Hi all,

We've been getting some interest from a few of the extreme distance teams so we're plodding along to make this event a reality. If we can pull this off, this event will be the worlds longest beach cat race at 625 miles.

In early July of 2011, we're planning to host an Around Vancouver Island distance race for beach cats 18' - 22'. This race is just over 1000 kms (625 miles) and will take the racers through some of the most incredible sailing areas that the Pacific Northwest (if not the world) has to offer.

Starting and ending in Victoria, Canada, the course proceeds in a counter-clockwise direction presenting the racers with a great variety of sailing scenarios ranging from sheltered island channels to wide open ocean for the last 3 days.

The first day will challenge our decision making skills by allowing the racers to pick their way through the fastest route of the Gulf Islands. Day 3 will see you navigating the Seymour Narrows where peak floods can reach 13 knots of current. By day 4 we're into the Johnstone Straight, famous for its large numbers of Orca pods that call this area their summer home. By day 5, we're seeing open ocean to starboard at the top of the Island before we turn the corner to begin a 325 mile sleigh ride down the coast.

We are planning to host this event 2 weeks after the 2011 GT300 to allow the serious teams to get up here.
This event has been tagged 'The Gauci 1000" not so much because my last name is Gauci, but more because my name pronounced in Cantonese is "Dogsh*t" leading those distance racers that we've spoken to say, "The Dogsh*t 1000, it couldn't be any more perfect!"

There is a developing map of the proposed course here: http://maps.google.com/ma…6354ed6a936d25a5&t=h&z=8
This event will be limited to 10 boats only. If you are even slightly interested in participating, please email me with your CV and we'll keep you posted on developments. We invite all extreme distance cat sailors to this innagural event that will be sure to be a once in a lifetime adventure.

David Gauci
gauci_d@hotmail.com





edited by: dgauci, Apr 06, 2009 - 03:58 PM