It can't be emphasized enough how much the Seattle fleet was looking forward to finally hosting an Olson30 Nationals regatta, after not having had one locally since 1998. In that time lots of changes had occurred in the fleet, lots of ownership changes, and undisputedly an increase in the level of competetion. Owners in the Seattle area believed strongly that the Seattle area hosted the most competetive, well-sailed Olson fleet anywhere, and that it was high time for the rest of the class to give the local boats, who rarely have the time or money to travel to far-away Nationals held typically in California, a chance at the National Championship. Indeed, the level of competetion is so high that those boats that do make it down to California year after year routinely take high honors (including Lunchbox losing a tie-breaker for the championship, and Aliens first owner-driver, fourth overall) though the National championship has eluded Seattle-area skippers since John Leitzinger last took it with Ozone a few years ago.

Rounding a windward mark, Orcrist chases Surfer Girl, with a parade of boats close behind.>

The Seattle fleet prepared long and hard to host a great regatta, fretting about the wind that might not happen in June. We shouldnt have worried, if anything there was too much breeze! 20 boats showed up for the Nationals, and in the Seattle area most of the local boats had been tuning and racing since the early Spring to prepare. The first unofficial event was the typical CYC Wed night races on the Sound, where the CYC started a fairly large (for a Wednesday) Olson30 showing for 3 races. On Orcrist we did pretty well these three.

Thursday the racing got started for real with several races, while because of light air only one race was started Friday. On Saturday, the longest and windiest of the regatta, many races were started but about half-way through the day several boats retired: Orcrist, my own boat, suffered some major cabinet delamination; MOF was holed below the waterline by Barnstormer in a Port-Starboard situation; one boat had a crew injury; Wraith and Surfer Girl retired because the conditions (30 gusting to 35 one race) were just getting pretty rough!

Olson30 Nationals start in moderate breeze. Everyone carries the number 1 in these conditions, making powering up the sails off the line very important.

Sunday the racing was again on for three more races for the remaining boats, and War Canoe picked up the pace and tied for first place with MOF. On Orcrist that morning we debated fielding the boat, but in the end decided to be conservative, save the boat for another day, and not take any chances. In hindsight it probably would have been ok to sail, but we needed to fix the boat right before we would have confidence in it again. MOF was hauled out for repair, Barnstormer didnt race because of a completely mangled bow pulpit, and so it went.

In the end, the 2004 Olson nationals showed that Seattle boats were clearly consistent contentders in any venue. The boats that tied for first, MOF and War Canoe, while consistent top finishers, are not always the winners...there are lots of other boats in this fleet that sail at that level: Aliens, Apacalypso, Wild Turkey, Lunch Box, Enigma, all these boats could have taken the bullet. But another thing was equally obvious: hosting a nationals level regatta is a lot of work and not something any particular fleet or yacht club wants to take on in consecutive years. And the raised level of competition takes its toll on the local fleets as well - for a long time after Nationals, very few boats made it to the start line for regular Wed night racing, or even PSSC, the Fall regatta.

As one of the skippers who helped organize this years Nationals, I can say that I can't wait for the next one! But I hope its as a visiting skipper or crew, the organization is a bear!