Forty years ago this month, an eclectic fleet of international solo sailors was underway on the second leg of the inaugural BOC Challenge, a dicey passage through the wild Southern Ocean from Cape Town, South Africa, to Sydney, Australia. The BOC was the first singlehanded round-the-world race to begin and conclude in the United States, having set forth from Newport, Rhode Island, on August 28, 1982. 

On the occasion of the event’s 40th anniversary (where does the time go?), it seems like an appropriately nostalgic moment to reflect on not only what transpired then, but also what has unfolded in the sport of marathon ocean racing in the four decades since. The changes have been significant. 

The BOC was the ­brainchild of a burly offshore veteran (of both yacht racing and the US Navy) named David White. He’d washed up in Newport after a solo trans-Atlantic race, with dreams of taking the competition to a new level. He recruited a willing accomplice in Jim Roos, who managed properties on Goat Island—including the marina that became the base of operations—and assumed the role as the first race director. Ultimately, the pair convinced the British-based BOC corporation (formerly known as British Oxygen) to come aboard as title sponsor for the race, which was run in four legs, with cash prizes of $25,000 each for the winners of Class I (45 to 56 feet) and Class II (32 to 44 feet). Game on.

Along with White, 16 sailors from eight nations signed up for the inaugural edition, and a wild cast of characters they were. Among them was a Japanese Zen Buddhist named Yukoh Tada; a Czech who officially defected on the day of the start, Richard Konkolski; a scrappy, tough-as-nails South African called Bertie Reed; the elder American statesmen of the fleet, former Los Angeles Times editor Dan Byrne; New Jersey grandfather and yacht broker Francis Stokes; and a handful of Frenchmen, most notably a dashing former deep-sea diver, Philippe Jeantot. 

Covering the BOC was my first major assignment in yachting journalism. I was on the docks in Cape Town when they set forth, and in Sydney when they pulled in. A whole lot of drama transpired in between. 

Tony Lush, an American sailing a 54-foot cat-ketch called Lady Pepperell, called for assistance early after falling off a wave and realizing his keel was wobbly. He was rescued at sea by Stokes on his Fast Passage 39, Mooneshine. 

Brit Desmond Hampton was not as lucky: On the final stretch to Sydney, he overslept and crashed the 56-foot Gipsy Moth V, chartered from the family of previous owner and English legend Sir Francis Chichester, on the rocky shores of nearby Gabo Island. Hampton survived, but the boat was reduced to kindling. 

Unfortunately, pre-race favorite White retired early after his 56-foot Gladiator suffered structural damage; running the race and building a solid boat proved to be one task too many. His departure opened the door for Jeantot, who’d arrived with a purpose-­built 56-footer called Credit Agricole and proceeded to dominate the event, winning all four legs in decisive fashion, and setting a record for fastest solo circumnavigation: 159 days and change. 

It seemed remarkable at the time, but today the record belongs to his countryman Francis Joyon, who took his 103-foot trimaran, IDEC Sport, on a spin around the planet in just over 40 days. 

Jeantot went on to launch the Vendée Globe race, a nonstop round-the-world contest; founded Privilege Catamarans, a brand of cruising cats; and got into loads of tax trouble with the French government. But his true legacy, as far as I’m concerned, was maintaining France’s role as the leader in solo sailing, carrying the baton first held by Bernard Moitessier and Eric Tabarly, and passing it along to a whole new generation of countrymen, who have run with it ever since. The English may have invented the sport, but the French came to rule it. 

And for me, the BOC Challenge turned out to be the first of many sailing events in which I’d cover or even ­compete. But none were ever better. 

Herb McCormick is a CW editor-at-large.

The post Around Alone appeared first on Cruising World.

In 2025, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers will host its 40th edition. Boats will depart from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, bound for St. Lucia in the Caribbean.

It’s projected that when the 2025 rally concludes in St. Lucia, more than 8,000 boats and 40,000 sailors will have sailed the Atlantic with the support of the ARC.

To celebrate this achievement, there are discounts available now for all boat entries smaller than 40 feet and for any boats or skippers who participated in the inaugural rally in 1986. In addition, a portion of every entry fee will be donated to the newly formed World Cruising Positive Impact Fund.

“Forty years is a landmark anniversary” Paul Tetlow, World Cruising Club managing director, stated in a press release. “Supporting local organizations on our route has always been a part of the rally, from the ARC Forest in Gran Canaria to supporting local sailing in St. Lucia, and our new Positive Impact Fund will enable us to reach more charities and communities in the countries we visit.”

Sailors who prefer to contribute hands-on donations of time can plant trees in the mountains above Las Palmas, working with Fundacion Foresta. So far, 3,770 trees have been planted in what has become known as the “ARC Forest,” helping to capture carbon and improve rainfall retention.

Sailor Jimmy Cornell devised the ARC four decades ago to be a fun event for true cruising enthusiasts. The rally has always been intended to increase safety and enhance participants’ confidence on board, as well.

The first rally, in November 1986, attracted 209 yachts from 24 countries. Nobody could have foreseen just how much the event would grow throughout the years. Today, late November is known as “ARC season” in Las Palmas—and a sister event, ARC+, has been added from Las Palmas to Mindelo in Cape Verde and then on to Grenada.

To date, 7,656 yachts have crossed the Atlantic with the ARC and ARC+, sailing a combined total of more than 22 million nautical miles. The course record is eight days, six hours, 29 minutes and 15 seconds, set by George David’s Rambler 88 in 2016.

Have any boats already entered this autumn’s rally? Oh, yes. More than 160 boats are entered for ARC 2024, while ARC+ 2024 has 103 entries. ARC 2024 boats range in size from a Hallberg Rassy 352 to a Wally Yachts 83.

Where to learn more: click over to worldcruising.com

The post Celebrating 40 Years of the ARC appeared first on Cruising World.

I sailed back to the dock ­after a good practice session and listened as a seasoned racing sailor asked the teams preparing for the evening session, “Why are the good sailors the ones who always practice?”  

All I could do was smile. Practice helps you improve at any sport. Listen to the postgame interviews of players on a winning team, and they will often credit their practice time for the team’s success. Practice can be fun and help get an entire crew motivated.  

I find that short-time-frame practices are the most effective. A practice session can be scheduled for an afternoon or for an hour before a longer sail. The goal is to help everyone understand boathandling functions, the use of equipment, and the procedures if the wind increases or if there is an accident. Practicing will make it easier to address problems that do occur, or simply help a crew sail a little more efficiently.

The first step is to schedule a specific time for a practice session. The next step is to make a list of things you would like to achieve. A word of caution: Do not exceed your scheduled time limit. Crews get grumpy when practices run overtime.  

I clearly recall a vigorous practice day some years ago on a grand prix racing yacht. Our crew had been on the water for six hours, and we were glad to be heading back to the harbor. Just as we were getting the dock lines out, the skipper announced, “Let’s show how tough we are and head back out.” By the time we finally returned to the dock, it was dark, and we still had a long list of items to repair. That unfortunate event never happened again. A valuable lesson was learned. 

A better idea is to stick to the plan. Before leaving the dock or mooring, brief the crew on the location of important equipment. Make sure everyone is involved in preparing the sails, sheets and lines. After heading out, take a few moments to review the plan. Assign each crewmember a task. 

Practice sessions can be ­organized with just one boat, with another boat or with a fleet. I suggest practicing near a buoy or channel marker that can be used as a reference point. If you use the marker as a turning mark, then the crew needs to be prepared for the maneuver by time you arrive at it. 

You might start by making a series of six tacks about one minute apart. Ask someone other than the helmsperson to specify exactly where the boat will be heading after the tack.

Then, make a series of six jibes. Again, ask one person to point to a specific point of land or object that the boat will be heading for after the jibe.

After the exercise, take a few minutes to talk about how it went. Discuss ideas for how to do it a little better.

Repeat the exercise with the crew switching positions. Everyone will get an appreciation for one another’s jobs.

If the boat has a spinnaker, set it and practice jibing.

One of my favorite exercises is to stop the boat dead in the water and then work to accelerate back to full speed. Backing the headsail for a few seconds will help turn the boat onto your desired course.

Try to sail the boat in reverse by holding the boom out while backing the headsail. Keep a good grip on the wheel or tiller so that the boat doesn’t make a sudden turn.

Since my earliest sailing days, I have practiced using two buoys spaced several ­boatlengths apart. I sail figure eights around the two buoys. In one rotation, you will tack, jibe, head up and bear off. The drill has been a big benefit to me.

If an approaching powerboat is making big waves, then use the opportunity to learn how to minimize pounding in the chop. What is the best course to steer to avoid stressing the rig? If you bear away from the wind, be sure to ease the sails. Sailboats increase speed if you bear only when the sails are eased. (And don’t shake your fist at an offending power vessel. My standard response is to ignore it.)

Ask crewmembers to read the wind. Let them recognize the puffs and light patches on the water. Get everyone involved. It’s great fun.

An important exercise is to reef the mainsail. You can do this in any weather condition. If the wind builds, it’s important for the crew to know how to shorten sail.

When I am around other boats, I try to maximize my speed. I believe that it’s human nature to want to sail faster than other boats, and I believe that a boat should always be sailed to its potential. At full speed, a boat is more comfortable and morale goes up. This is why it’s good to practice with another boat that performs similarly. You do not need to race, but simply sail alongside to gauge speed. Make one adjustment at a time to see if you can improve your boat’s speed. Experiment with sail trim, crew weight position, steering angle, or playing the sails in puffs and light patches of wind.  

You will quickly learn how to sail better when you compare your performance with another boat’s. Agree in advance what drills you plan to practice. At the end of the session, compare notes. The goal is for everyone to improve. 

When practicing in pairs, you can start by sailing upwind for a specific period. Spacing should be about three ­boatlengths apart, with both boats sailing with clear wind. If one boat gets ahead, stop the exercise and start again. Speed tests should last 10 minutes or about 1 mile. Two or three speed tests are usually adequate to judge your performance.

Repeat the exercise when sailing on a reach or downwind. Both boats need to have clear wind for the drill to be helpful.

Sail in opposite tacks or jibes for five minutes and then head back toward each other’s boat. This will help you understand which side of the body of water has more wind. Switch sides, and repeat the drill by sailing on the opposite side of the body of water to confirm which side is better. The goal is to find an area with more wind.

In as little as one hour’s time, you can hold an effective practice session. When you finish, the whole crew will be more confident and relaxed while sailing.

The post Practice Makes Perfect appeared first on Cruising World.

Vallon, which specializes in sports eyewear, has announced a partnership with professional skipper Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia to create sustainable sunglasses called Malizia.

Designed by sailors, for sailors, the Malizia’s frames are made from 85 percent recycled fishing nets. Vallon has pledged that for every pair of Malizia sunglasses that are sold, 10 mangrove seedlings will be planted in the Malizia Mangrove Park in the Philippines.

Malizia Mangrove Park recently surpassed 1 million mangroves as part of an effort to restore the local ecosystem. An intact mangrove belt not only provides breeding areas for fish, but also food for birds and reptiles, fish and crabs. At the same time, a mangrove belt protects the coral reefs and the shore from erosion, and it helps to bind large quantities of carbon dioxide so it can’t escape into the atmosphere. Healthy mangroves also reduce strong storm tide waves that can cause damage ashore.

Hermann is the patron of Malizia Mangrove Park, and works with the Mama Earth Foundation on the reforestation effort. Mama Earth grows seedlings in its nurseries and then helps with the planting activities with support from the Philippine Department of Environmental Protection. So far, the results have included not just the environmental benefits, but also a better source of income for local residents.

Vallon had a previous relationship with Herrmann, having created sailing sunglasses for use during the Vendée Globe challenge. Since then, the partnership has evolved, including with the release of the Malizia glasses.

Malizia is a unisex design with Vallon’s V52 polarized lenses. The recycled material in the frames is fused into a durable material called nylon 6 that is 20 percent lighter than equivalent polycarbonate or some other materials. The material also is known for good impact resistance.

“Sustainable comfort for those moments on the water when you need it most,” says Cruising World’s editor-in-chief Andrew Parkinson, who recently tested a pair of Malizia shades on a day of rigorous sea trials off the Fort Lauderdale coast. “When you’re laser-focused on putting a boat through its paces in the choppy Gulf Stream, the last thing on your mind should be having to constantly adjust your sunglasses or not being able to see the puffs sufficiently. That these glasses are also made from recycled material and that the sale of each pair helps give back to the environment felt like a win-win for me.”      

These sunglasses are lightweight, at 32 grams, and they have an ABBE value of 52, which means exceptional optical clarity. UV A/B protection is 100 percent. The frames are matte black, and the lenses have a gray tint with anti-scratch and hydro-oleophobic coatings to resist damage and water buildup.

To help with all-day comfort out on the water, there’s a Base-8 wraparound curve in the design for peripheral protection, as well as a soft rubber nose pad.

Each pair of Malizia sunglasses is delivered plastic-free with a clip-on hook and belt straps, along with a protective case.

The sunglasses, which have a suggested retail price of about $155, come with a Vallon lifetime warranty.

Where to learn more: Visit vallon.com.

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The Sailing Museum and the National Sailing Hall of Fame has invited Hall of Fame sailor and Emmy Award-winning television commentator Gary Jobson to preview America’s prospects in the Olympic Games later this month and America’s Cup in late August.

According to a news release from The Sailing Museum, Jobson will give a presentation breaking down the competitions at the museum in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 18 at 6:30 p.m. There, he will analyze the strength of the U.S. team against international rivals in both the Olympics and America’s Cup.

Jobson raced on three America’s Cup crews in Newport between 1977 and 1983. He has covered nine Cups for ESPN and NBC between 1983 and 2013 and has covered the Olympics seven times for NBC since 1988.

A week after his presentation, Jobson will be covering the Olympics again for NBC television starting with the first Olympic race in Marseilles, France. The U.S. is sending thirteen sailors in nine classes to compete in Marseilles. These athletes have been training for the past three years for the Games.

“American Sailors are competing in the biggest events in sailing this year,” Jobson told Cruising World in an emailed statement. “Thirteen sailors will be racing in nine classes off Marseilles, France with a quest to win a Medal. The USA has only earned one Medal in the last three Olympics, and hope to improve this year.”

Four athletes from the American team –Lara Dallman-Weiss, Daniela Moroz, Stephanie Roble and Hans Henken– have agreed to correspond with kids through postcards and videos in a letter-writing campaign sponsored by the museum.

In what is considered the oldest international competition still operating in any sport, America’s Cup will see five challengers from France, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland and the U.S. compete to take on the defender from New Zealand. The New York Yacht Club’s challenger, American Magic, has assembled an elite sailing and design team with aims to return the Cup to the U.S. this year.

“American Magic has been working hard to improve on their disappointing showing in the America’s Cup Challenger Trials in 2021,” Jobson said. “The team has high hopes to take it all later this summer. I’ve spent the past 50 years competing in Olympic classes and studying both the Games and the Cup. I will review America’s chances and what it takes to be a champion.”
Doors for Jobson’s presentation will open at 6 p.m. at The Sailing Museum located at 365 Thames Street in Newport, Rhode Island. Tickets for the event are available here.

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The mid-February day started out like so many other sailing events I’ve enjoyed over the years: meeting up with a new crew, scoping out the particulars of a boat I’d never sailed, reviewing the sailing instructions and forecast for the day’s race, and then dropping the dock lines and heading out. Such is the life of an itinerant sailing writer, and I’ve never taken any of it for granted. 

Little did I know, however, that before this day was done, I’d hear something bordering on the profound. 

It was the opening day of the St. Petersburg, Florida, edition of the Sailing World Regatta Series, sponsored by Cruising World’s sister publication. As he often does, my longtime J/24 mate Dave Reed, the editor of Sailing World, threw me an assignment: Go racing with a team of seasoned homeboys from the St. Petersburg Yacht Club on the day’s distance race, a relatively new element of the regatta for the cruiser/racer set. I was more than happy to oblige. 

Which is how I made the acquaintance of Tim Landt and his close pal Doug Jones, who attended high school in the same prehistoric era that I did, and who have been racing sailboats together ever since. The pair were in the same class as a couple of other St. Pete luminaries, Ed Baird and Allison Jolley, who each rose to the pinnacle of the sport—the former as a winning America’s Cup skipper, the latter as an Olympic gold medalist. “Doug and I were different,” Landt said, laughing. “We had to go to work.”

Landt grew up racing Optimists and Lasers, moved into crewed boats with a Columbia 24 and a Cal 40, and even owned a couple of big Ted Irwin-designed cruising boats. But he seemed proudest of his current ride, a relatively rare Nightwind 35, a centerboard sloop designed by his friend and hero, the late Bruce Kirby, who also created the ubiquitous Laser. “I’d been looking for one for years,” Landt said. “They never come up for sale.” This past October, one did, and he pounced. 

This was only the third race aboard his new Charisma, but he downplayed it. “I got all my old buddies together,” he said. “We’re just out here to have fun.”

But Landt was—how shall we put this?—an aggressive and vocal racer, and he wasn’t there to fool around. He nailed a port-tack start; was on the foredeck for a sail change as the breeze built; called out spinnaker trim early and often; and was more or less a cyclone the entire race, in which Charisma scored a respectable fourth in the 13-boat Cruising division. A very good sailor, Landt’s enthusiasm and exuberance were infectious; it’s always great to sail with a dude who just bloody loves it, and it was clear he did.  

Back at the dock, Landt shared a cool story about naming Charisma: As a kid, he landed a gig as a gofer for a wealthy captain of industry in the days of the great Southern Ocean Racing Conference series. The guy had a boat by the same name. “He was so humble,” Landt said. “I always said if I got a nice race boat, I’d call it Charisma.”

And then, he added: “You’re a writer, you might appreciate this. An old commodore, who was also my coach, once told me that the key to sailing is recreation. That’s what you have to turn it into. Now take that word apart, it’s re-creation. You always have to re-create yourself through your recreation. And that’s what sailing does for me.”

In the moment, I laughed and thanked him for a fine day. Only later did it occur to me that Landt had put into simple terms something I’ve always felt about sailing. I’m sure that a ­truly manic surfer or alpinist would say the same thing. That time away from the daily grind, laser-focused on the natural world, is priceless. Every time I’m on the water, whether on a daysail or after crossing an ocean, I come away refreshed and renewed. A new man. Hopefully a better one. Re-created. 

It always keeps me coming back for more.

Herb McCormick is a CW editor-at-large.

The post The Re-creation: My Day at the St. Pete Regatta appeared first on Cruising World.

If you’re ever looking for a good dose of humility, try joining the French crew on a French-built performance catamaran in a sporty breeze on Rhode Island’s Newport Harbor.

I was nursing a cold one with my longtime yacht broker pal and sailing buddy, El Jefe (yes, that’s actually what he goes by), at the Black Pearl on Bannister’s Wharf, comparing notes on a sweet Nautitech we had just sailed. The breeze was stiff on the sound in the wake of a front that had ripped through, and, as anticipated, the ride was a thrill.

What I hadn’t expected was to feel so utterly useless. To be honest, I got my ass handed to me out there. I spent most of the ride trying to stay out of the way as the crew made the catamaran fly.

I’d been raised in a family who sailed monohulls, so opportunities to sail cats had been few and far between, save for the occasional charter or sea trial, which usually tends to err on the milquetoast side of sailing. My lack of experience showed that day. I consider myself a pretty darn good sailor, but put me on a fast-paced multihull machine, and I’m about as useful as a putter in a sand trap.

So, when Steve Burzon, co-founder and organizer of the Caribbean Multihull Challenge, hit me up to join this year’s rally, I leapt at the opportunity. I signed on to help crew a Sunsail 424 charter cat for four days in the Leeward Islands.

To be clear, I’m not a racing guy. Dave Reed, editor of our sister publication, Sailing World, is a racing guy. That dude can carve circles around me on a course. And, for many a monohuller, an event with the words “multihull” and “challenge” in the title might conjure feelings of inadequacy. I get that. But for me, the idea of steering a little outside my lane, challenging myself to become a better multihull sailor, had a lot of appeal.

And so I joined the ranks of scores of other casual sailors who decided to take a new tack in their cruising careers, pushing their boats—or even just themselves—a little bit further. Around the water cooler, I’ve started referring to this as competitive cruising.

Competitive cruising can be different things for different sailors. It can be racing, to some—the regatta scene is robust and a great opportunity to test your competitive spirit in a controlled environment with other like-minded cruisers. For others, it might be joining a rally to somewhere over the horizon, as I did. And for the scant few who become skilled and confident enough, maybe it means chasing adventure way off the grid.

This spring, 29-year-old sailor Cole Brauer just became the first American woman to sail solo nonstop around the world, finishing in second place in the Global Solo Challenge aboard her 40-foot racing boat, First Light. Brauer, who captured worldwide attention through her Instagram posts chronicling the treacherous 30,000-mile journey, said that she hopes young girls in and out of the sport can draw inspiration from her experience. She has received hundreds of comments from people saying that although they’d never sailed before, they were amazed by her bravery, tenacity and positive outlook.

Her milestone is more than a physical triumph; it’s a testament to her courage. She faced a challenge head-on as she persevered through rough seas and navigated the complexities on board for 130 days. That’s the sort of indomitable spirit we should all celebrate as adventurers of the sea. She may not have won the race, but she’s a champion all the way.

Competitive cruising is about the fact that the allure of sailing lies not just in the destinations we reach, but also in our journey of continual learning and growth.

As I navigated the tumultuous waters of Narragansett Bay, grappling with the complexities of an unfamiliar catamaran, I realized that the true sport of sailing transcends vessel types. It’s about embracing the unknown, embracing the challenges, and embracing the exhilarating feeling of sailing into uncharted territory. With that as our compass, our learning never ends.

The post Competitive Cruising: It’s a Rally, Not a Race appeared first on Cruising World.

Cantiere del Pardo is bringing back the Grand Soleil Cup, which is scheduled to take place from June 21 to June 23 off the coast of Costa Smeralda, Sardinia, in the Western Mediterranean.

This sailing event is organized in collaboration with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda for the community of owners and enthusiasts of the Italian brand Grand Soleil Yachts. This will be the 22nd edition of the event.

Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, founded in 1967, is renowned all around the world. It has reciprocal agreements with the Monaco Yacht Club, the New York Yacht Club, the United Kingdom’s Royal Yacht Squadron and Germany’s Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda has long been known for its regattas, and is a major supporter of competitive offshore sailing in Italy. The Sardinia Cup is held in alternate years to the Admiral’s Cup race in the Solent, and since 1980, regattas have also included the Maxi Yacht World Championship and the Swan World Cup.

According to the organizers of the Grand Soleil Cup, all participants are welcome to moor in the Marina di Porto Cervo from Thursday, June 20, to Monday, June 24, but the first 40 registered boats will have the added benefit of a complimentary berth.

Festivities will begin on Thursday with a welcome for participants at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Friday will be dedicated to registrations, followed by the crew briefing and cocktails on the terrace. Saturday and Sunday will be all about sailing, with a gala dinner on Saturday night.

Among the boats already registered, two Grand Soleil 72s and two Grand Soleil 65s stand out, the newest models in the line above 60 feet curated by Franco Corazza.

Other models that may participate, built by Grand Soleil Yachts, include Performance models from 40 to 80 feet long, and Long Cruise models from 42 to 72 feet long. The builder has been turning out yachts since 1973.

This past January, Grand Soleil announced its Blue concept, a 33-foot weekender conceived for sustainability and efficiency underway. Conceived by Cantiere del Pardo, Grand Soleil Blue gets its exterior and interior design by Nauta Design, with naval architecture by Matteo Polli. The boat is capable of accommodating as many as four guests overnight, promises zero environmental impact during sailing, and is marketed as having complete recyclability at the culmination of its life cycle.

Are registrations open now for the Grand Soleil Cup? Yes. Competitors must register by June 12 at www.yccs.com.

For more information: visit www.grandsoleil.net.

The post Grand Soleil Cup Gearing Up appeared first on Cruising World.

The sun, the warm spray, the thrill of driving fast boats all day and then partying hard every night deep in the Caribbean—it’s an awesome trifecta. 

If you’re a cruising sailor who wants to give racing a try, there’s good news: You no longer have to fly into Antigua’s English Harbour, walk the docks, crew aboard a large schooner, and then pass out on sail bags on deck for the night. Today, there are many more options for getting in on the action during the Caribbean regatta season. 

The 2024 season began in January with the RORC Transatlantic Race. In February, there was the Caribbean Multihull Challenge, the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and the RORC Caribbean 600. The season winds down starting in April with the BVI Spring Regatta, Antigua Classic Regatta and Antigua Sailing Week. 

If you’re on your own boat, then you can enter a cruising division using white sails (no black carbon fiber and no spinnaker). There are bareboat divisions for cruisers too. 

Don’t have your own cruising boat or bareboat? Each regatta website has a “crew board” where skippers post openings. Or do it the old-fashioned way: Walk the docks, hang out at the yacht club bar, and introduce yourself. Bring your sailing résumé with you. 

Tricked-out racing machines are available from a number of chartering outfits, usually at a higher price than cruising bareboats. Chris and Lucy Jackson run LV Yachting, a racing-boat charter agency in the UK. Chris brought Pata Negra, an IRC 46, to Antigua for a group of British sailors to charter. LV Charters also has a half-dozen retired Volvo Ocean 65s available for charter. 

Global Yacht Racing in the UK brings its Beneteau 47.7s into the Caribbean each season and offers berths for singles and couples—including sailors who are racing for the first time. 

“We take them out for a few days before the races to get them familiar with the positions and maneuvers, then it’s full-on racing,” says Andy Middleton, director of Global Yacht Racing. 

On Deck, based in English Harbour, offers a race-training program aboard a Farr 65, Spirit of Juno, and rents bunks aboard for regattas. 

Even people who are used to sailing faster typically enjoy racing charters. San Francisco-based racing skipper Bratz Schneider is among them. He chartered a Beneteau Oceanis 46 from The Moorings for a vacation with his regular racing team, and told me that they couldn’t get enough, even at a slower pace than they usually hit. “We were all having a blast,” he says. For more information about these events and all of the ones in between, check out caribbean-sailing.com/calendar.

The post Navigating the Caribbean Regatta Season appeared first on Cruising World.

Spinnakers popped up on the horizon like Easter bonnets on parade during the third and final day of racing in the 50th St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR). The breeze, blowing 10 to 17 knots, gave a glimpse of its traditional easterly trade winds direction on the final day of racing, a change from the unusual westerly winds that gave sailors a tactical run for their money during the regatta’s first two days. While the IC24 Class raced round-the-buoys in Great Bay, the rest of the fleet sailed a nearly 14 nm course that wove round-the-rocks across Pillsbury Sound to the north and south of St. John and back. In the end, Flying Jenny, Apollo, Exodus, Wild T’ing, Bill T and OT the App were the class winners.

The winner of the CSA 1 Class, filled with One-Design Cape 31s, wasn’t decided until the last leg of the one race of the day and the last of the regatta.

“We knew whoever won would win the regatta,” said Rob Greenhalgh, tactician aboard class champ and US-based Flying Jenny. “There was a hard fight at the start, and we won it by being at the pin end. That was the key for us. However, it was still a battle as the wind changed halfway through the course from off Moravian Point up to Henly Cay. But we crossed the finish line a minute before the other boats in our class.”

Michael Wilson’s ShotGunn, a UK entry, placed second, with the US-flagged Marc McMorris on M2, third.

The third time sailing STIR proved a charm for Donald Nicholson’s J121 (US), Apollo, in the CSA 2 Class.

“We had a well-prepared boat, fabulous crew, fair winds, good luck, and the magic of the STIR regatta,” said Nicholson, as to the secret to Apollo’s success. “We’ll be back.”Trinity IV, a J42 with crew from Tennessee, finished second, and the UK-based race charter Beneteau First 40.7, Escapado, took third.

In CSA 3, it was Puerto Rico’s Keki Figueroa driving his Melges 24, Exodus, which capped the class. It was a podium position in which Figueroa was familiar.

“I won the Hobie class here twenty years ago,” said Figueroa. “We sailed an IC24 for a while and now the Melges. My crew and I have been together for a long time. Between that and constantly watching the wind is what gave us the advantage.”

Team St. Maarten Island Water World, another Melges 24, with Jan Bus at the helm, ended the regatta as class runner-up. Puerto Rico’s Julio Reguero’s J35, Umakau, finished third.

St. Thomas sailor, Lawrence Aqui, raced his Dufour 40, Wild T’ing, to the top of the CSA Non-Spinnaker Class.

“Our team has been sailing together over a decade,” said Aqui. “That means we know the boat well, what it can and can’t do well to go fast. Local knowledge definitely helped, especially avoiding the shallows around the islands.”

In second place was Hotel California Too, US-based Steve Schmidt’s Santa Cruz 70, while Trinity VI, US-based David McDonough’s J40, finished third.

The One-Design IC24 Class was the largest grouping, totalling 15 boats. It was also the class that competed in the most races: 13 starts and finishes over three days. St. Thomas’ two-time Olympian, Cy Thompson, on Bill T, successfully defended his class-winning title.

“We had conditions this weekend that no one had seen before, but we had many of the same crew, so our team was spot on for the transitions,” said Thompson, whose crew included Maurice Kurg, Eric Cusin, Spencer LeGrande and Emma Walters.

PJ’s Magic Coffee Bus, chartered to race STIR by Guy Williams from New Orleans, placed second. In third was St. Croix-based Peter Stanton’s Big Island.

St. Thomas Sailing Center, the racing arm of the STIR host, St. Thomas Yacht Club, chartered out its Hobie Waves for STIR in addition to IC24s. Nine Waves teams raced over two days with St. Thomas’ Chris Curreri first on OT the App.

“I liked the heavier breeze today and capitalized on it,” said Curreri, past winner of the STIR IC24 Class. “It was a tough class, but a lot of fun.” 

St. Thomas’ double-handers, 12-year-old Will Zimmerman and 11-year-old Finn Hodgins, finished as runners-up with US-based Mike Compton’s Mike’s Windsurfing grabbing out third.

STIR is a Sailors for the Sea Clean Regatta featuring green initiatives such as paperless event management and a water refill station. For more information, click over to stthomasinternationalregatta.com.

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