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FIRST WEEK OF ENTRIES SEES COMMITMENT TO THE 2027 TRANSPAC
“Just do it!” says Craig Reynolds, 10x veteran of the race and skipper of Bolt, one of the first boats to enter the 2027 Transpac.
Entries are now open for the 2027 edition of the Los Angeles to Honolulu Transpacific Yacht Race. An ocean race like no other, the Transpac has been held biennially since 1906 and sends sailors on a 2,225-nautical-mile dash across the Pacific from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
Five thousand pounds of ice, a cook and the skipper’s wife were how Craig Reynolds’s grandfather prepared his gaff-rigged schooner for the 1928 Transpac, nearly 100 years ago. “And they were happy to find the island!” says Reynolds, who was one of the first to enter the 2027 race, and will be competing in his modern and highly competitive 68-foot Nelson Marek Bolt. This will be his tenth race across the Pacific and while, like his grandfather, he may have done it the first time for the thrill of the adventure, today he races to win.
“The whole key in the Transpac is to gybe in the right spots. You can’t make mistakes,” advises Reynolds. “You have an element of luck, an element of skill where you pick the right course and that is determined by the weather, and then you have an element of how prepared you are.”
“You get out in the middle of the ocean and the camaraderie of making the boat go, it’s just a special thing. Transpac is a really special race." — Craig Reynolds, Bolt
Get all three elements in alignment, and you might win. “There’s an art to it. That’s one of the reasons Transpac is such a great race,” says Reynolds, who has beat the pros to the podium in his class with an all-amateur crew in past Transpacs. They’re a devoted team, returning to race year over year.
“Being a thousand miles offshore and the whole world is just the boat and the people on the boat, it’s pretty special,” adds Reynolds. “You get out in the middle of the ocean and the camaraderie of making the boat go, it’s just a special thing. Transpac is a really special race. To do it, you have to really want to.”
For Bob Pethick, that camaraderie and immersing himself in the boat and the race is what appeals to him.
“I like getting offshore, getting off the grid, turning off my phone, take a time-out from all the things that keep you busy during life,” says the four-time Transpac veteran. “I really like the camaraderie of our team and getting offshore sailing and competing. My best friends are the people I sail with offshore.”
“It’s more than twice as long as the next longest race, so it’s a whole other level of endurance and planning." — Bob Pethick, Akua Kai
Pethick is expanding that network of friends, teaming up with another Transpac sailor, Standish Fleming, to campaign the new-to-them TP52 Akua Kai, formerly Crush of Western Australia. Pethick’s Rogers 46 Bretwalda 3, was first-to-finish in the Transpac second day start in 2015, 2019 and 2021, and placed first in class and third overall in 2021. Fleming’s J/125 Neriad, clocked class wins in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo races and was first in class and second overall in the 2023 Transpac. The two accomplished skippers have partnered up on the purchase and refit of Akua Kai and are melding their crews and skills to take on Transpac 2027.
With the overhaul of basic systems and some upgrades completed, the team started campaigning and the co-owners are feeling good about their long search for the right boat. “It’s a rocket ship, particularly compared to the other 52s on the West Coast, and particularly downwind. For the kind of racing we do we think it will do well,” he says.
Originally from Michigan, Pethick has 40 Mackinac races under his belt, he did Newport to Bermuda in 2021, and the Rolex Middle Sea Race in 2025, as well as numerous West Coast events over the years, but Transpac is always next level when it comes to offshore competition and strategy.
“It’s more than twice as long as the next longest race, so it’s a whole other level of endurance and planning. You have to have redundant systems to deal with any kind of failures. You’re a thousand miles offshore so you have to be your own doctor, your own mechanic, because you’re on your own.”
“I think it can be a life changing experience, good or bad—it’s not something to be taken lightly, and most people who do it don’t take it lightly,” he adds. “I’m glad to be one of the first to sign up for the 2027 Transpac.”
Taking it lightly—but not too lightly—is Mike Sudo’s approach with Macondo, a Beneteau First 47.7 that will be racing its fifth Transpac in a row. With a focus on a happy crew and learning more about the race by talking to other competitors, Sudo has improved his elapsed time each year. “For me, I want to win, but I’d rather laugh and have fun, have no one fighting and make it safe, than come in first,” he says.
During the race, his role is cook and keeper of the good mood. He washes the dishes, cleans the heads and provides three hot meals a day, making sure his crew are well-fed and well-rested so they perform better on the helm. “Driving at night, that’s our strong point,” he says. “I believe someone who’s wide awake is the best safety for the boat. If they’re wide awake they can drive straight.”
One of his biggest thrills is inviting new crew to join the boat and experiencing the race again as a first-timer through their eyes. “Seeing them cross that buoy for the first time is like watching someone open up their Christmas present when they believe in Santa Claus.” His skipper, Mike Price, is returning to race with him and bringing his father along—having a father-son duo on the team is a highlight for Sudo, whose overall goal is to inspire more people to try sailing and take on challenges like Transpac.
“Seeing them cross that buoy for the first time is like watching someone open up their Christmas present when they believe in Santa Claus.” — Mike Sudo, Macondo
“It helps sailing a lot if we encourage more people to do it, and be more relaxed about it,” he says, and, like Reynolds, he encourages people to just do it. He budgets $80,000 for race prep, works at West Marine for the gear discounts, drives Ubers for other boat crews to prime them for race tips and lives aboard Macondo to save on rent. “It’s a burnout sport if you do it every week. I would never want to burn out the crew.”
“We’ve got a boat that’s too heavy, a crew too young and an owner too poor. We’re like the David in a Goliath world,” he says.
Racing with these returning Transpac competitors are fellow veterans Aimant de Fille, Goodenergy, Groundhog Day, Merlin, Pyewacket 68 and Tower. New to the Transpac: DreadKnot, Flite, Mischief Managed, Shenanigans and Triton.
Join them!
Skippers, take note:
Three starts are planned for competitors: July 6, July 8 and July 10, 2027. This schedule results in boats starting on different days crossing in the middle of the race. It brings the finishes of fast and slow boats closer together so all can celebrate dockside and aligns well for the Honolulu team who staff the finish line, greet the boats, handle post-race inspections and state clearance and host the parties. With a July 18 full moon, competitors can enjoy a gradual increase of moonlight each night for the bulk of their time racing offshore.
The ORR (Offshore Racing Rule) will be used to handicap monohulls competing for the traditional King Kalakaua Trophy and other monohull perpetuals. ORR-MH will be used to handicap multihulls.
New for Transpac 2027: an Open Monohull Division for monohulls with more vertical lift than ORR allows, up to fully foiling, provided they meet the other monohull requirements, such as US Sailing’s SER stability and construction requirements. Open Monohulls are eligible for the Barn Door, fastest monohull elapsed time and monohull course record trophies.
For the 2027 race, Transpac Yacht Club is using Nautical Cloud for regatta management, registration and scoring. Individual owners and crew will create accounts, be added to crew rosters and manage all aspects of the entry process through this platform customized for Transpac. The Entry Committee is available for assistance at entry@transpacyc.com.
To register for the 2027 Transpac, an owner will create an account or login to their existing account, add basic boat details and officially enter the race with payment of the $250 entry deposit.
Leading up to the race, owners can navigate through the Nautical Cloud platform, completing the task list to meet all entry requirements, including adding crew to their roster (who will also create accounts to upload all their required information), assigning roles like Person in Charge, and giving access to a captain to assist with the entry process.
CREW FINDER
Ready to race but seeking crew or a skipper to crew for? Check out the Transpac Crew Finder! You can browse crew listings, add a post with the credentials you’re seeking, or add yourself as available crew looking for a ship.
Mark your calendars and make your plans to compete in Transpac 2027.