TRANSPAC
The 2027 edition of the Los Angeles to Honolulu Transpacific Yacht Race is now open for entries. This unique ocean race, held biennially since 1906, embarks sailors on a thrilling 2,225-nautical-mile journey across the Pacific from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
Craig Reynolds, a seasoned 10-time race veteran and skipper of Bolt, one of the pioneering boats to enter the 2027 Transpac, urges, “Just do it!”
Nearly a century ago, in 1928, Craig Reynolds’s grandfather prepared his gaff-rigged schooner for the Transpac with a remarkable feat: five thousand pounds of ice, a cook, and the skipper’s wife. Reynolds, who was among the first to enter the 2027 race, will be competing in his modern and highly competitive 68-foot Nelson Marek Bolt. This marks his tenth race across the Pacific. While his grandfather may have embarked on this adventure for the sheer thrill of the unknown, Reynolds now races with the ultimate goal of victory.
“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.”
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.
For Bob Pethick, that camaraderie and immersing himself in the boat and the race is what appeals to him.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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