New 900 nm race Ft Lauderdale - Dominican Republic

by Jeanne Kleene on 17 Jan 2008 A new distance racing tradition is born with the announcement of the bi-annual Casa de Campo Race in February, 2009. The race to the West Indies will start on February 13th from Fort Lauderdale and finish in the exotic, 5-star Casa De Campo Resort, in La Romana, Dominican Republic.

Casa De Campo, popular to golfers around the world for its acclaimed Pete Dye courses, will showcase their new 370 slip marina, the most complete and prestigious in the Caribbean. The International Farr 40 class recently announced that they will have their Rolex World Championship there in 2010.

The 900 mile race will track east through Northwest Providence Channel, turning southeast at Eleuthera, skirting the Bahamas, by the Turks and Caicos Islands, to the eastern tip on the Dominican Republic where boats will turn the corner for the run to the finish.

A unique welcome to each and every boat headlines a long list of dividends for participants. A gala awards party, access to the top ranked golf course in the Caribbean and 2 days of windward/leeward racing for the Casa de Campo Cup are included in this exciting package.

'Given the appeal of this gorgeous destination location, we feel very optimistic about attracting a meaningful fleet and building on that over the years,' said Storm Trysail Commodore John Fisher. 'Casa de Campo is committed to making this a special experience for all who participate,'

The Eastern Dominican Republic is a sensible location for boats continuing on to the Caribbean circuit. It also represents minimal upwind work for boats heading back to South Florida for the Acura Miami Grand Prix. The Casa De Campo Marina will be the ultimate host - offering free slips to participating boats for up to a month â€' important to those with their sights set on island racing later that winter.

'I am really looking forward to working with Storm Trysail on this exciting project,' said Premiere Racing's Peter Craig. 'The Casa de Campo Resort, Marina and Yacht Club are fantastic. There's no question that Casa de Campo will be a regular venue for meaningful regattas in the years ahead.'

Event details and logistics information will be available of Premiere Racing's web site www.premiere-racing.com in February.