean racing. Vic-Maui starts in July off Victoria, British Columbia and finishes near Lahaina, Maui, a distance of approximately 2308 nautical miles.
Vic-Maui challenges navigators to demonstrate their weather routing and navigational skills. Success depends on the navigator’s skill in predicting where the Pacific High pressure zone and trade winds will be, nearly a week into the future.
The adventure includes sailing around the Pacific High and surfing downwind in the trades. The days pass quickly with the fleet surrounded by dolphins and albatross, spectacular sunrises, sunsets and brilliant starlit nights.
Teamwork gets the boats to the finish line near Lahaina, where each arriving boat is greeted with an outstanding Hawaiian welcoming party. Family and friends meet the racers to celebrate the accomplishment with hugs, leis and mai-tais. Many crew stay to spend more time enjoying Maui with their families before heading home.
Visit www.vicmaui.org for Challenge – Adventure – Teamwork!
