Storm Trysail Club to host ORC North Americans during 31st Block Island Race Week
by Offshore Racing Congress 9 Jan 2025 14:15 PST
June 21-27, 2025
Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week © Stephen R Cloutier
The Storm Trysail Club is excited to announce that the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) 2025 North American Championship will be hosted as part of the 31st Block Island Race Week (BIRW), set to take place June 21-27, 2025. This follows the highly successful ORC World Championship held in Newport last fall.
"The Storm Trysail Club has been supportive of the use of the ORC system for several years now," said Andrew Weiss, Vice Commodore of the Storm Trysail Club. "We feel its rigor and fairness in ratings and scoring is ideally suited to the caliber and culture of sailing we like to have at Block Island Race Week."
The 2024 ORC Worlds showcased 42 boats, with 38 based in North America and the US East Coast. With 16 of these boats already registered for BIRW 2025, organizers expect even more competitors to join the fleet for the ORC North Americans.
"Block Island Race Week is America's last true race week," said Ty Anderson, Race Chair and Storm Trysail Club Rear Commodore. "This recognition is a testament to its Corinthian spirit and provides a fantastic opportunity for additional ORC boats to experience the event's unique blend of competitive and fun sailing."
To be eligible to compete in the ORC NAC, entries will need to have valid ORCi certificates and comply with all other requirements in the Notice of Race. A technical committee will be on-site to provide guidance on rule compliance for all ORC entries and STC race organizers.
"We're pleased that Storm Trysail could make their prestigious event available for ORC competitors to compete at this first-ever North American Championship," said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC.
Storm Trysail Club is committed to three ORC divisions, two of which will have limits on the number of Group 3 (professional) sailors. See the Notice of Race for details. This dual-class format upholds the Corinthian spirit of Block Island Race Week while accommodating a broad spectrum of competitors.
Matt Gallagher, ORC Deputy Chairman, highlighted the compatibility of the ORC system with the Block Island Race Week format. "The combination of the 20-mile Round the Island Race, navigation challenges, and buoy racing will truly exercise every element of the ORC rating and scoring system."
Andrew Berdon, owner of the TP52 SUMMER STORM, shared his enthusiasm for the event: "This is the 40th anniversary of my first BIRW when I raced as a nipper in a very competitive IOR One-ton class, While the IOR is now history, BIRW remains a premier destination event and its designation as the 2025 ORC North American Championship just adds to our enthusiasm."
Paul Zabetakis, skipper of the Swan 42 IMPETUOUS and a Block Island Race Week veteran, said: "This will be my 20th Block Island Race Week and many of the same crew have been coming together for this event every time. The high-level race management that the Storm Trysail Club delivers, coupled with the camaraderie under the tent after is like nowhere else. I'm confident that incorporating the ORC North Americans will only make a great event even greater."
To compete in the ORC North Americans, registered entries will be assessed an additional $100 fee to help defray the support costs associated with conducting an ORC continental championship event. This can be paid on the Storm Trysail Club Add-Ons page. This page also offers the option to pre-purchase Early Bird Tent Bracelets.
New entrants can register directly on YachtScoring.com. However, please note that YachtScoring cannot process payments at this time. To pay your entry fees, call the Storm Trysail Club office (+1-914-450-7547) and provide your credit card information over the phone.
See Notice of Race Amendment for specific details and sign up to join the action!