So…

Of all the potential pathways through the channel islands between the Gulf islands and the Straits of Georgia, the one with the most risk, the pass with the lowest probability of success, the DUMB way is to go through Dodd Narrows. No skipper in a race, who is dependent on current and wind and the timing for slack water, would EVER plan to go through Dodd narrows.

It’s stupid.

Dodd Narrows is 150 feet wide.

The current runs at 10 knots, if you don’t hit slack water just right, you’re screwed.

It’s all by itself at the far northern end of the Gulf Islands.

As Boromir from Lord of the Rings famously said, “One does not just shoot Dodd Narrows.”

Therefore we had planned not to, because we’re smart. But then, as we got into the race leg and approached Turn Point, we saw that Boundary Pass and South Georgia were glass.

And then Active Pass was running too hard and we watched Fortuna go in and come back out.

So we were going for Porlier. We’d plug our way through, it was straight and short, it would be great.

…but Gusto went in and came back out. Failing.

And then.

…then we saw Image, our nemesis, going for it. Going for Dodd.

They’re crazy we thought, then Expresso was going, and Gusto. We did the math, it could work, it could juuuuusssst work.

IF.

If the winds held steady for the next three hours, it could work. And IF it did work? Oh my god what a play. What a goddamned play. What a way to finish, we’d beat them all, our band of a few boats, we’d beat them all. Well not all, but a lot of them.

It would be glorious! Cheeky even!

Let’s go for it, we thought.

We sailed in the dying light as the winds ghosted lighter, 9 knots then 8 then 7. Uh oh Gusto’s spinnaker was hanging limp don’t go to starboard. 6 knots as we approached, but still steady.

We had to sail to the lee as we approached the Narrows proper, it was like we were entering a hallway, you couldn’t see the other end, and it was only a couple hundred yards long. Then we were in the groove and able to sail a’windward, four boats in the Narrows together, sailing, racing, through the cut. Just quiet, like lake racing dingies in the slightest of rippled water. Easy and smooth and quiet.

Unbelievable!

A crowd of locals were there, watching on the shore, we chatted with them in soto voice we were so close. The kids were in their pajamas.

The breeze held and just like that, we were through.

It had worked!

Brilliant crazy sail.

We brought her home and claimed third for our efforts.

Never in a million tries could I make that happen again.

Never.