Blakely Rock Benefit Race

2018 Blakely Rock Benefit Race © Sloop Tavern Yacht Club

The race is dedicated to the loving memory of Carol Pearl. Carol was a Sloop Tavern YC member for 39 years. She was a two-term past Commodore, a very active board member, the club historian, champion, mentor, friend and she was involved in organizing the Blakely Rock Benefit Race for as long as anyone can remember.

Many sailing teams from across the northwest participated in the event, many of them being J/Boats owners. In the PHRF Class 5, Mike Poole's J/80 Jolly Green took second place, while Leo Morales' J/27 Wizard took the bronze. Even better yet, Ulf George Gwildis' J/30 Impulsive landed the fourth position and Dennis Clark's J/27 "63" was fifth.

In Class 7, Pat Denny's J/29 Here & Now, a long-time winner in her class in the Pacific NW, took the silver. Class 8 was dominated by the J/105s. Winning was Tom Kerr's Corvo, followed by Chuck Stephens' Panic in second and Jim Geros' Last Tango and Jon Aitcheson's Moose Unknown tied for 5th place.

Class 9 saw Natalie Pryde's J/92S take fourth place. Then, in Class 11, it was Don & George Leighton's J/35 Tahlequah that took second and Kirk & Nill Fraser's J/109 Eclipse took fourth.

In the wildly disparate Class 12, Ken Jones' J/120 With Grace took 2nd, while Andy Mack's J/122 Grace placed third. Finally, in Class 13, Shawn Dougherty's J/125 Hamachi won her class over many of the Pacific Northwest's best offshore teams.

More information on the Blakely Rock Benefit Race can be found here.