About the Race

This special event, which coincides with Presidents’ Day weekend in February, is part of the Southern Sound Series. It is co-hosted by SSSS and the Olympia Yacht Club. Because of precautions due to Covid 19, the Southern Sound Series has added a race class for double and single-handed boats.

Toliva Shoal is a full weekend of events, including the race itself. It is our best-attended race and the only one that attracts boats from throughout Puget Sound, commonly drawing 80-100 boats. Many locals who only do one race a year do this one. There is a party the night before that has a reputation in the Puget Sound sailing community as an event all by itself. This is your chance to sample “down Sound” racing without leaving Olympia.

Course:
Start between the Race Committee Boat and the east marker of the Olympia Shoal in a northerly direction. Proceed leaving Dofflemyer Point and Johnson Point to starboard; then the government mark #3 off Nisqually Delta, the Toliva Shoal buoy, Eagle Island, the government mark #1 at the west end of Balch Passage, Johnson Point, and Dofflemyer Point to port. Finish in a southerly direction between the race committee boat and the east marker of the Olympia Shoal. Approximate distance 38.4 nm

This race is not part of our regular SSSS race program. It is run by the Toliva Shoal Race Committee, which represents both SSSS and OYC. You must register in advance and pay an entry fee. It has its own Sailing Instructions, which are different then the instructions in this book.

This is the third race in the four-race Southern Sound Series. The Southern Sound Series Council organizes the series and represents Tacoma Yacht Club, Gig Harbor Yacht Club, Three Tree Point Yacht Club, and of course SSSS and the Olympia Yacht Club.
You are welcome to sail the entire series. Many SSSS boats do. More boats, and tighter classes make great winter racing. It is a good introduction to racing beyond Olympia.