Elegant sailboats crisscross Commencement Bay each Wednesday. Here’s what’s up
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- Corinthian Yacht Club of Tacoma stages weekly sailboat races on Commencement Bay.
- Races run weekly on Wednesdays from April through August.
- Experienced crews use wind, currents and teamwork to win races.
The waves were choppy as the sailboat bobbed toward the Tacoma shoreline. Over the wind, Cheryl White called out directions to her crew as they readied a series of ropes, bracing for an abrupt turn that would drop the boat 45 degrees, skimming the water, to capture the best wind speed as they raced to the finish line.
In the middle of Commencement Bay every Wednesday you can see them: a fleet of colorful sailboats racing to see who can chart the fastest course between two inflatable buoys.
Rain or shine (or sleet or snow) more than a dozen boats line up at the starting line before taking off, their crews relying on an intimate knowledge of the sea and wind to guide their course. The race is put on by the Corinthian Yacht Club of Tacoma (CYCT), which prides itself as a club for both novice and experienced sailors. It was founded in 1974 as an offshoot of the Tacoma Yacht Club and has regular cruising, races and social events in the South Puget Sound.
The News Tribune was invited aboard the Grace E on May 13 to witness first-hand what it takes to get first place in one of these Windseeker races. The Grace E crew won first in its class and second place overall after a competitor pulled ahead by only 15 seconds.
A ‘mental chess game’
For the Whites, sailboat racing is a family affair. Cheryl White and her husband, Brian, were aboard their boat Grace E, alongside their children Adam and Ruthie, in addition to their friends Rick Donohue, Grayson Botelho and Matt Tagles. Adam said his wife and 10-month-old daughter are usually aboard during races (baby Violet rocks in a swing belong deck), but the conditions of May 13 were too tumultuous.
The Grace E crew has sailed together upwards of 20 years and have their jobs down pat. Some maintain the ropes to ensure the sails go up and down as necessary without getting tangled. Brian steered the boat from the back while the others scrambled to pull the proper sails up and down to keep the best course. They race year-round, and you can see them on Commencement Bay every week from April through August sporting a pink sail.
Racing requires extensive knowledge of sailing, which has become muscle memory to those on board. Weather conditions change on a dime, and the sailors have to know how to navigate the wind and currents correctly, or they’ll lose valuable time. Adam, who is 26, has been sailing since he was 4 and Ruthie (now 24) has been sailing since she was 2, Cheryl said. She’s coached and trained everyone on the boat, so anyone can fill any position on a given day.
“We’re kind of a salty crew,” Cheryl said over the wind. “It’s just fun to be with our friends … I think we all have a little bit of a competitive edge to us. And, yeah, we like to win.”
Donohue has raced with the Whites for over 15 years. He said sailboat racing is like “this mental chess game.”
“It’s a physical sport. It’s a mental sport. It’s something that will entertain a curious mind. You can learn the basics pretty quick, but then kind of spend forever mastering all the different aspects of the sport,” Donohue said, while aboard. “Brian’s trying to figure out where to place the boat, when to place the boat, how fast to turn the boat, what the other boats are doing, how long it’s going to take us to get from here to there, how much time is left on the countdown before the start. It starts to get really mental and sporty real quick.”
Over the years Cheryl has noticed fewer people are competing in the CYCT’s sailboat racing events, due in part to people aging out. It’s fun to see young people keeping the sport alive, and there’s always room for folks who want to learn, she said. Sailboat racing doesn’t have to be a rich person’s sport, Cheryl said.
“It can be, but we’re just regular people,” Cheryl said. “There’s no caviar on this boat. No Cabernet.”
“We got Busch Light!” Adam shouted.
If you want to watch
A good spot to watch the sailboats race is anywhere along Ruston Way on Wednesdays starting at 7 p.m.
Get involved by visiting the CYCT’s website.
