Kevin, I have crewed on 4 Transpacs (a course similar to Pac Cup but starting near LA) and one Vic Maui. I also crewed or was delivery skipper on 4 trips back to the west coast.
I would do either race again. The deciding factor for me would be crew compatibility and boat suitability. Spending two weeks on a small boat with 6 to 8 other crew can be heaven or hell depending on the crew dynamics. Being confident in the boat’s design, build, and preparation leads to sleeping well when off watch and increases the chance of reaching Hawaii in time for the party. The Pac Cup will attract higher performance boats and more competitors. The Vic Maui typically offers more complex weather to de-code, a smaller but more similar fleet, and finishes in Lahaina, Maui, home of my favorite yacht club. One of the advantages of having the starts farther south (Transpac and Pac Cup) is how quick the boat can be in the trades. Most years the Pac Cup is likely to have 2 to 7 days less sailing time than a Vic Maui. If you are calculating your cost per hour of actual sailing the Maui might pencil out better. Starting the Vic Maui in Victoria means first getting out of the Straits of Juan de Fuca (lotsa current, probability of light wind, chance of fog, always cold water) then getting far enough south to reach the trades. Both races offer the chance of 7 to 10 days of trade wind sailing in deep blue water with a finish in Hawaii. The start and finish social events are worth the price of admission. Best of all there are often custom race T-shirts to be purchased. Martin Calypso 1971 C&C 43 Seattle [Description: Description: cid:D1BF9853-22F7-47FB-86F2-4115CE0BAF2F] From: CnC-List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kevin Driscoll via CnC-List Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 1:33 PM To: C&C List Subject: Stus-List Vic-Maui or Pacific Cup Looking for objective opinions i.e. sans nationalism. Thanks!
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