The NWISA Keelboat Championships delivered thrilling racing across two days of highly variable conditions, culminating in a dramatic one-point victory for Bainbridge over Olympia. With shifting winds and fog adding complexity to the regatta, the competition proved remarkably tight from start to finish.
Day one featured wind speeds ranging from 4 to 12 knots, beginning with a northerly breeze that shifted easterly before a dramatic 120-degree left shift to north-northwest halfway through the final race of the day. Despite the challenging conditions, the fleet completed the first round robin of five races. The racing was incredibly close, with two lead changes and only seven points separating first from last place.
Day two began under grim forecasts calling for little to no wind, but the fleet headed out to the race course regardless. Surprisingly, enough breeze filled in to get racing underway. After a quick sixth race of the regatta, a second race was started just before thick fog rolled in. Race committee made the call to abandon that race for safety at the halfway mark, even though there was plenty of wind to sail. Following a short postponement, racing resumed and the second round robin was completed, wrapping up the ten-race regatta.
Competition tightened even further on the second day, with two more lead changes throughout the round robin. After all ten races were tallied, just twelve points separated first from last place. Bainbridge squeaked out a one-point win over Olympia to claim the NWISA Keelboat Championship title and earn a coveted berth to ISSA Keelboat Nationals.
A history chart tracking each team’s relative ranking throughout the regatta illustrated just how close the competition was. The first-place team as of any given race sat at the top of the chart, with the spacing between teams showing the relative gains and losses made from one race to the next. The races were ordered by number and then by division, which may not have represented the actual sailing order.
