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Anacortes has the best sailors.

The proof came this weekend when the crew of the Elizabeth Bonaventure longboat placed first in the sailing race from Saddlebag Island to Seafarers’ Memorial Park at the 2009 Pacific Challenge.

The nine-member Anacortes Rowing Crew 4081 also took home the second-place award in rowing and the Excellence in Seamanship Award for overall proficiency in sailing, rowing and boat-handling during the three-day nautical skills competition in Anacortes.

The team, led by David Jackson and Kris Kefgen, trains year round for the competition. Team members are Candace Kiersky, Elise King, Zach Schaarschmidt, Ian Reeves, Billy Ray, Reilly Wynn, Casey Bacetich, Debbi Kenote and LaRen Geraart-Rossie.

“It’s an opportunity for various local groups to get together, compete and practice their nautical skills,” said team leader Reeves, 20, who’s been in the program for four years and who has been recognized as the best coxswain at two previous Pacific Challenges.

This year teams came from Port Townsend, Olympia, Tacoma and other waterfront communities around the region. Different groups host the event each year. This year’s Challenge was hosted by the Old Anacortes Rowing and Sailing Society or OARS.

Teams of young mariners, ages 14 to 20, participate in water events in 26-foot wooden longboats. They navigate without electronic instruments, toss mail bags using the traditional method of passing mail from boat-to-boat or boat-to-shore without “wetting,” and salute the judges in pass in reviews while showing off their style and spirit.

In this year’s man-overboard drills, crews retrieved various objects thrown overboard during the sailing race. Participants retrieved a person-sized dummy, a boat fender, a bathtub rubber ducky and a crew member who went over the side in a survivors suit.

Land competitions involved knot tying, including members tying bowlines behind their backs and racing to tie four knots in a row such as a clove hitch, fisherman’s bend and figure-eight as fast and accurately as they could.

The crews also got to spend Friday and Saturday night in tents set up at Seafarers and attended a square dance on Saturday evening.

The events were judged by 10 volunteers from throughout Puget Sound, including Anacortes judges Torgy Torgersen, Beth Bell, Patrick O’Hern, James McMillan and Chief Judge Andy Stewart of Emerald Marine and Carpentry.

All judges have a knowledge of the maritime arts and are well-versed in sailing and rowing, Torgersen said. They know what to look for in the crews.

The Pacific Challenge began in Port Townsend in 1992. The Anacortes team was organized that same year by Jackson. He said he was put up to the task by City Council member Erica Pickett That first year, the crew had about eight members.

Crew members today meet mainly in the warmer months. Morning rows are Tuesdays and Thursdays and sailing is Sunday afternoons when alumni are welcome.

Other times, they review the skills they’ll be using during the Pacific Challenge, which are all applicable for marine industry jobs, Reeves said.

Some former members have gone on to commercial fishing while one works on a tug and another studies navigational skills, Jackson said. So the program affects them in small and large ways.

“I do love to see the kids come back and watch them grow,” Jackson said.

The Pacific Challenge is always a lot of fun, said Reeves, who on Thursday before the event said he was excited to meet up with the other teams and see how prepared they were for this year’s event.

The Anacortes crew tends to not think they’re going to do well going into the competitions but they always pull it together, he said. In 2007 and 2008, the crew won the Queen’s Cup, a silver trophy urn handed down from year to year for the crews showing overall excellence in all aspects of the Pacific Challenge, along with taking many other events through the years.

Awards

Queens Cup awarded to crew of the Bear from Port Townsend. A silver trophy urn that is handed down from year to year for the crews showing overall excellence in all aspects of the Pacific Challenge.

Coxswains Trophy awarded to Cox Avio Brooklyn and crew of the Bounty of Krister from Vashon Island.

Excellence in Seamanship Award to the crew of the Elizabeth Bonaventure of Anacortes for overall proficiency in sailing, rowing and boat-handling.

Navigation Award to the crew of Elder Spirit out of Olympia for sailing the winning course in the navigation problem.

Marlingspike Trophy to Avio Brooklyn of the crew of Bounty of Krister from Vashon Island for fastest overall performance in knot tying.

Bonzo De Leo Community Spirit Cup awarded to the crew of the Elder Spirit of Olympia for their activities with youth of fallen military personnel.

First Place Sailing Race given to the crew of the Elizabeth Bonaventure of Anacortes for first place finish over the sailing course.

First Place Rowing Race given to Port Townsend crew of Bear.

Second Place Rowing Race given to Anacortes crew of Elizabeth Bonaventure.

Third Place Rowing Race given to Tacoma crew of Verité.

Special Perseverance Award given to crew of Tuvaaq of Auburn for exceptionally fine sportsmanship and grace-under-pressure.

Best Man-Overboard Drill given to crew of Tuvaaq of Auburn for fastest retrieval of Man-Overboard.

Pass In Review Award to crew of Bounty of Krister out of Vashon Island, for sharpest looking crew, oar-salute, sea-chantey and canon salute.

Best Mailbag Toss awarded to Port Townsend crew of Bear for most proficient boat-handling and pass of mailbag from ship-to-shore.

Host Crew’s Choice awarded to crew of Tacoma boat Verité. Given by Anacortes host crew of the Elizabeth Bonaventure to the visiting crew that was most congenial and overall good sports.