The Transpacific Yacht Race (Transpac) is a biennial offshore yacht race held in odd-numbered years starting off the Pt. Fermin buoy in San Pedro, California and ending off Diamond Head in Hawaii, a distance of around 2,225 nautical miles (2,560 mi; 4,121 km). In even-numbered years the Pacific Cup race starts out of San Francisco and is run by the Pacific Cup Yacht Club. Started in 1906 by Clarence W. Macfarlane and hosted by the Los Angeles Yacht Club, it is one of yachting's premier offshore races and attracts entrants from all over the world. The race is organized by the Transpacific Yacht Club.[1]
Comanche crossing the Diamond Head finish line in 2017Fully Crewed Monohull Elapsed time: Comanche, 2017 of 5 days, 1 hours, 55 minutes, 26 seconds.
Double Handed: Pegasus 50, 2009, sailed by Philippe Kahn and Mark Christensen, set a new record of 7 days, 19 hours, 38 minutes and 35 seconds.
In 1969, French sailing legend Éric Tabarly shadowed the race with his Pen Duick IV, one of the world's first trimarans competitive in all wind conditions. He originally intended to enter the race but was unaware that multihulls were not invited. Having started with all other participants, Tabarly and his crew set an unofficial record of 8 days and 13 hours,[3] almost a day ahead of official winner and record-setter Blackfin.
In 2013, the fully crewed monohull, Dorade, won first overall, making it the oldest boat in the fleet to win and a 2-time winner, having won the Transpac in 1936, 77 years prior.[4]
The 2019 edition of the race, its fiftieth, saw the sinking of a yacht for the first time in its history, when the 68 foot mono-hulled sailboat Santa Cruz 70 OEX suffered rudder damage and an uncontrollable water intrusion.[5][6] The crew was rescued by another racing boat. This edition also saw the greatest number of skippers dropping out of the race.[5]
Record history
S/Y Ragtime, the 1973 & 1975 Transpac Winner
Ragtime finished first in 1973 and again in 1975.[7]
Merlin approaching Diamond Head in 2017
In 1977, the yacht Merlin, designed by Bill Lee, set an elapsed time record of 8 days, 11 hours, 1 minute. This record would stand for 20 years. Ending Merlin's record, in the 1997 race a new monohull elapsed time record of 7 days, 11 hours, 41 minutes, and 27 seconds was set by Roy E. Disney's Pyewacket, a Santa Cruz 70 ultralight also designed by Bill Lee. The record fell once again in 2005, with Hasso Plattner's Morning Glory, a maxZ86 from Germany. Morning Glory was the scratch boat when it led a five-boat assault on the record for monohulls. She finished the race in 6 days, 16 hours, 4 minutes, and 11 seconds to win "the Barn Door" trophy, a slab of carved koa wood traditionally awarded to the monohull with the fastest elapsed time.
In 1995, multihulls were invited to participate for the first time, but not eligible for the Barn Door trophy. Steve Fosset set a new race record in 1995 on his 60' trimaran Lakota, of 6 days 16 hours 7 minutes 16 seconds. Two years later in 1997, this record was broken by the 86' catamaran Explorer with a time of 5 days 9 hours 18 minutes 26 seconds.[8] 2017 saw Howard Enloe and his boat the Mighty Merloe smash the record by over 25 hours making the trip in just over 4 days.[9]
Charley, the 1983 Transpac winner
On July 7, 2009, Alfa Romeo II beat the Morning Glory record for best day's run set in the 2005 race, by sailing 399 nautical miles (459 mi; 739 km) in 24 hours. The next two days she broke her own best-day record by sailing 420 nautical miles (480 mi; 780 km)[10] and 431 nautical miles (496 mi; 798 km). First to finish the 2009 Transpac, Alfa Romeo II set a Transpac race elapsed-time record of 5 days, 14 hours, 36 minutes, 20 seconds.[11] This represents a new race record for monohulls; the multihull record of 5 days, 9 hours, 18 minutes, set by Bruno Peyron in the 1997 race, remains. However, because she must use "stored power"[12] (a diesel engine) to move, Alfa Romeo II, sailing in the "unlimited" class, was not eligible for the traditional "Barn Door" trophy, but instead was the inaugural winner of a new trophy dedicated by Trisha Steele, called the "Merlin Trophy". However from 2019 yachts eligible for this trophy must use manual power only[13]
In the double-handed division, Pegasus 50, sailed by Philippe Kahn and Mark Christensen, set a new record of 7 days, 19 hours, 38 minutes and 35 seconds. They pioneered use of an iPhone, with Fullpower-MotionX GPS technology.[14]
References in popular culture
In the 1975 movie Jaws, the character Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss, claims that he has "crewed three Transpacs" as a means of establishing his seamanship credentials with Quint.[15]
The 2008 documentary Morning Light is a film about the 2007 Disney-sponsored competitors in the race.[16][17][18]
Transpac Honolulu Race Elapsed Time Record Trophy
The Transpac Honolulu Race Elapsed Time Record Trophy is awarded to the Record Holder for the fastest elapsed time by a monohull yacht in the race.[19]
The list of Los Angeles to Honolulu Record Holders is:
The Barn Door Trophy is awarded each race for the Fastest Monohull Elapsed Time in the race. It was originally called the "First to Finish" Trophy. Since 2009, it has been restricted to manual power only sailing yachts.
Barn Door Winners
Year Boat Owner/Skipper Time
1906 Lurline H.H. Sinclair 12:09:59 *
1908 Lurline H.H. Sinclair 13:21:31
1910 Hawaii Hawaii Syndicate 14:03:23
1912 Lurline A.E. Davis 13:17:03
1923 (S.Barb.) Mariner L.A. Norris 11:14:46
1926 Invader Don M. Lee 12:02:48:03 *
1928 (Balboa) Talayha L. Lippman 13:04:58:30
1930 Enchantress Morgan Adams 12:13:22:52
1932 (S.Barb.) Fayth William S. McNutt 14:14:33:00
1934 Vileehi H.T. Horton 13:03:42:26
1936 (S.Mon.) Dorade James Flood 13:07:20:04
1939 (S.Fran.) Contender Richard R. Loynes 14:07:50:00
^Race Committee aboard OCC's Alaska Eagle communications and escort vessel (2009-07-08). "Daily Standings (Provisional)". 2009 Transpac Race. Transpacific Yacht Club. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2014. Based on distance covered in preceding 24 hours as of 6AM on day of report.
^"Race Records". Transpacific Yacht Club. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
