Destination? Paradise. At least for Annapolis Bermuda Ocean Race participants.
The Biannual Annapolis Bermuda Ocean Race returns for 2018 on June 8th and registration is open for the 50 slots available to sailors of many racing levels and mindsets. The voyage combines inshore and offshore racing through its route down the Chesapeake Bay, across the Gulf Stream, and on to Bermuda. The destination is tropical paradise—white sandy beaches and island hospitality—and well worth a few bumps along the way.
The Annapolis Bermuda Ocean Race only happens every other year. Don’t miss!
The race covers 753 miles, making it the longest ocean race on the east coast of the U.S. The Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis, Maryland, is the host club for the race. The club and its A2B race committee work hard to help new and prospective racers get ready for the trip, offering educational seminars leading up to the race and pre-race social events. The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Bermuda hosts the fleet while in Bermuda.
First held in 1979, theA nnapolis Bermuda Ocean Race can be technically challenging, physically taxing, and conversely rollicking and serene. Signups for sailors looking for a boat or for boats looking for crew are available on the yachtscoring.com website. Categories of experience include novice, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and professional.
Last February I mentioned that the Chesapeake Conservancy has virtual tours of entire
rivers now available to view on their website. You can see what a Chesapeake Bay tributary looks like before you actually take a boat there.
Since then, the nonprofit conservancy has added many more tours including the Elk, Northeast, Potomac, Sassafras, and York rivers, and the Werowocomoco archaeological site along the York. Terrain360 creates the tours, which are recorded from a boat equipped with six cameras mounted 10 feet above the water’s surface to capture 360-degree images every 50 feet. The images are then stitched together to create a digital image map of an entire river. chesapeakeconservancy.org
America’s Cup “Your Majesty, there is no second place.”
Bermuda is abuzz. After all, not many venues get to host yachting’s holy grail. It’s time once again for the 166-year-old America’s Cup (AC) to eclipse the world of sailing and light up the imaginations of sailors and landlubbers alike.
In its 35th running, the often-controversial event has been dubbed the race of millionaires and draws a crowd of enthusiasts and critics alike, each hoping to catch a glimpse of the action and a photo of the silver. Love it or hate it, you certainly won’t be able to ignore it this summer as the defender Oracle Team USA takes on the winner of the 2017 Louis Vuitton Challenger Playoffs.
The action will take place in America’s Cup Class (ACC) catamarans, which are a little larger (nearly 50 feet LOA) than the AC45F yachts (45-foot, one-design, foiling, fixed wing cats) used in the Louis Vuitton World Series. An overhaul of the rules stipulates that the next AC, already set for 2019, will be raced only in ACC boats while the AC45Fs will be retired.
The venue is Great Sound near the city of Hamilton in Bermuda. This summer, Oracle helmsman, Jimmy Spithill, will defend the trophy for the Golden Gate Yacht Club against challenging clubs that hail from seven countries: Italy, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, Great Britain, France, and Japan.
U.S. enthusiasts can watch the action remotely during waking hours and without much risk of spoiler alerts because Bermuda’s time zone isn’t off by much from the U.S. east coast. The World Series will be raced in late May and early June, followed by the playoffs in the second week of June. The 35th defense will be the best of 13 (or the first to reach seven points) and is expected to take place June 17-27, although these dates are provisional.
Events beyond the qualifiers and the AC races are also planned. The first is the Youth America’s Cup that will consist of up to 16 teams of sailors aged 19-24 years. Another will be the attendance of eight classic J Class yachts, mostly replicas of the refined vessels that raced in the 1930s. Finally, superyachts of 80-plus feet will compete in an invitational just before the AC final matches begin.
Bermuda (BER), Arrival of the America’s Cup Trophy in the island
Hamilton (BDA) – 35th America’s Cup Bermuda 2017 – ORACLE TEAM USA – America’s Cup Class training (ACC)
Portsmouth (UK) – Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth – Practice Day – Day 0
San Francisco (USA) – 34th America’s Cup – The America’s Cup Trophy in San Francisco Bay
Part of the bay has already been staked out for spectating superyachts to enjoy front-row seats. Who among us would pass up the chance to sit on the aft deck behind celebrity-sized sunglasses, sipping a glass of chilled white and cheering on helmeted racers who look more like SWAT team members than sailors?
If you don’t breathe this rarified air, you may still be able to get in on the action in a few ways. Tickets are sold via the official website (americascup.com) and are available for grandstand seating, VIP spectator boats and the America’s Cup village. The Moorings is offering all-inclusive crewed charters on some of their 4800 and 5800 catamarans. A lucky few will enjoy luxury accommodations, the services of a gourmet chef and a fully stocked bar along with a great on-the-water vacation. The Moorings will also be selling tickets to grandstand seating, the village and Gosling’s Dark and Stormy Island Bar. It’s the next best thing to wine on that superyacht deck.
In case all this sounds too crowded and harried, the AC will also be televised. NBC Sports will provide live coverage of the Louis Vuitton qualifiers and NBC National will cover the final match races. The AC marketing team is also active on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, or you can download the AC app for the latest news and results.
Ever since the upstart schooner America dared to challenge Aurora of the English Royal Yacht Squadron to a race around the Isle of Wight, the Cup has represented the pursuit of sailing excellence. The trophy, known as “Auld Mug”, was displayed at the New York Yacht Club from just after the first race in 1851 until Australia II of the Royal Perth Yacht Club broke the streak and snatched it away in 1983.
Many of the races weren’t as friendly as the first one watched by Queen Victoria, and subsequent courtroom drama shaped much of AC history. But it has always been a spectacle, and every few years this contentious competition momentarily blocks out the sun, grabs the world by the collar and demands attention like few other grand prix events can. Winner takes all. And as was famously explained to the queen herself, “There is no second place.”
Cruise or race your way from the Caribbean to Bermuda to watch the America’s Cup. The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers start on May 26th off this British Overseas Territory located 1,000 miles from the coast of the Carolinas. Starting on June 17th, the top Challenge will meet defending champions, Oracle Team USA, in the 35th Cup. Cruisers can take their start north on the Salty Dawg Spring Rally. The rally starts on May 15th out of the Nanny Cay Marina in Tortola, B.V.I., after several days of parties, boat preparation and weather briefings. Ralliers will then head to their U.S. port of choice. Linda Knowles, Vice President of the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, says that this year several rally participants are planning to stop in Bermuda for the America’s Cup qualifiers and finale.
Racers can embark on a trip north via the inaugural Antigua to Bermuda Race, which is organized by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Sailors take their start at 12PM on May 12th off Fort Charlotte, Antigua. “Many boats are planning to be in Antigua for our 50th Anniversary Antigua Sailing Week (ASW), April 29th to May 5th. Following this, there will be a week’s grace to make repairs and provision before the start of the 900-nautical mile race to Bermuda,” says Alison Sly-Adams, Commercial Director for ASW. Over 40 yachts are expected to compete, including the magnificent Swan 90, Freya. There are also charters available from companies such as Ondeck, Performance Yacht Charters, Global Yacht Racing and the Bermuda Sloop Foundation. saltydawgsailing.org; antiguabermuda.com
National Marine Suppliers opens at Yacht Haven Grande
Megayacht crews and grand prix race teams now have a new source for everything from provisioning to engineering and deck expertise when in the U.S.V.I. National Marine Suppliers—the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-headquartered yacht suppliers and logistical support group—has opened an office at IGY’s Yacht Haven Grande in St. Thomas. The marina here is a 5-Gold Anchor facility that boasts 46 berths for superyachts up to 656 feet in length and up to an 18-foot draft. Located on the east side of the Charlotte Amalie harbor, Yacht Haven Grande is central to many restaurants, shops and the airport, which offers direct daily flights to several destinations in the U.S. nationalmarine.com; igy-yachthavengrande.com
New Poker Run Circuit
Throttle up and get ready for more fun and more winnings in the new Caribbean Triple Crown Poker Run. This year’s first-ever three-legged circuit kicks off on May 28th for the Leverick Bay Poker Run held off Virgin Gorda in the B.V.I. Then on July 2nd the Stars and Stripes Poker Run takes place out of IGY’s Yacht Grande Marina in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. The cup wraps up on July 16th at the St. Maarten Poker Run hosted out of Isle del Sol Yacht Club in St. Maarten. The winner of all three events will take home $20,000 in cash and prizes and earns the title of IGY Triple Crown Poker Run Cup champion. Nick Willis, who founded the Leverick Bay Poker Run in 2001, says he never thought the event would garner so much recognition and response from powerboaters. “It’s one event, three destinations and the chance to give back to multiple charities,” says Willis. The Caribbean Triple Crown Poker Run is an official member of the Florida Power Boating Club & Poker Runs of America. For more information, contact Javier Lopez at (787) 529-8064 or j.lopez@caribbeanpokerrun.com.
Before there were luxurious motor yachts with combustion engines, there were just boats with motors. Before there were mere motorboats, people traveled in a more traditional way. Namely, sailing.
This winter, those along the Eastern Seaboard might be able to see a piece of that the traditional way of navigating the ocean waters.
The Tall Ship Oliver Hazard Perry, the newest in the fleet of Tall Ships, will leave Newport, Rhode Island at the tail-end of January and set sail to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This means that you may be able to experience a small slice of history. The ship, which is designated as a sailing school, provides a glimpse into how mariners used to traverse the open waters.
The 200-foot ship will then head to Bermuda before sailing back to Fort Lauderdale where she will be based through March. The sailing school is offering two incredible opportunities for explorers of all ages to participate in round-trip voyages to Cuba. The first is scheduled for March 10th through 18th and the second March 18th through 26th.
An additional passage will take place from Bermuda back to Newport on April 14th through 22nd.
The Oliver Hazard Perry’s mission is to provide innovative and empowering education-at-sea programs. These voyages promote personal and professional growth for all ages.
While the voyages to Cuba are targeted towards high school and college students, there are a limited number of berths available for adventurous adults. However, the Bermuda and Newport passages are designated for any adult to wants to learn the skills of offshore celestial navigation and marine meteorology.
“Simply visiting somewhere like Cuba is exciting in itself, but it’s quite another thing to arrive on a Tall Ship where you have been fully immersed in the adventure and responsible for actually getting yourself there,” said Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island Executive Director Jessica Wurzbacher.
