The Riptide 35 Mk 2 Longboard was first to finish the 2014 Vic-Maui Race, and if she hasn’t already, will surely save her time on the next closest boat, New Haven. You can follow Brad Baker’s analysis of the race in updates one, two, three and four. And, as if there were any doubt, Paul Bieker can draw a very fast boat. The following report is from the Vic-Maui website. –KH
With winds building as she got closer to Maui, Longboard put one last run on the plane and ripped through Pailolo Channel to finish at the Aston Kaanapali Shores an hour before midnight. Peter Salusbury and crew can claim Line Honours for Vic-Maui 2014 as the first boat to finish.
This was an adventure 30 years in the making as Peter, and crew mates Stewart Jones and Jeremy Hill did the race together a long time ago. They were joined for this race by Peter’s son Jim and Stewart’s son Simon, along with the always welcome Gina Borza.
Conditions in this year’s 24th running of Vic-Maui suited Longboard, a custom built Riptide 35 designed by Paul Bieker, to a tee. When the wind blew, it blew hard – picking the light boat out of the water and putting on a high speed plane. When the wind did not blow, the light weight allowed forward progress in the lightest of zephyrs.
Peter reported that the boat performed perfectly. She was a pleasure to sail and a thrill to experience flying down the waves at speeds approaching 20 kts. Nothing broke, no sails ripped, no real adventures. That is other than having to stop the boat and dive underneath to clear floating debris off the keel.
Family and well-wishers gave a hearty Aloha as the boat glided into the Lahaina Pier, and the crew were treated to very welcome Mai Tais and real food from the Greeting Party. In the wee hours, a very tired crew headed for some bunk time on a stable platform for the first time in 12 days.
