43RD Annual Foulweather Bluff Race
Saturday, October 7, 2023
KINGSTON VENUE AGAIN IN 2023!
Registration is open for the Foulweather Bluff Race. We will again locate the start/finish near Kingston for 2023.
Feeling social? The Port of Kingston has set aside all the guest moorage for Foulweather Bluff racers until one week before the race. Contact the Port of Kingston directly to reserve and pay for moorage directly for Friday and/or Saturday nights. Kingston Cove Yacht Club is again hosting us Friday and Saturday nights - register here for dinner. Friday night, they are serving burgers and hot dogs, and they have a full bar opening at 6 pm. Saturday night, bring your own food from town, and again, KCYC is hosting us with a full bar opening at 3 pm. On Sunday morning we'll have a dockside sendoff with coffee and pastries.
Staying for awards only on Saturday? Call the Port of Kingston to arrange for temporary moorage ($10 for up to four hours.) The slips will fill up!
Crew dropoff and pickup will be on the outermost side tie guest dock, the first dock as you approach the marina. This dock is 80' long. We will be in touch with the Washington State Ferry System about the sailing of the 07:55 Edmonds-Kingston ferry on Saturday morning, for crew joining their boats in Kingston. They update their schedule nightly for the next day.
the race
This is a mid-distance race with multiple course options that include some or all of the following: start/finish at Apple Cove Point at Kingston, the Foulweather Bluff buoy, the Scatchet Head buoy on the south end of Whidbey Island, and a temporary mark at Pilot Point.
The first division starts at 10:00 AM with a reverse starting sequence and multi-hulls in the last start. Yachts are divided into "long" and "short" course boats based on whether their PHRF-NW rating is 180 or lower, or 181 or above, respectively. Scoring is Time on Time. You must have a current PHRF-NW membership or an ORC certificate to be scored in this race.
UPDATE - if you want to race ORC, please email us. You must have a current valid ORC certificate. We would like to support ORC racing, but we need separate classes of at least five boats to do so.
The 2022 Foulweather Bluff Race sailing instructions will be updated for 2023 as soon as we receive affirmation from the USCG Sector Puget Sound.
FOULWEATHER BLUFF RACE IS A PUGET SOUND TOP 25 QUALIFYING RACE.
Trophies include 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each division, plus first overall long and short course, and the perpetual Bill Heston Performance trophy is awarded to the first place overall monohull winner.
This race is also a team event. The Grand Perpetual Foulweather Bluff team trophy is awarded to the yacht club with the best four boats combined finishes.
