The Winter Vashon Race of December 1, 2012, completed Terremoto’s first year “under new management.” Terremoto went full circle through the Smith Island, Swiftsure, and Vic-Maui races to end up where its started at the tip of a slag heap in Tacoma’s Commencement Bay.

Unlike last year’s dysfunctional and unfamiliar crew, this year’s crew of Bron Miller, Steve Brockway, Bill Weinstein, Ken Monaghan, and Swiss Family Brink (David, Sarah and Mark) were familiar and dysfunctionally experienced. Terramoto was able to avoid in this year’s race hoisting Bron Mlller up the mast at the start line to fly him as a psychic distress pennant.

This successful start positioned the Terremoto on a fast and clear lane heading to shore as the rest of the fleet followed the wind in the opposite direction towards Vashon Island. Terremoto responded by jibing on to port and firmly seizing last place. Weinstein promptly ignored the crew consensus and with calm desperation pointed the bow at the southern tip of Vashon Island. The wind speed built quickly and Terremoto was able to cut across and sail below most of the fleet.

As Terremoto entered Colvos Passage it began a duel with the other bigger and faster boats in the race. The wind speed continued to build but was variable and the crew was engaged in a continuous dialogue involving wind and current. Weinstein was also trying to sail an efficient line to the top mark. Unlike last year where Terremoto was mistaken for a seiner because it routinely dropped its spinnaker in the water while jibing, this year’s race was characterized by a lack of mistakes. Terremoto smoothly jibed twelve times as it moved down the course pursuing the wind shifts and trying to use the tides to its advantage.

This frenetic activity was rewarded not only by keeping the crew warm and aerobically stimulated but by the T separating from the rest of its class and running down the Class 1 big boats. By the time Terremoto rounded the Committee Boat at the north end of Vashon Island, only Wasabi, a Kernan 44 sailed by a very fine group of sailors, was ahead.

Terremoto is only 35 feet long, and the crew was demoralized by exposure to reality and sanity. Beating in building wind down the East Passage off Vashon Island meant that many boats in the fleet with longer waterlines would sail faster than Terremoto. Boat tactics and clever navigation, or some sort of nautical earthquake, a terremoto, would be needed to win the race.

Mark rallied the crew from the Brink of dismay, and bellowed “there’s a lot of sailing left.” He then complimented Weinstein for his driving and navigational success up Colvos Passage by ordering him off the tiller. “You’re not fast,” he explained. Brink then tacked the boat towards the shore and away from the fleet. His decision lessened the effect of a building ebb tide, and because Terremoto was the western most boat it benefitted when the wind shifted west by twenty degrees.

Steve Brockway took the tiller and was very solid, but the long sleek Wasabi increased its lead, and Artemis, the Andrews 53 footer, Jam, a J-160, and the catamarans all closed their gaps with Terremoto. The wind continued to built to 25 knots with gusts above 30 knots. Terremoto, in anticipation of the windy corner around Point Robinson, reefed its main sail. A number of the other boats failed to take this step and Terremoto was able to maintain maximum boat speed as many of the other boats experienced difficulties because they became overpowered.

Unlike the 2011 Winter Vashon, Terremoto’s sails were replaced, and there was no equipment damage. The T was able to stay in front of virtually the entire fleet of 88 boats. Only Wasabi, Atemis, Jam, and the catamarans, Pax-the Space Spider and Danger Zone, were able to finish ahead of Terremoto over the 30.7 nautical mile course, and adjusted for the PHRF rating, Terremoto rocked this race for the second successive year.

The boat is clearly a different boat from last year, largely due to the superb refitting by Mark Brink, the experience gained from sailing Terremoto in a number of challenging races, and the reliance on a nourishing crew diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, and Macallan 18 single malt scotch.