The VOR returns to Rhode Island—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond

by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 5 Nov 2015 If you have ever hoisted sail on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, you have an idea about the amazing sailing conditions that typically grace this coastal New England community: A reliable afternoon sea breeze, (typically) flat waters, scenic and historic views, and-the most important ingredient-a sailing-obsessed local population. These attractive factors, coupled with the town’s sailing legacy, its myriad marine-industry businesses, and its proven ability to play host to large, sailing-focused international gatherings were all factors that contributed to Newport being proudly selected as the sole North American stopover for the 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), which will be arriving in town in the spring of 2018 (exact dates TBA).

For anyone who is not familiar with Newport’s illustrious sailing history, the town hosted twelve America’s Cup defenses, from 1930 to 1983, when Alan Bond and his Australia II teammates lifted the Auld Mug, ending the longest continuous winning streak in sports’ history and ushering in a decidedly “new” era in Cup racing.

In more recent years, Newport has hosted various transatlantic races, around-the-world race stopovers (including a VOR stopover in May of 2015), and, of course, the biennial starts of the storied Newport to Bermuda Race (which occur on evenly numbered years).

The 2015 Newport VOR stopover was a huge success thanks to a massive amount of work from Sail Newport, a locally based non-profit, and a ton of spirit from the local community, which wholeheartedly embraced the event, the sailors, and the out-of-town fans.

“Sail Newport, the Department of Environmental Management, and State Leadership, together with all of our outstanding partners, organized and hosted the most successful North American stopover in Volvo Ocean Race history,” said Brad Read, the executive director of Sail Newport and the mastermind behind the celebrated 2015 stopover. “We did this as a non-profit organization combined with a whole lot of community heart and passion because we knew the event would be a remarkable success.”

Historically, the VOR uses a stopover as a carrot to help entice companies from a given country to sponsor a boat in the race (or as a sweetener for companies that have already entered the race) and as an opportunity to create commercial opportunities for sponsors and local businesses.

In 2015, the Turkish and American-flagged Team Alvimedica, lead by skipper Charlie Enright and watch captain Mark Towill, had the honor of flying Old Glory as they crossed the finishing line off of historic Fort Adams, and the recent announcement of a 2018 stopover thus begs the question as to whether there will be a U.S.-flagged team in the race. Moreover, who would skipper (and crew) a possible American entry in the 2017-2018 VOR?

While crystal balls are in sort supply these days, even a non-betting man would be tempted to place a wager that Enright and Towill are likely suspects as senior leadership aboard a possible U.S. flagged team.

To date, the known stopovers in the 2017-2018 VOR are Newport; Alicante, Spain; Auckland, New Zealand; Cardiff, UK; Lisbon, Portugal, and Gothenburg, Sweden. One can assume that there will be a South American stopover (after the long Southern Ocean leg from New Zealand), as well as at least one Asian stopover and likely several more European stopovers, but-as of this writing-these are not yet confirmed.

Likewise there are serious talks already in the works, as the start of the next VOR (fall of 2017) is approaching fast, and teams will need to start making their preparations in the coming months.

Stay tuned to this space for the latest VOR news, as it unfurls.

Also inside this issue, get the latest news from the Clipper Round the World Race, the Transat Jacques Vabre, and the Etchells Worlds.

May the four winds blow you safely home,