Mark Ashmore’s Cal 40 Nalu V may not have had the fastest ride to Hawaii in the 51st edition of the Transpac, having broken their spinnaker a few days in, but they did raise $31K USD for ALS research (a rare neurological disease) in memory of their crew mate Mark Buttermann.
“We are finishing in our typical place – last across the line (Nalu-style), but I don’t think we’re last on a corrected,” Ashmore said. “Getting in safely has always been goal #1 and we accomplished that. “Of most importance, we raised $31K for ALS research. This is a great amount, but is short of our $50,000 goal. Please do share this challenge on social media and with your friends. While the race may be ending for us, the challenge goes on and ALS research funding is critically important.”
Nalu V did receive the First Cal 40 to Finish award from TPYC Commodore Jim Eddy, being the only one in the fleet this year.
This was a year of challenges for Transpac: the COVID pandemic put tremendous uncertainty into every phase of planning for participants, organizers and sponsors alike.
Yet in the end it was Mother Nature who emerged as the star of the show this year: mostly strong steady winds that propelled the 40 teams who started out in San Pedro last week down the rhumb line to some of the fastest times seen yet in this race.
One broken mast just after the start and a broken rudder in the Molokai Channel were the only serious damage incidents, and no serious injuries or health issues that were not resolvable on the trip.
From all of us at the Transpacific Yacht Club, we say Aloha and hope to see you again in 2023 for Transpac 52!
For more stories, photos, videos, links to entries, team bios and more, visit https://transpacyc.com.
– TPYC
