Milltown Challenge Sailing Series |
Getting out on a boat and sailing in the midst of remarkable vistas is a wonderful gift we have in our region. Possession Sound has snow-capped mountain views to all sides, foothills that climb from the water to the sky, city views that shine in the twilight, unique commercial and military vessels, abundant marine life including whales, porpoises, seals, sea lions, leaping salmon, osprey, eagles and the raucous Arctic Terns! We have deep water that is invitingly close to safe harbors, and relatively protected waters with Islands to temper the wind driven swells. To encourage more time on your boat and sharpen your sailing and navigation skills, Milltown is presenting a new series of challenge sailing courses. |
The four challenge courses are:
Eligibility:These courses are open to all Milltown sailing yachts. Boats must have a handicap rating and a current PHRF rating is preferred. If a boat does not have a rating, contact the race fleet captain and a club rating will be determined for the Challenge Courses.
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Course Description: |
Possessing the SoundAt 8.6 nautical miles, this is the shortest of the challenge courses. This course starts at the start/finish line B-Mark and around Hat Island (Gedney Island) to either direction. Watch for shallows along the edge of the island, as the depth comes up rapidly in a few areas.
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Sound-to-SoundThis 15.0 nautical mile course is an excellent afternoon/evening run down to Possession Point to peek into Puget Sound and then sail back. This course has the added challenge of crossing the WSF routes twice. In mid to late summer, this course is often a pleasurable reach down and back – if you can avoid the wind hole near Possession Point! Watch for shallows and current when rounding to port or starboard at Possession Point. This course starts/finishes at the B-Mark.
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Island FeverThis 23.7 nautical mile course covers the entire Possession Sound from the Whidbey Island navigation buoy at Possession Point, West of Hat (Gedney) Island, and then up to Camano Head navigation marker before finishing at Everett. This course has the challenge of crossing the WSF routes twice and often heavy currents off of Sandy Point and Camano Head. Part of this course is along the Eastern shore of Whidbey, which is a straight line transit for pleasure vessels heading north, and can get busy in the summer, sometimes including the Victoria Clipper on its daily runs. Watch for shallows when rounding at both Possession Point and Camano Head. This course starts/finishes at the B-Mark.
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Edmonds Dinner CruiseAt 25.0 nautical miles, this is the longest of the challenge courses and has two legs. The outbound leg starts at the standard Start/Finish, down Possession Sound then on to Edmonds. The half way finish or rounding mark, is a coordinate near the Edmonds Marina entrance. The inbound leg is the reverse of the outbound leg
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