This past weekend saw the second annual running of the NHYC/SDYC Islands Race. The Islands Race is also the first event in the Ullman Offshore Series. 51 boats entered and 50 started the race with high expectations for a fun quick race. Buoyweather supplied us with a very accurate model for the race and we were greeted with a pleasant start in moderate breeze. The trip out Angels Gate was fast with a plethora of boats making their way to what they thought was the best line towards Catalina. A continuous right shift favored the boats that set up a little low and lifted them around the west end of Catalina. As the larger boats converged at the West End a huge fog back rolled in a smothered everyones visibility. Reports of crash tacks were rampant as navi-guessers tried to cut it close to the island. After getting through the thick fog boats were greeted with a close reach to San Clemente Island with a magnificent sky that was littered with shooting stars in a moonless night. Boats started pointing high of San Clemente Island which proved to be a good tactic as the wind shadow behind the island was enormous. Some boats chose to go close like Locomotion and an unlucky SC-50 that actually ended up on a rock, everyone including the boat made it off safely! Ullman Team Member Scott Poe was on Locomotion and reported seeing the mast dip into the water twice as the SC-50 teetered on the top of a rock.
