“A BUGLIGHT FOR WEIRDOS WITH BOATS”

The Singlehanded Sailing Society puts on the Singlehanded TransPacific race every two years, ever since the first race, way back in 1978. Since then, more people have made it to outer space than have raced singlehanded from San Francisco to Hawaii. But, if you like to sail by yourself, paradoxically, you’re still in good company. As Greg Morris, a five time racer, so aptly put it after completing the 1998 race on a Moore 24, “The TransPac is a Buglight for Weirdos with Boats.” These Weirdos will likely turn in to some of your best friends.

RACE THE BOAT YOU HAVE

The race is open to ocean-going boats and skippers. This is not an event catering to the latest and greatest go-fast machines, but rather attracts the adventurous skippers (a.k.a. Weirdos) that want to test themselves out on the Big Blue, and do it in the boats they already own. It’s a long way from here to there. Singlehanding doesn’t make the race any easier; every skipper is navigating, cooking, sailing hard, all the while fixing what breaks along the way, but as long as you and your boat meet the safety requirements, you are set. No foils needed.

AN ADVENTURE (OF A LIFETIME)

The camaraderie amongst skippers begins even before the fleet assembles for race day inspection. At the docks, competitors fine tune last minute preparations, and it’s great to visit the other entries to see the varying solutions to shared problems. Where does one best stow the “dog” food? How many spinnakers will fit in the forepeak? Who is carrying ice cream to Hawaii?

Making landfall in Hanalei Bay marks the completion of an enormous undertaking – a personal victory! By race finish, you will be a different person. You will know more about yourself, your boat, your competitors, and what lies beyond the horizon. As Mike Jefferson put it in his 1996 race log, “Offshore sailing by oneself is a strenuous test of a person’s inner character. Technical skill and experience are, of course, very useful.” If you didn’t get enough on the way there, there’s always the sail home. Though not part of the race itself, the return trip becomes a significant part of the experience.

This Year’s Lineup of Buglighters!

Horizon — Benenteau First 305  Piyush Arora, San Francisco, CA Coyote Point YC, SSS Previous SHTPs: none
At age 39, Piyush Arora is perhaps the youngest of this year’s fleet. When asked why he’s taking on this challenge, he replies: “We (my boat and I) expect to find out during the voyage, and I sure hope that the answer will be revealed.
His strategy for the race is to “Go west and don’t do anything silly. Since this is my first long passage, my goal would be to keep it simple, find decent wind, and sail Horizon somewhat conservatively. 

Piyush Arora

Horizon

Such Fast — 1D35 David Garman, Renton, WA
Des Moines YC, SSS Previous SHTPs: 2016 David Garman gets asked all the time why he’s doing this. “No answer I give seems to satisfy the one asking. But the ocean calls you, and you either live big and go, or you spend the rest of your life wondering.” He has 40+ years of ocean experience, including racing, deliveries and his 2016 SHTP aboard the Santa Cruz 27 Giant Slayer.

David Garmin

Such Fast

Eos — Cal 2-34 Mike Smith, Brisbane, CA
Sierra Point YC Previous SHTPs: none
“The Singlehanded Sailing Society has proved to be the best group of folks I have ever met,” says Mike Smith. “They have helped me learn a huge amount about singlehanded sailing. Working through the Farallones Race and the LongPac last year as qualifiers helped me get my safety systems in place.

Mike Smith

Eos

Tortuga — Westsail 32 Randy Leasure, San Francisco
SSS, Island YC, Westsail Owners Association
Previous SHTPs: 2012, 2016
“I love the experience of ocean sailing and racing,” says Randy Leasure. “Being completely responsible for everything on the boat is overwhelming, but it is also incredibly rewarding and provides a completely unique sense of accomplishment.” He’s done two previous SHTPs on Tortuga and doublehanded last year’s Pacific Cup on a friend’s boat. “I also have my USCG 100-ton masters license, and I captain for a few local charter companies sometimes.”

Randy Leasure

Tortuga

Elmach — X-Yachts XC-42 Christophe Desage, Vancouver,
BC Royal Vancouver YC Previous SHTPs: none
“I like the challenge and pushing the envelope,” says Christophe Desage. “This will keep me out of my comfort zone. We’ll see about the race, but if half of the fun is to get prepared, this will be lots of fun!”

Christophe Desage

Elmach

Siren — Santa Cruz 33 Brendan Huffman, Los Angeles
Del Rey YC, Blue Water Cruising Club, Cruising Club of America
Previous SHTPs: 2021
Brendan Huffman is sailing the SHTP again “to see if I could do better than last time with more experience, preparation and wisdom.” In addition to the last SHTP, he’s completed five Pacific Cups, two Transpacs and 10 Mexico races.

Brendan Huffman

Siren

Jamani — J/120 Sean Mulvihill, San Francisco, CA San Francisco YC
Previous SHTPs: none “I love sailing, the ocean and this boat,” says Sean Mulvihill. Included in his vast sailing experience are two crewed Transpac races from L.A. to Honolulu, two crewed Pacific Cups, two doublehanded Pac Cups, four deliveries from Hawaii to California, many Farallon, Half Moon Bay, Lightship and Bay races — crewed, doublehanded and solo.

Sean Mulvihill

Jamani

Iniscaw — Martin 32, Max Crittenden, Oceanside, CA
Pacific Singlehanded Sailing Association
Previous SHTPs: 2010
When he retired, Max Crittenden relocated from the Bay Area to SoCal. He’s sailing in the SHTP because, “The last time was such a great experience, I want to have that feeling at least once more.”
He started sailing at age 11. “My dad caught the bug and dragged the family along.”
To prepare for this race, Max has been doing some cycling, weight-lifting and other exercises. “Lately Aaron, my cat, has helped with sleep training by waking me up every half hour.”

Max Crittenden

Iniscaw

Lohengrin — Swan 371 Greg Mardock, Portland, OR Sauvie Island YC
Previous SHTPs: none
When he originally signed up for the SHTP in 2021, Greg Mardock told us that he’s doing this race as a retirement treat. His previous experience includes coastal cruising, the Pacific Cup, Hobie Cat sailing, miscellaneous deliveries, yearly trips from Oregon up the Washington coast to the San Juans, and local river sailing.
He plans to be safe, keep things simple, finish, and have fun.

Greg Mardock

Lohengrin

Perplexity — Express 37-1 John Wilkerson,
Port Madison, Bainbridge Island, WA Port Madison YC
Previous SHTPs: 2021 John Wilkerson hopes to sail a better race than he did in 2021. Since then, he also completed the 2022 Pacific Cup. As a shakedown cruise, he’ll sail Perplexity down the coast from Washington. His strategy is to take one day at a time, and “appreciate being out there.” Provisioning will include Tasty Bite meals, ramen and Oreos.

John Wilkerson

Perplexity

Reverie — Tartan 41 Alexander Benderskii, Los Angeles Pacific Singlehanded Sailing Association
Previous SHTPs: none “I love the Hawaiian islands,” says Alexander Benderskii, “but I do not like flying.
His strategy for the race is to talk with people who’ve done it before and listen to Stan Honey (and other Transpac/Pac Cup) seminars on YouTube.

Alexander Benderskii

Reverie

Green Buffalo — Cal 40 Jim Quanci, Point Richmond, CA RYC, SSS, Pacific Cup YC,
Cruising Club of America Previous SHTPs: 2012 (overall winner), 2021 In contrast to some of the skippers, Jim Quanci will sail to Hawaii and back yet again this summer in order to relax. You see, he’s been around this block a time or two (19 to be exact). He’s looking forward to disconnecting from “the buzz — (email, social, text, mobile…)”

Jim Quanci

Green Buffalo

Tony Bourque, Point Richmond, CA, Freedom 40/40 “Circe“
Richmond Yacht Club, Singlehanded Sailing Society
Previous SHTPs: none

To Tony Bourque, the Singlehanded Transpacific Race seems like an interesting and fulfilling challenge. “It is also a significant and serious adventure/challenge I am capable of achieving — unlike, say, climbing Mount Everest!”

Tony has many years sailing locally on the Bay, ocean and Delta, singlehanded and crewed. He delivered his current boat from San Diego, and helped to deliver Green Buffalo from Hawaii to San Francisco. He completed his 400-mile solo-sail qualifier in April.

Tony Bourque

Circe

Todd Olsen

Gwendolyn

Solstice 1962 Cal 40 Michael Polkabla is from Pacific Grove and has been sailing since age 12.
He has recently competed and won the 2021 Singlehanded Season Championship at MPYC on Monterey Bay, Consisting of 5 long distance events, and routinely competes singlehanded against fully crewed teams on Monterey Bay 2020 to present.

Michael Polkabla

Solstice

Bill Stange

Hula

 Chris Jordan, Point Richmond/San Francisco
The Pork Chop Express — Express 27 SSS
Previous SHTPs: none “I’ve been considering this race since the late ’90s, when winning may have been paramount,” says Chris Jordan. “Now I’d just like to sail smart and turn in a good time with little breakage. The Express is a fun boat on this course, so I’m looking forward to some good surfing sessions.”

Chris Jordan

The Pork Chop Express

 Gary Burton, Brookings, OR
Elizabeth Ann — Westsail 32
Previous SHTPs: 2014, 2016 For Gary Burton, the SHTP is always on the radar, and things have worked out to go this year. Gary grew up lake sailing with his family and has 15 years of ocean experience. His current training has included trail walking and practice sailing.

Gary Burton

Elisabeth Ann