Racing

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…

By Nick Bowen Every January, a group of sailboat racers in San Francisco Bay shake off their winter blues and participate in the “The Three Bridge Fiasco” race. “Three Bridge” refers to the only three marks of the course: Blackaller Buoy, near the Golden Gate Bridge, Red Rock, near the Richmond San Rafael Bridge, and Yerba Buena Island, between the western and eastern spans of the Oakland Bay Bridge. These marks may be rounded in any order…

By Beth Fleisher and Celeste Flick, Regatta Co-Chairs Southold Yacht Club in Southold, NY will host the 50th Annual World’s Longest Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island, NY on Saturday, July 18, 2020. This unique nautical marathon is open to single and doubles Sunfish sailors per the event Notice of Race.       As the crow flies, the nautical distance around Shelter Island, starting and finishing at Southold Yacht Club, is 21.3 miles. Since crows don’t tack,…

On Saturday, August 29, 2020, The Ram Island Yacht Club (RIYC) in Noank, CT looks forward to holding its 75th Invitational Regatta, a race around Fishers Island. The most challenging elements of sailing are at work in The Race and the Watch Hill reefs, where currents hit four knots and the race day winds can blow zero to thirty-plus.   With few interruptions, Ram Island Yacht Club has held this race since 1945. Though the name implies…