Chuck Skewes was born and bred in Seattle, Washington and is an avid pro sailor and sailmaker and the owner of three Ullman Sails lofts. Chuck spends much of his time on the boats sailing with customers and educating them on performance, sail maintenance and what to expect when sailing. His biggest passion, however, is racing having raced in almost every continent in the world, proudly sporting Ullman Sails.

In this blog, Chuck Skewes explains the challenges of the Transpac, which he recently competed in.

The Transpac – An iconic race

Many sailors dream of racing the Transpac. The iconic race from Long Beach California to Honolulu Hawaii. This year was its 50th edition and is one of the longest single leg ocean races in the world. It has seen great personalities from Roy Disney to John Kilroy and Paul Cayard.
After having just sailing the 2019 Transpac on a Rogers 46 named Bretwalda 3, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on questions I get about the trans-pacific races I do each summer.

TP52 test sail for Transpac

I have been in the sailing industry for over 3 decades and often get asked “How do I get on a boat for the Transpac?” Which is a hard question to answer. There are several different approaches to Transpac. Some do it to experience it, some do it to compete, and others do it to win it.

What you need to consider before doing the big race

• Do I really want to do the Transpac? Am I willing to be tired from 8 to 14 days, cold at least 3 days, too hot for at least 4 days and not to mention being wet? When I mention wet I don’t mean a little wet I mean soaked 100% for several days, as many as 9. Wet while you sleep, sail, eat, rest, navigate, or just breathe.
• Can I be tired for several days in a row and still function safely? Being tired and being able to change sails, fix broken gear, make sound decisions is a big part of offshore sailing.
• Do I get sea sick? If you do at all you will almost for sure be feeling it the first two days.
• Am I able to sleep in a loud moving environment? Sleeping while wet is one thing, sleeping while it sounds like you are in a rocket with an engine that is about to fail is another. The noises the winches make, crew moving around, surfing, or sails luffing is something you need to be able to sleep through. Then you still need to be able to wake up if there is a situation and get to work within seconds.

Obviously if you do it on a Swan 651 like I did in 2015 you are not going to be wet 24/7, but you are most likely going to be out there for 12-14 days. If you sail a Rogers 46 like I did in 2019, you are going to be wet, but only for 8 days. Wet is an understatement. Soaked to the gills and getting sores is more accurate. Either scenario being tired and trying to sleep in noise is just part of the game.

The Transpac can be grueling

If Transpac is your first offshore experience it may not be the wisest choice you can make. There are several shorter races that you can compete in to get to know your crew, the boat, and yourself. Many think they want to sail offshore, but once they do it they compare it more to a prison camp than the picturesque experience they see in magazines. Even the sailors that like big wind and wet, but have not done offshore yet, are often not prepared for the shear amount of time you are in those conditions. Doing it for 4-8 hours is a lot different than doing it 24/7 for a week.

The best way to start real offshore racing

Start by doing a 600-800 mile race where you really have a chance to settle into a watch schedule. Also it is short enough if the crew dynamics don’t work out and you limit your time to 3-4 days versus 2 weeks. There are several of these races, the one that comes to mind first is the Newport to Cabo Race. Another would be the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race. Shorter races like the Newport to Ensenada do not give you enough time to really settle into a good rotation.

The rewards of racing!

I equate it more to climbing a mountain. It is not necessarily the journey, but the accomplishment. Completing the event while being competitive and leaving it all out on the course is a great feeling. You become closer to many of those you sail with, and you develop an amazing trust for some of them. You have more respect for the power of the sea and wind. If you are lucky enough you get to see some wildlife that most will never see. When you cross that finish line it is an indescribable feeling of accomplishment!

Chuck Skewes enjoying good times after racing

Lofts: Ullman Sails San Diego, Puerto Vallarta, and Pacific Northwest