Rosebud enters Fort Lauderdale Charleston Race

by Event media on 18 Mar 2008
Rosebud, the STP65 owned by Roger Sturgeon (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and recent winner of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, has entered the 408-nautical mile Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Ocean Yacht Race.

Scheduled to start on April 23 at 1400 hours, the race is organized by SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Conference) and sponsored by the Storm Trysail Club (STC), starting host Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC) and finishing host Carolina Yacht Club (CYC).

This event marks the rebirth of a race that originated in 1968 and ran for 10 years. The race will start just outside of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and finish just outside of Charleston Harbor.

This type of classic ocean race, once dormant, yet now reborn, would seem to appeal to many offshore skippers looking for a unique challenge. For Roger Sturgeon it is more than that. 'There are more than enough reasons to do this race, but for me personally it is a perfect fit,' said Sturgeon. 'I am a proud member of the Lauderdale Yacht Club, which is always ready to promote the best in yacht racing, and I always look closely at any Storm Trysail event to see if I can fit it into my schedule, so I am particularly happy to see the rebirth of a classic race and, in this case of the SORC name, recalling its fabulous history.

'It is one of our goals to go to places and do events we have never tried before and of course enjoying the friendship of a new yacht club. We have just returned from Australia and are busy putting the boat together for some East Coast racing so this race will be the perfect test for our readiness to meet our new similar sized competition.'

The race record of 33hr:28min:56sec was established in 1974 by Phantom a C&C 66, owned by Ralph B. Ryder Jr. 'We never think about records, we just prepare ourselves to face our expected competition,' said Sturgeon, noting that many of the entered boats might be able to beat the record if there are favorable conditions. 'We are always trying to optimize against some handicap rule first and let nature take its course, but I am only concerned with doing our best against our competitors of today.'

A classic duel of ocean racing tactics and sailing endurance, the Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Ocean Yacht Race is sailed straight up the Gulf Stream, ending in one of America’s oldest and most historic ports. To bring the race to sailing enthusiasts around the world, all boats will be equipped with a GPS transponder unit and tracked online. To virtually watch the race, please visit www.fortlauderdalecharlestonrace.org.

March 22 is the 'early entry' deadline to save $100 off the entry fee. Additional information including the Preliminary Notice of Race, on-line entry and accommodations can be found at www.fortlauderdalecharlestonrace.org.

The Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Ocean Yacht Race also is an official leg of the 2008 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series where IRC boats earn points for placement in an overall chase to be the series champion.

Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Ocean Yacht Race - Preliminary entries as of March 12:

Boat name, Boat make/length, Owner Name, Hometown
1. Bandana, Oyster48, David Wallace, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
2. Chasing Rainbows, Hunter Legend 37, Del Wiese, Indian Harbour Beach, FL
3. Esprit, sloop 41, Floyd Bryan, Indialantic, FL
4. Mostly Harmless, SR33, Chris Woolsey, Fort Lauderdale, FL
5. Phoenix, Mini Transat, Andy Abel, Fort Lauderdale, FL
6. Rima2, RP 55, John Brim, New York, NY
7. Rosebud, STP65, Roger Sturgeon, Fort Lauderdale, FL
8. Time, Camper & Nicholson 3/4Ton, David Burnham East Palatka, FL
9. Tyche, Swan 57, Tony Magee, Redondo Beach, CA
10. Willy Nilly, Beneteau 30, Lowell Cox, Prestonsburg, KY

About SORC: The SORC mission is to lead the expansion of offshore competitive sailing in South Florida by providing the highest level of race organization, management and promotions for those that enjoy the sport of ocean sailing. The SORC is a Florida non-profit organization driven by a select group of volunteers that bring professional event management, sailing, racing and other skills to the organization. To automatically be placed on future email announcements for this and other SORC events go to www.sorcsailing.org.

Further information: http://www.fortlauderdalecharlestonrace.com/index.html