Teens will test their seamanship and sailing skills at Pacific Challenge Posted by Joan Pringle | May 23, 2012 | 253 views

Teams of young rowers and sailors will converge on Seafarers’ Memorial Park this weekend for the 2012 Pacific Challenge.

The event starts Friday and continues through Sunday.

Teens 14 to 18 years old will compete against each other aboard traditional wooden longboats and gigs. They will be tested on teamwork, leadership, rowing, sailing and seamanship.

Competitions include a navigation challenge, mail bag toss, man overboard retrieval and knot tying.

The Anacortes Sea Venture Scouts Crew 4081 rowed the Elizabeth Bonaventure during last year’s competition in Port Townsend. The team won the sailing race, knot tying competition and navigation exercise, and placed third in a mile and a half rowing race.

This year’s crew will have about 10 participants, said crew leader David Jackson.

They and other teams, coming from places as far south as Aberdeen and as far north as Sooke, B.C., will circumnavigate Guemes Island this year.

The teens will camp at Young’s Park on the island Saturday night and return to Seafarers’ on Sunday.

The Pacific Challenge is held at a different port town each year. It was last held in Anacortes in 2009. The first one was held in Port Townsend in 1992.

Photo submitted / Northwest Maritime Center, Port Townsend