Submitted by Fisherman Bay Sunday Sailors.

The WWU Islands Cup 2024 Sailing Team Race at Lopez Islander Resort & Marina on March 30 and 31 set records with 70 collegiates and alumni sailing from WWU and UW in 18 FJs and V15 dinghies and achieving a full rotation of 45 race combinations for the 10 teams.

Sailors arrived early on Friday to clean up the beach and to make repairs on the fleet of Lopez Island and SailOrcas sailing dinghies. Sailors were rewarded with perfect weather conditions all weekend, and local food including Mud Bay butter clam chowder, grass-fed Lopez beef stew, and sweet, tender late-winter-island kale.

Alumni team “Willamites” were perfect, winning all nine matches. The top undergraduate team was “Salad Bow Fanatics” from the University of Washington with seven wins and two losses.

Thanks to the Islander Resort for sponsoring this event that supports local youth sailing, environmental stewardship of our bay, and memorializing sailor Charles Diller.