Sailing season hoves into view—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond

by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 6 Feb 2016 Depending on what region of North America you call home, these can easily be termed the “dog days of winter”. Sure, the fortunate few are enjoying deep powder skiing in the Rockies or perhaps a dream Caribbean regatta or bareboat charter, but for the rest of us, these days are filled with the hope of what’s to come, once the snow and ice yield to spring flowers, long days and-it can never happen soon enough-the first regatta of the season on your local waters.

If you’re like me and find yourself measuring life’s “gross personal happiness” based on days spent doing the things you love most, there are encouraging signs that light and warmth are returning to the Northern Hemisphere. For example, here in Seattle, we have already gained back one hour and twenty minutes of daylight (latitude is a cruel master when it comes to the winter solstice), and Punxsutawney Phil, the celebrated groundhog (read: succession of groundhogs) of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania did not see his shadow on February 2.

While it’s easier for most sailors to wrap their heads around the metrics of a sunrise/sunset chart than Punxsutawney Phil’s less than scientific analysis of the months to come, the great news is that winter’s back is close to being broken (sorry, ice boaters!) and late-winter and early spring regattas are closer afield than they otherwise might feel on a still-cold winter’s morn.

Take, for example, the Miami to Havana Race, which kicks off on February 10, and which will challenge sailors with a Gulf Stream crossing and some coastal racing off of Cuba, while rewarding them with an opportunity to meet new friends and to experience a culture that’s still (relatively) unchanged from the late 1950s.

The Sunshine State is also home to its usual collection of fine winter regatta series, including events for Stars, J/70s, Melges 24s, Etchells, and Lasers. These events play out throughout the remainder of the winter and serve as an important mid-winter escape-cum-refresher for sailors who have likely spent more time with snow shovels in their hands than tillers or sheets during the past several months.

Perhaps the most historically important Florida regatta (aside from the Miami to Havana Race, which marks the first time that this race has been held since 1959) of the year is the Bacardi Miami Sailing Week (March 6-12). This year marks the 89th time that the venerable Star class will be racing for top honors in this prestigious event, but this event has also been careful to attract new blood in the form of J/70s, Viper 640s and VX Ones, which will also be adding their own color to the racecourse.

The Columbia Sailing Club in Columbia, South Carolina is taking full advantage of their (typically) early spring conditions by hosting their J/24 Easter Regatta (March 24-27) just days after winter fades into spring; admirable early season enthusiasm from a club with an equally admirable early season Lat/Lon!

Still, for most sailors, the serious racing action doesn’t kick into high gear until April, with storied match-racing events, such as the Congressional Cup (April 5), and fleet racing regattas such as Charleston Race Week (April 14-17), which has been enjoying big registration numbers and glowing reports in recent years.

This year marks the 21st edition of the Charleston Race Week, and event organizers are working hard to ensure that this year is the biggest and best edition of this regatta to date. According to the event’s website, almost 300 boats are expected this year, with the vast concentration of numbers in sportboat classes such as the J/70 and the Melges 20 and Melges 24. Still, a glance at the current entry list also reveals bigger boats such as J/105s, J/111s, some bigger Beneteaus and even a Swan 44 MK II TM, meaning that Charleston Race Week offers something for sailors of all stripes, as well as plenty of great onshore entertainment, once the RC’s guns fall silent.

April’s arrival also marks the beginning of serious racing outside of the southern states, with regattas unfurling in places as geographically divergent as Annapolis, Maryland, Indianapolis, Indiana, and even my hometown of Seattle, Washington, where the Clipper Round the World Race will be visiting (April 20-28).

In the meantime, there is plenty of sailing-related activities that can help get you past the last of winter’s hump, including boat-maintenance projects, crew fitness regimes, possible new-sail orders and-of course-planning your racing season with your boating friends. Moreover, motivated sailors will also take advantage of these remaining months of (relative) downtime on brush-up on their knowledge of the Racing Rules of Sailing, or to perhaps take a course or seminar on go-fast tactics, trim and boatspeed.

Also inside this issue, get the latest news from the America’s Cup, the Caribbean 600 (February 22), the Vendee Globe, and the 2016 Rio Olympics.

May the four winds blow you safely home,