Monohull sailboat claims first place in first-ever Washington360 race

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The High Seas Drifters were crowned the champions of the first-ever Washington360 race.

The Olson 30 monohull sailboat rounded Point Hudson shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday, June 10, less than four days after the start of the race.

Race officials had allotted a total of two weeks for competitors to finish the course, which ran from the South Puget Sound, near Olympia and as far north as Point Roberts before returning to the finish line in Port Townsend.

Sailors Shad Lemke, Mark Bostrom, Scott Wood, and Jefferson Franklin needed less than half of that time to reach the finish line and be greeted by a crowd of cheering onlookers on the Port Townsend waterfront.

After arriving at the Northwest Maritime Center’s dock, the Team High Seas Drifters rang the famous bell — used in previous years by participants in the R2AK to signify their completion of the arduous race.

Race Boss Daniel Evans handed over the team’s prize, a championship belt the likes of which would be right at home resting on the shoulder of Hulk Hogan. 

Just behind the first-place winners were Team Fressure (Justin Hinchcliffe, Casey Pruitt, Andrew Bly, and Charles Boremann) and Team Lake Pend Oreille Yacht Club (Gabe Mills, Jason Taft, Jon Totten, and Ben Price).

Light winds in the first days of the race placed a premium on human-powered propulsion for the first group of finishers in the WA360.

There are plenty of racers yet to complete the race, with some still as far south as Edmonds and Bainbridge Island early Thursday afternoon.