The Transpac Race, 2023, is over.  Out of five boats starting, in our class, only two of us finished the race.  We were a crew of unexperienced people, none of us had ever sailed in the Transpac or to Hawaii from California.  We made it there in Sixteen days, twenty-three hours, fifty-nine minutes and thirty-four seconds in a Catalina 445 that was pretty beat up by the time we arrived in Honolulu.

What a welcome we received!  There was a party going on at the Hawaii Yacht Club, we did a victory lap in front of it while they announced us; we then landed in our temporary slip and we were leied and handed a Mai Tai before we even left Imagine Too, our boat.  We were greeted by friends and family, had a party right across from the slip, just for us, drank more mai tai’s and eventually grabbed an uber to the hotel where I passed out for thirteen hours.

I am so very grateful that Grace Harley decided to come to Oahu to greet us.  I would never have participated in the race or even have been prepared for it without her love and support.  She is a special person who I am enternally grateful for having her in my life.