Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1160216
8 WAC Magazine | wac.net Sailing champs WAC member skippers yacht from California to Hawaii for victory WAC member Shawn Dougherty (center) and the crew of Hamachi won the 2019 TransPac race from Los Angeles to Honolulu. u e 41-foot sailboat Hamachi, owned and skippered by amateur racers Shawn Dougherty and Jason Andrews, took first place overall in the 50th running of the Transpacific Yacht Race (TransPac) this past July. Shawn has been a WAC member since 1996. "It really came down to this ex- traordinary group of Pacific Northwest sailors and the great chemistry we had as a team," Shawn said following the race from Los Angeles to Honolulu. e six-person crew sailed 2,438 nautical miles in just under nine days to become what organizers believe to be Yacht race 100th birthday Athletic award Pumpkin swim the first Seattle-based boat to win the coveted trophy. All six members of the intergenerational crew—ranging in age from 26 to 64—live in greater Seattle. Hamachi was among 90 entrants from around the world to compete in the biennial race. In addition to Shawn and Jason, the Hamachi crew includ- ed Frederic Lafitte, Lucas Lafitte, Matt Pistay, and David Rogers. "Each member contributed complementary skills, and everyone came together with the com- mon desire to compete at the highest level while having fun at the same time," Shawn said. Hamachi was ahead of second-place finisher Velvet Hammer for most of the race, which finished at Diamond Head. Founded in 1906, the TransPac is one of the most prestigious open-ocean races in the world. is year, 81 boats completed the course successfully, eight retired, and one sank at sea. First Take R A C H E L R O S A L E S J A S O N A N D R E W S