Racing

By Nick Bowen The Twenty Hundred Club had their second race of the 2020 season on Saturday, June 20. The Around Aquidneck Race starts just south of Hog Island near the Mount Hope Bridge, takes the sailors about 12 nautical miles (nm) south to buoy “R2” at Brenton Reef. This mark is about 2 nm south of Castle Hill and there the boats turn east for a 5.5 nm run across Rhode Island Sound. Then at the…

Growing up on the water in Marblehead, Massachusetts as the youngest of three brothers shaped Trevor Burd’s passion for competitive sailing and ocean adventure, and he’s raced in far flung places around the world. As a grinder aboard New York Yacht Club American Magic’s foiling AC75, he’s tasked with delivering the horsepower to drive the U.S. challenger to victory in the 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada, scheduled for next March in Auckland, New Zealand. WindCheck: How…

Double-Handed Racing and Friendly Fun Will Have Renewed Emphasis By Barby MacGowan, MediaPro International   The annual Ida Lewis Distance Race, scheduled for its 16th edition starting Saturday, August 15, has announced that Jeanneau America is the event’s new Presenting Partner. The news comes on the heels of the race changing its start date from Friday to Saturday to better accommodate an inclusive weekend schedule and coincides with other exciting changes for the event, including a Mixed (co-ed) Double-Handed class…

By Diane Kropfl & Eileen Campbell, Ms. Race Co-Chairs     In sailing, Stay the Course is a common refrain used to convey forward momentum to reach either the next mark or destination. Amidst these unprecedented times, it is only apropos that the theme of this year’s Ms. Race is “Stay the Course.” The Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club in Atlantic Highlands, NJ is planning for the 16th Annual Ms. Race charity sailboat race on Saturday, August 22…

By Nick Bowen                                              Tom D’Albora’s Coconut (left) and David Schwartz’s Mischief (right) sailing downwind.   The Twenty Hundred Club has a reputation for hosting adventurous sailboat races and on Sunday, June 7 they again pushed the envelope with a new race called the “Bridge Fiasco,” modeled after a similar race in San Francisco Bay. The…

A specialist in the construction of composite boats, structures and components since 1990, Brandon Linton has worked with many of the world’s foremost yacht designers and engineers. His CV includes the management and construction of two Volvo Open 70s (the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed Mar Mostro and the Botin/Carkeek-designed Il Mostro for PUMA Ocean Racing); the Verdier/VPLP-designed Comanche, Jim Clarke’s record-smashing 100-footer; the AC50 Magic Blue for Artemis Racing in the 35th edition of the America’s Cup; eleven America’s…

By Gust Stringos From Joshua Slocum to Jeanne Socrates to Jessica Watson, from the first Golden Globe Race to the last Vendée Globe, single-handed sailing is a long-established tradition among cruising and racing sailors. The Bermuda 1-2, organized by the Newport Yacht Club and the St. George’s Dinghy & Sports Club, is the premier East Coast race for single-handed sailors. It has been sailed biennially since 1977 and combines a single- handed leg with a double-handed return,…

Our friends at the Storm Trysail Club have announced that the 75th running of their Block Island Race, which had been tentatively bumped from its original starting date of May 22 to June 19, is now postponed until May 28, 2021. “The timing of this decision is driven by a variety of health and safety, logistical, and practical factors,” said Ron Weiss, Chair of the Storm Trysail Club Sponsorship and Communications Committee. “Although nothing is certain in…

Sailboat racing in Greenwich, CT has been very popular for many years. Competition is typically casual, particularly mid-week evening racing. As important as the racing is, for many, the social aspect is equally essential. Yacht clubs in Greenwich organize post-race gatherings so competitors can share stories of triumph and defeat. Lately, however, sailboat races have been curtailed. With restrictions hopefully loosening, it’s appropriate to ask if competitive sailing can be done in a way that won’t jeopardize…

By Joe Coyne During her life, Shirley Hall was an avid and competitive sailor for over 25 years, the first female Commodore of Duck Island Yacht Club in Westbrook, CT, and a strong advocate for women’s sailing. Her success in and support for the sport created a strong tradition of women’s sailing at Duck Island Yacht Club. Today, the club remembers and honors that tradition by running the Shirley Hall Series, a weekly series that takes place…