After some heads-up sailing over the last two weeks, the crew of the Tripp Tease headed to the medal podium Saturday after capturing third place overall in Division 1 of the 2013 Black Press Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race.
The biennial, 580-nautical mile race around Vancouver Island started June 8 in Nanaimo and finished there June 22. The Comox Bay Sailing Club entry in this year's event finished a strong second in the 10th and final leg (Victoria to Nanaimo) on June 22, thus clinching their spot on the podium.
The final leg of the race (60 nautical miles) through the Gulf Islands from Victoria to Nanaimo with numerous routes, strong tides and hazards, is considered one of the most challenging legs of the race.
The Tripp Tease crew (Don Gillingham, James Volkers, Andy Walther, Bob Hodgeson, Jerad Langille, Dave Shaw and Ryan Gnus along with Chris Volkers, Rob Douglas, Thomas Soucy and Mark Lutz rose magnificently to the challenge to secure Tripp Tease's best-ever Van Isle 360 finish.
"We are very proud to have had the opportunity to represent the Comox Bay Sailing Club in this race," said CBSC commodore Andrew Walther.
More info, photos and videos on the race is available at tripptease.wordpress.com and www.vanisle360.com. More info on the CBSC, which offers competitive and recreational dinghy and keelboat sailing, is at www.comoxbaysailingclub.ca.
Terremoto won Division 1 with 551 points while White Cloud was second with 452 and Tripp Tease third with 452.
Dragonfly won the Multihulls with 165 points followed by Bad Kitty (144) and Moxie (98). Icon captured top spot in the Big Boat Division with 243 points, just two ahead of Flash, while Dark Star took third (215).
Final Division 2 standings show Diva first (777) followed by Zulu (762) and Astral Plane (693). In Division 3 it was Emma first (445) followed by Por Favor (326) and Sorcery X (274).
