Transpac Race : Pace Picks Up as Swiftsure Has the Lead
The 64 yachts in the 2,225-mile Los Angeles-to-Honolulu Transpacific race picked up the pace Thursday as 16- to 18-knot northeast tradewinds pushed the Class A leaders past the halfway point.
Nick Frazee’s Nelson-Marek 68 Swiftsure still paced the fleet after a 237-mile run that placed her 1,016 miles from the finish at Diamond Head after 6 days 19 hours of sailing.
The best 24-hour run was logged by Pat Farrah’s 62-foot Ragtime, with Dick Deaver as sailing master--247 miles, moving her up to third place, 1,023 miles from the finish.
The strong winds were about the same throughout the fleet, with the escort vessel Glory, about 100 miles ahead, reporting 22 knots.
All hopes of an elapsed-time record have vanished, but if the favorable winds continue, the race could be saved from being the slowest since World War II.
The fastest finish was in 1977, when the 67-foot Merlin set an elapsed-time record of 8 days 11 hours. The slowest was in 1979, when the 69-foot Drifter took 11 days 18 hours to make the crossing.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
