Please select your home edition
Edition
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

An interview with John Buziak on the Around the Rose Regatta

by David Schmidt 2 Nov 2022 08:00 PDT November 5, 2022

It's not every day that one encounters a regatta NOR that offers reduced corrected times for racing with items such as a grill, a dog, or a sibling (all -5 seconds). While unusual, it makes for fun reading...as do some of the other corrected-time allowances, which include racing with an active grill or a spinnaker that's flown sideways (both -10 seconds) and a cat (-30 seconds). More importantly, however, the regatta in question—the annual Around the Rose Regatta (November 5, 2022), which is being hosted by the Fairhope Yacht Club in Mobile, Alabama—sounds like a lot of fun.

Which, of course, is exactly the point of all good club-level races.

The event will feature keelboats of various design racing under PHRF, and it's also expected to attract One Design entrants.

I checked in with John Buziak, rear commodore of the Fairhope Yacht Club, via email, to learn more about this fun-spirited fall regatta.

Can you please give us a bit of history on the Around the Rose Regatta, its culture, the kind of sailors one would expect to meet there?

The club has a "ring" of eight fixed racing marks. The race course is a circle around the marks, which are arranged in the shape of a compass rose. The race has been around for 20 years or so.

It's pretty much a club race. We may have a boat or two from across the bay. All ocean racers round 30 feet in length.

How would you describe the fun-to-competition ratio at the regatta?

We have about equal measures of fun and competition. All the racers have known each other for years.

How many boats are you expecting on the starting line?

We will have between eight and ten boats on the line. Maybe more if the weather is good.

Weather-wise, what kind conditions can sailors expect to encounter on the waters of Mobile Bay in early November? Also, what are the best-case and worst-case weather scenarios?

That late in the year the sea breeze is an iffy proposition. Fronts coming down from the north will each punch through in to the Gulf, bounce off the Gulf, or stall short of the Gulf.

Depending on how strong the front is, you can see anything from a drifter, top blowing the dog off the chain.

If you could offer one piece of advice to participating sailors, what would be it?

Don't run out of beer.

Are there any new additions or changes to the 2022 regatta, compared to previous editions?

We are pretty set in our ways down here. People like to know what to expect. This year will be like most years.

As a dog owner, I've got my red flag ready to fly that you're giving -30 for cats. Have you thought about offering -45 for anyone who sails with the clearly superior four-legged species?

You're more likely to find a pet on the signal boat than a racing boat. One of PROs will bring out his Irish Setter from time to time.

Can you tell us about any recent steps that the regatta has taken to reduce its environmental footprint or otherwise "green-up"?

Not really. A few of us recycle containers. A number of the racers use reusable bottles.

Is there anything else that you'd like to add, for the record?

The racers are a pretty close-knit bunch. We are trying to grow our fleet. But the competition for the attention of the younger folks is pretty intense. But we will keep trying!

Related Articles

The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board. Posted on 8 Jul
Foiling Frenzy at Fraglia Vela Malcesine
The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! Regardless of where sailors are in their careers, or the reputation they have, everyone wants to be there and have a tilt at the title. Posted on 7 Jul
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted on 6 Jul
The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Bill Guilfoyle on the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race
Bill Guilfoyle discusses the 2025 Transpacific Yacht Race When it comes to offshore sailing in the United States, the biennial Transpacific Yacht Race reigns supreme for its distance and promise of off-the-breeze sailing angles. Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
One thing. One big, very fast boat
One thing that opened the door, another made us enquire some more - 50 knots! Yes. It was one thing that opened the door, as it were. One thing that piqued the curiosity enough to go, ‘I'll take a look at that!' One thing that when you're trying to crack in excess of 50 knots... Posted on 30 Jun
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Harald Findlay on the 2025 Edgartown Race Weekend
A Q&A with Harald Findlay on the 2025 Edgartown Race Weekend When it comes to racing sailboats on the East Coast of the United States in the summer months, few places are as classic as the waters surrounding Martha's Vineyard's northwestern flank. Posted on 18 Jun
Mackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMArmstrong 728x90 - Wing FG Board Range - BOTTOMV-DRY-X