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DON'T MISS THE PARTY!
Invite your friends & family to the Aloha Sendoff Party.
A proper race deserves a proper sendoff! Get your tickets now for the 2025 Transpac Aloha Sendoff, sponsored by Third Window Brewing and Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard.
Join us on Saturday, June 28, 6:00-9:00pm, aboard the USS Iowa in San Pedro to celebrate the skippers and sailors racing in the 2025 Transpac and wish them fair winds and best of luck.
Enjoy excellent craft beer, world-class wines and Mount Gay Rum from our sendoff sponsors, plus other culinary delights and entertainment.
In Hawaii, don’t miss the Hana Hou Party at Kaneohe Yacht Club on Saturday, July 19, to celebrate a successful passage and award trophies!
Division assignments will be posted following the May 30 deadline for submitting final rating data.
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TRANSPAC RULES UPDATE
The Transpacific Yacht Club would like to remind competitors of several rule changes and updates that are different than in years past.
AIS TRANSMITTING AT ALL TIMES
For safety reasons, the Racing Rules of Sailing established by World Sailing have been changed regarding AIS (Automatic Identification System) transmission. Transpac race organizers comply with these international rules and rule 56.3 states: “When a rule requires a boat to be equipped with an Automatic Identification System transponder or any other tracking device, it shall not be turned off or its effectiveness intentionally reduced.”
Bottom line: If a race’s safety requirements mandate an AIS is aboard, it must be transmitting at all times. Transpac uses US Sailing’s Safety Equipment Requirements, which require an AIS for ocean races, so to comply with the international rules, each boat must transmit their AIS throughout the race. This change is for safety, not tactical purposes, and Transpac inspectors are checking that each boat’s AIS is functioning properly as part of the required pre-race boat inspections. Additionally, the 2025 Transpac Sailing Instructions will include a requirement to commence broadcasting via AIS one hour ahead of the race start, to confirm that each boat is transmitting properly.
An additional note on this AIS change: because transmission is now required at all times, Transpac’s Pasha YB Live Tracker will no longer display a four-hour delay on boat positions.
INFORMATION FREELY AVAILABLE
Transpac has issued an NOR amendment recognizing vastly increased internet access and the proliferation of phone apps and laptop subscription information services such as PredictWind, Windy and MarineTraffic. World Sailing rules allow use of information that’s freely available to all boats; in the past that’s been interpreted as information available online or elsewhere that’s easily found and accessible without payment. For the 2025 Transpac, the payment aspect is no longer in effect so subscription information available to all boats will be allowed. But, personalized weather not readily available to all boats or other customized routing services are not allowed. Details are in NOR Amendment No. 3 and the associated Q&A.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT UPDATES
One change in the US Safety Equipment Requirements is the minimum standard for your high-powered emergency bilge pump—much more powerful bilge pumps are now required. Rule 2.5.4 states: “A boat shall have either fixed or portable electric pump(s) to remove ingress water from any compartment. The pump(s) shall have a minimum rated capacity of 3,000 gal/hr, be operated by battery, main engine power or a separate engine.” If you’ve raced in the past and your bilge pump was adequate at that time, please check the new standard now required.
The US Safety Equipment Requirements now specify wind speeds for storm sails. Previously wind speeds were unstated which may have encouraged some boats to save weight by building lightweight storm sails they hoped to never need. Now USSER 3.33.4.1 states: “Storm sails shall be designed to provide propulsion and steerage in 34-40 knots and on all points of sail. Heavy weather sails shall be designed to provide propulsion and steerage in 22-27 knots and on all points of sail.”
WATER TANKS
Typically, most of Transpac is sailed on starboard tack and historically boats have loaded more weight on the starboard side before the start to improve performance. Transpac has traditionally limited asymmetrical storage of drinking water. For the 2025 race, NOR 10.2. limits asymmetrical storage of water in tanks to no more than two gallons per person, down from seven gallons per person. As before, all other water and drinks must be stored symmetrically about centerline. This change recognizes most boats now have water makers, reduces the competitive advantage of purpose-built tanks of little use outside of Transpac and reduces ambiguity associated with movable ballast rules while making and consuming drinking water during the race.
SCORING CHANGES FOR 2025
Scoring will now accommodate race-specific weather for each start date.
The 2025 Transpac will use Forecast-Time Correction Factor (F-TCF) scoring to account for varying weather conditions on start dates and how different types of boats use the same weather to sail different optimal courses to Honolulu.
“Catalina Eddy” weather effects often make the first 200 miles of Transpac significantly different from one start day to another. With three planned starts staggered over five days chances are high for different weather between the starts. Fortunately, “Catalina Eddies” are now well predicted by HRRR forecasts.
Further offshore, boats are expected to encounter reaching conditions in the synoptic breezes and steadier trade winds which change less rapidly and are well predicted by GFS forecasts. F-TCF scoring uses each boat’s predicted performance over a full spectrum of wind speeds and angles, combined with the weather predicted immediately before the race, to calculate each boat’s optimal route, predicted elapsed time, and then Time Correction Factor.
What is F-TCF and how does it work?
TRANSPAC CHECKLIST: COMPLETE YOUR CREW INFORMATION
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DON'T MISS THE PARTY!
Invite your friends & family to the Aloha Sendoff Party.
The Transpac Race would not be possible without the logistical support provided by our partners at local yacht clubs in California and Hawaii. From dock space to showers, jury rooms to social hours, we rely on these valuable centers of maritime culture on our Pacific shores to create a racing experience unlike any other in the world.
We’d like to extend a special thanks to our California clubs and the many member volunteers who support the competitors, crews and race organizers at the start: Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club and Los Angeles Yacht Club.
In Hawaii, the exuberant alohas each boat receives upon arrival and the generosity of facilities and welcoming island spirit come from member volunteers at Hawaii Yacht Club, Kaneohe Yacht Club and Waikiki Yacht Club.
We thank you!
SPONSOR ALOHA!
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