#5 in the Swiftsure Skippers Series – J boat competitors, Bob Brunius and Tom Kelly.Bob Brunius

Bob Brunius, when he’s not organizing races out of Orcas Island Yacht Club – that little thing called ‘Round The County’ – he’s putting his Time Bandit J120 and crew through their paces. His boat has won their Swiftsure division 6 times! Ask Bob how much he likes Race Passage.

 

tom kelly anamTom Kelly will tell you he’s raced a lot in the Pacific Northwest. And he has. At least 7 Oregon Offshore Races on his J-122 Anam Cara, and bringing her to compete in Swiftsure. In 2014, Tom’s Anam Cara placed first in division, first in class (Cape Flattery Light), and FIRST OVERALL for the Cape Flattery Race. Phew!

 

Q1: Name Bob Brunius (Time Bandit, J120)

Q2: How many Swiftsure races have you done? 16

Q3: What year was your first Swiftsure? 1999

Q4: What was the most exciting or interesting thing that occurred while you were racing in Swiftsure?

Approaching Race Rocks and trying to pick the best gybe angle to go through. We’ve had many occasions to be laying on our side in the middle of the Race Rocks channel in the middle of the night. Always exciting.

Q5: What advice would you give someone who’s thinking of racing Swiftsure for the first time?

Use a spinnaker net on your forestay when you have a kite up at night. That’s so you don’t irretrievably wrap the kite on the forestay.  Also, don’t lose your mast.

 

Q1: Name  Tom Kelly (Anam Cara, J-122)

Q2: How many Swiftsure races have you done? 35

Q3: What year was your first Swiftsure? 1978

Q4: What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you or your crew when racing in Swiftsure? My brother got sick and when he puked, he didn’t make it to the rail and it hit me and a few others.

Q5: What was the most exciting or interesting thing that occurred while you were racing in Swiftsure? Our boom broke right behind the goose neck..

Q6: What advice would you give someone who’s thinking of racing Swiftsure for the first time? Get a few people on board who have done it