Thursday started with a chase with Cabron pursuing Pyewacket 70, erasing what was once a 40 mile lead to come side by side with their Class 1 rival. Just after 0100 PST Thursday, with both teams within boat lengths of each other, they dueled for the line, actually missing the port end on the first pass and both boats scrambling to reverse course and re-round the port end of the virtual finish line. One can only imagine the match race tactics, flying lines and crew work needed to keep these ocean titans moving, in the dark, with close quarter maneuvering. In the end Cabron is the line honors winner of the 2020 PV Race, while Pyewacket 70 wins Class 1 on corrected time including a 1 hour corrected time penalty assessed to Pyewacket as a result of the match race at the finish. After over a 1,000 miles, the first to finish honors came down to a dial up at the finish and some string theory.
As for the smallest boat in the fleet, Bill Hardesty's Hobie 33 Sizzle, this year's PV Race was a magical ride. Sizzle was the 5th boat to finish, crossing the line mid-day Thursday and running away with the Class 6 victory. They were able to stay close enough to the hard sailing Bretwalda3 and correct ahead of them by 6.5 hours. Sizzle managed to avoid the blue wall (color code for light air on the race tracker) that stopped Pyewacket Wednesday night.
The overall win is in Sizzle's sights, but won't be official until a few of the sleds post their race race times Thursday night into Friday. The tape will tell the tale.
The long ride to the marina from the finish line (20 miles) has brought only 5 boats officially into Puerto Vallarta as of Thursday afternoon, with a parade more coming through all hours of the night and Friday.
Comments from the Course on Thursday:
SIZZLE
Wind 006@ 5-7 kts, seas 1-2', 20% cloud
Looking forward to sleeping in a real bed. There is no privacy on a Hobie 33. We know way too much about each other after this past week! Still Sizzling.
MR BILL
Wind 340 @ 20 kts, sea 3-4', 100% cloud cover, bar falling @ 1012
Windy & wild night, fast sailing. We broke starboard spin sheet, used the port sheet temporarily, then sent our bowman, Seth, out in a harness to hook on a new sheet.
ENVOLEE
Wind 3.6kts @ 009T, seas 1-2ft, mostly clear skies, bar 1018
Good night of sailing in moderate breeze. Crossing the Cabo hole now anticipating 10-15kts later this morning
SNOOPY
Wind 348 @ 20.3 kts, seas 2-3', partly cloudy, bar 1011.9 falling slowly
Finally making strides down the path, and should be home soon! Hope the beer is cold (and has not been drunk yet)!
ZERO GRAVITY
Wind 325 @ 18 knots, seas 3 feet, 50 % cloud cover, 1013 mbar pressure
Blast reaching with a reefed main. Foam the runway, we're coming in!
KATARA
Winds: 315-330 at 12-13 kts
It's so close we can taste it - but we have to PUSH. Nights like last night make all the drifting, all the lack of sleep, all the heat/cold, all the wet soggy nights, and all the physical discomfort disappear. Starts you never knew existed. A near full moon that we got to watch rise that light the night up like daytime. Dozens and dozens of satellites that we watched scream across the sky as they were lit by the now set sun. Just incredible.
BRIGADOON
Wind 350 @ 17.0 kts, Sea 2'-3', Cloud cover 30%, bar dropping @ 1021 mb
Hazy sunrise; clearing. Couple spits of rain passing Cabo San Lucas. Got through the eddy and into the freshening Cortez breeze and aren't looking back. Don't know what the heck it was but everyone liked whatever Romeo Villareal at Baja Sessions Catering & Provisioning prepared for dinner. Morning wake-up call: "One Wild Night" by Bon Jovi.