VARC Boat of the Year was Reigh North’s Absolute Kaos.

The Vancouver Area Racing Council’s (VARC) 2007 season was an unmitigated success, with increased participation, more sponsorship and hot competition in every division. To celebrate the year, more than 180 sailors attended the 2007 VARC Awards Dinner January 18 at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, where a record $8,000 in awards and prizes were given.

Overall winners for the 2007 season were Kinetic III, Absolute Kaos, Black Ice, Light Rapid Transit and L’Aristo for Divisions One through Six, respectively. First, second and third place winners were also announced by division for the regatta series and distance series. Competition for the Boat of the Year was very tight, as points for the top four boats were all within four percent of the 2007 winner, Absolute Kaos.

“Our success in 2007 had a lot to do with getting the crew, boat and logistics dialed in for the Van Isle 360—we did well there, too, with a third overall,” said Absolute Kaos owner Reigh North. “With the crew gelled and back from the 360, our only shot at Boat of the Year was to win every regatta we entered. We came back and won six straight events. If we’d received just one second place, we wouldn’t have won.”

With 16 regatta and distance events throughout the year, doing well in the VARC series demands an enormous amount of dedication from the boat owners, crew and sponsors. Boats need to be prepped and on the line for every race, with consistent, practiced crew-work and sound tactical decisions. The Absolute Kaos program alone has 14 members—only seven or eight can sail at a time—and three sponsors, all of whom are essential to the team’s success.

VARC itself also relies on sponsorship and volunteer support. The council includes a seven-person administrative committee and representatives from each of the 10 member yacht clubs. Since its beginnings 30 years ago, VARC’s purpose has been to bring continuity to racing events in the Vancouver area with standardized division splits, handicapping and race management. So far, it’s working, and racing communities across North America are looking to Vancouver for help in setting up their own racing councils.
“Participation in VARC is up 25 percent this year, which was already up 25 percent from the year before,” said North. The increase is due in part to a shift in VARC policy that gives yacht clubs ownership of the regattas, with VARC just setting up the guidelines.

Changes for VARC in 2008 include the creation of a new no-flying-sails Division Zero targeted at cruising boats looking to get into racing without making the jump to a full-on race boat. Division Six will also get a revised schedule omitting the more distant races like Semiahmoo and SOAR, which should give smaller boats that could not ordinarily make the journey a better chance at the overall prizes. Lastly, a Mumm 30 one-design division will be scored within Division One to accommodate the growing five-boat fleet of these speedy racers.
For more on VARC, the 2008 season and the 2007 winners, visit www.varc.bc.ca.