By Jim Denys
The 8th Annual Hardheads Bolivar RIG RUN is in the books, but not before shattering all RIG RUN records. The RIG RUN weekend started with the Captain’s Dinner at Hardheads for Sailors, Sponsors, Bolivar Yacht Club Hospitality members and family. Every year the BYC selects an organization to support. This year we selected the Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge #3719, recently named the AERIE OF THE YEAR at its International Convention August 2nd, as its recipient. Over $1,100 dollars was raised over the weekend for the Fraternal Order of Eagles National and State Spinal Bifida/Spinal Cord injuries projects. The 1500 FOE lodges will donate over $10 million in 2022/2023 to various charities.

A record 48 boats registered with sailors coming from as far away as Utah, Wichita Falls, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, East Texas and Louisiana. Some teams dropped out because of the unstable weather forecast while others embraced the challenge. Some registered Teams saw the conditions Saturday morning and decided it was better to spare their boat so they could live to sail another day. A total of 41 boats entered the surf, 23 at Noon in the longer Wreck Course and 18 in the RIG Course with winds raging 18 MPH ESE, and seas 4’-6’ off shore.

The Wreck Course boats launched at Noon for starboard rounding of the RIG before heading to the Wreck off Retillon Road and back for a port rounding of the RIG before finishing the 15-mile course. The 6-mile RIG Course launched 15 minutes later at 12:15. Several of the enthusiastic teams jumped on the trapeze wire despite of the 4-6’ seas to gain a speed advantage while keeping the boat from capsizing. Numerous teams did capsize, and several more than once. The tricky starboard rounding at the RIG meant turning away from the wind to come about and have the main sail violently shift to the other side with 4-6’ waves now crashing on the starboard side of the boat. For most sailors just staying on the boat and not capsizing would be considered success, but RIG RUN sailors also had to avoid colliding into the massive Rig. BYC jet ski safety crews managed to pluck Sink or Swim away from the Rig as they quickly drifted within 3 feet of the Rig.

The BYC Safety committee under the direction of Mike Trahan ran the BYC Safety Command Center. Mike dispatched Capt. Robbie of the 3rd Coast Parasail vessel, his crewmen Riley Bowman, and Kole Rodriguez, as well as, Jet Ski operators Shawn Pachlhofer and Mick O’Rourke. They were the heroes of the day. The Safety committee handled 10 or more distress calls from man overboard to sometimes as many as 5 search and rescue calls at one time. Additionally, safety vessels were sent to boats in need over the course of the 3½ hour event. Some disabled boats just beached their boats wherever they could, others d-masted and were towed to the beach. One skipper and crew got separated from their boat. They needed assistance to locate the turtled catamaran and then right it. Team Kona Kai suffered a rudder casting break coming ashore around Barrel 48, while XX Raiders’ mast filled with water and also had came ashore in the same area. Once the boat drifted into shore it took 5 guys to right it. Nokken Heads had a dagger board retraction failure that ripped a hole in the hull while the dagger board was down in shallow water. They came ashore around Barrell 72. Bump T Bump got lost and came ashore east of the finish line. Knot Shore d-masted when their shroud broke and were towed to shore.

The RIG RUN had 2 teams from the Sea Star Base in Galveston that offers Maritime programs benefiting Adaptive, Youth, Veterans and others. SSB Galveston Team Kona Kai and the Buccaneers both entered the Wreck race. Kona Kai Crew, David Gaston has never let his spinal injury slow him down and teamed up with Captain Clement Jardin to challenge themselves with the 15 mile race. Their race was cut short with the broken rudder casting. The Kona Kai and Buccaneer boats were recovered and both teams made it back for the awards presentation at 4PM.

The RIG RUN – “1st to The Beach” was NO FEAR in 26:20 shattering the previous 2019 record of 48:30 by Ricky Richardson. Congratulations to Tommy and Marilyn Sachitano on a Hobie 18. The Corrected Time winners were VSeaTurtle skippered by Paul Vera and Steve Romeis finishing in 26:45. 2nd Place was Salt Crew skippered by Tom Nelson and Dick Gunn finishing in 26:58. 3rd Place went to Jude’s Getaway skippered by Craig Bellaire and crew Mike Wise finishing in 27:10.

The WRECK COURSE, stretching another 5 miles this year by having sailboats return to the RIG saw Popsicle Sticks (aka Fast Furniture) be 1st to the beach in 1:29:50. The all-wood boat was skippered by Scott Tuma and crew Summer Sibley. The Corrected Time winner was the Pig Boat skippered by Don Zeek and crew Daniel Zeek finishing in 2:15:25. 2nd Place went to Popsicle Sticks skippered by Scott Tuma and crew Summer Sibley finishing in 2:20:35. 3rd Place went to Fast Tango skippered by Jamie Gaines and crew David Cerdas, both Worrell 1000 Veterans, finishing in 2:43:23.

Lastly, the RIG RUN could not be possible without the support of its Sponsors. Including the Title Sponsor Hardheads, new owners Tim & Cathy Hammond and Cherri Williams. Along with Admiral Sponsors Wendy Dozier with RE/MAX on the Water, and Tracy Ruck with Villas At Rollover Bay. We also appreciated the support of 3rd Coast Parasail, Cunningham Living, Blue Water Mafia, C&C Sailing, Sign Solutions, Crystal Beach Marketing, Breezy Island Time, Big Bobby Boy, Bolivar Escape Room, Island Café, Bolivar Beach Club RV Resort, Salty Mermaid, Jak’s Ranch, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles #3719.

Lastly, I want to thank the tireless BYC Hospitality volunteers who assembled the sailors swag before the race, worked in the pre-dawn hours to set up the beach and stayed long after to make sure the beach was left like we found it. Thank you!!

We are looking forward to seeing everyone next year at the Rig Run, August 12th, 2023.

Nautically Yours,
Jim Denys
Commodore- The Bolivar Yacht Club

From Scott Tuma on Popsicle Sticks (aka Fast Furniture) who was first to return from the Wreck

What a great event 2022 Hardheads Bolivar RIG RUN was. It was definitely a year many will talk about for a long time. Some of the fleet got caught in a pretty good squall as they approached the rig.

The wind started out at 15-20 knots from the NE. This made launching very easy and a nice power reach to the rig with a long 5.5 mile downwind sleigh ride to the wreck. We were able to punch out, get to the rig first and transition from the hair-raising reach to the rollercoaster downwind. It was one of those runs where you sail deeper than you normally do to keep the boat from going too fast and punching into the backside of the next wave. Jamie & David on the I20 caught us about 3/4 down the run, but Summer, found the wreck as they continued on starboard jybe a bit too far and we were able to squeeze in front of them at the rounding. Several minutes after we rounded the wreck, I commented that was a very fast run and we’ve been racing for only 40 minutes.

The problem with long downwinds is there are usually long upwinds. The 4-6’ waves became more apparent when we started launching half the boat off of them. I knew this was going to be a tough beat when I kept seeing the leeward board out of the water from the boat launching off the waves. After a dozen or so air launched slams, I learned to slow the boat down and come up the face of the wave a few degrees to keep everything and everyone together. Going left or right, I don’t think it made a difference. I chose to go more on the starboard tack as it was the longer tack and I could see the rig (which helped stay focused on the end goal). I also wanted to stay closer to shor, just in case something went wrong. It is a 40+ year old boat. About a mile out from the rig, we made our port tack approach and was quickly reminded how big the waves were as they were coming more from the east. Now we were air launching off them again. Luckily I remembered how to drive them as this final port tack was smoother than our first 15 minutes after rounding the wreck. Approaching the rig, we noticed a boat capsized and we started looking for people. The safety boat was on station and plucked the sailors out of the water. They were taken to shore and the rescue of the boat came later. We agreed to stay clear as they didn’t need another boat to complicate the corn flakes. The last leg to the finish was another screaming reach but with the waves more behind the stern this time. We finished first to the beach but needed to go a bit faster as we corrected out to second place.

And of course, I didn’t get either tracker started for the race.