31st New England 100: Hope for Summer and Honoring Sandra

31st New England 100 © newengland100.org

For 30 years, the New England 100 has been a main summer event for multihull sailors. A "mini Worrell 1000", the 100 provides a great test of speed, skill, and toughness covering 100 miles over two days on Narragansett Bay.

The regatta is open to all non-singlehanded beach catamarans and race organizers have been following the current guidelines for hosting events closely. We are confident we will be able to host the 31st regatta this August 15-16th out of Sail Newport.

It was last year during this event, that our chairperson, friend, and amazing sailor Sandra Tartaglino was killed by powerboater. Sandra, at 60, had been sailing the NE100 for all 30 years. We reached out to friends of Sandra to help us profile who this amazing woman was which is featured below. We would like to encourage you to share your favorite stories of Sandra in the comments on website.

Courses each day will be between 18-50 miles depending on forecast conditions. Different courses may be specified for different classes depending on boat type/Portsmouth D-PN. The courses will consist of rounding various islands and government or Race Committee (RC) marks and will require a waterproof chart of Narragansett Bay, upper Mt.Hope Bay, Sakonnet River and the ocean off Aquidneck Island.

Registration is open. Competitors should be sure to review the Safety Requirements as well. A boat may be inspected at any time during the regatta for compliance with these new requirements.

Twelve boats are already signed up but we are hoping to get three times that many on the starting line this August.

Register and learn more here...

31st New England 100 - photo © newengland100.org

Ability and Drive: These are two words that describe Sandra Tartaglino...

A woman whose passion and love for sailing impacted many and remains timeless. Sandra was a dedicated member of the catamaran sailing community, competing in many international catamaran championships, and accumulating numerous accolades.

A world-class competitive sailor, Sandra participated in countless major sailing events, traveling back and forth across the country, and up and down the East Coast many times.

In a sport defined by passion, athleticism, and dedication, Sandra embodied and essentialized all. "Sandra was a serious, hardcore racer on many types of multihulls and monohulls. A leader in the sport," says Rick Bliss, a close friend of Sandra's.

Not only was Sandra a fierce competitor, but she broke into a male-dominated sailing world, where she could "hang with the boys, no problem," as stated by Joe Valente, competitor turned friend. Sandra was one of few women to serve as skipper of a Formula 18, and was the first woman without an alternating daily crew to complete the Worrell 1000, a long-distance catamaran race that extends from Florida to Virginia.

Valente recalls an incident that left Sandra with a broken femur, which would prevent her from racing for a year. Despite the injury and prolonged therapy, Sandra soon lept back into sailing. "Most people would have quit at that point. She didn't quit. She didn't quit."

Courses

We will attempt to make possible courses available no later than August 1, 2020. Additional course options may be added based on weather conditions or other factors. Final courses will be posted each morning of the event.

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Safety

Each boat is required to pass an onsite Safety Equipment Verification prior to racing. A boat may be inspected at any time during the regatta for compliance with these requirements

Learn more...