Sailing racers from across the Northwest will descend on Oak Harbor Monday for the annual Whidbey Island Race Week, considered the largest buoy racing event on the West Coast.

It’s an event that sailors and sailing wanna-bes look forward to all year, not just for the high level of competition but for the legendary nightly parties. And even the dismal economy and dwindling number of sponsors hasn’t seemed to dampen enthusiasm for this year’s regatta.

The event, which runs this Monday through Friday, is drawing about 95 boats this year, on par with previous years.

“In a down year economically, I think 95 boats is pretty awesome,” said event organizer Gary Stuntz. “I don’t think the economy is going to get much worse than it is now, and we’re at the same amount of boats that we’ve had.”

Last year’s race week drew about 123 boats, Stuntz said, an unusually large number due to participation from two fleets of Pacific Coast Championship racers. For the past five years before that, he said, the number of boats hovered around 95.

This year’s event includes 10 racing classes, with boats ranging in size from 45 to 24 feet, with two One Design classes, Melges 24 and J/105.

The week starts on Sunday with a skippers meeting at 5 p.m., followed by a welcoming reception. Races begin at noon each day and will follow courses in Penn Cove and Saratoga Passage. There’s an awards ceremony each night, followed by a party and live music. As in previous years, many racers will be camped out on the Navy property near the Oak Harbor Marina parking lot.

Bob Ross, who ran the event before Stuntz took it over, said the event, which Sailing magazine named one of the top regattas in the country, stands out for several reasons. Oak Harbor is contained geographically, unlike race weeks in other areas, where boats and racers are more spread out. Combined with the event’s relatively small size, that fosters camaraderie, Ross said.

“A lot of people (at race week) renew old friendships,” he said. “This is the only time they get to see these people year in and year out. It’s more intimate.”

Some racers have been participating so long that they’re now bringing their children to race week. The average age of participants is in the mid- to upper 30s, according to Stuntz, who said one of his primary goals in taking over the event was to attract a younger demographic to both ensure that race week continues and also create a fun atmosphere.

“Everybody wants to be 20 and everybody wants to have fun,” he said. “The energy level’s higher when you have younger people.”

Whidbey Island Race Week was started in 1983 and run by Yachting magazine until 1994, when Ross, who now owns Seattle yacht brokerage Sail Northwest, took over the event. The event has attracted between 40 and 175 boats in various years and inspired exploits that have earned it the moniker “adult summer camp,” such as the wood-fired hot tub set up in the makeshift tent city and the time someone brought a movie camera to show outdoor films on the side of a building.

The event typically draws racers from Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, and Ross said it also attracts “sailing groupies” from as far away as Europe. The wind, sun and good times sometimes create a romantic elixir—Ross can think of at least three married couples who met at race week.

Ross ran the event through 2007, its 25th anniversary year, then sold it to Stuntz, owner of Clear Ahead Marine Productions, who he credited for maintaining participants in a challenging environment.

“Participation (in racing) is down in these economic times,” he said. “I think Gary’s done a good job of getting as many boats as he has.”

About Marty McOmber

Marty McOmber is editor and co-founder of Three Sheets Northwest. He is an avid sailor and long-time professional journalist. You can find Marty aboard Three Sheets, an Island Packet 38.

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