Sunday, June 16, 2019

Marion to Bermuda Race Preview

J/160 sailing to Bermuda (Marion, MA)- The Beverly Yacht Club, Blue Water Sailing Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, are hosting the 2019 Marion Bermuda Race. This will mark the 22nd running of the Race of the biennial event.

The 2017 race was a wonderful experience for all who participated. The fact that the America’s Cup competition coincided with the fleet’s arrival added to the excitement. However, even without the Cup, Bermuda is just a wonderful place to visit. The Dinghy Club is a welcoming facility. Their hospitality is legendary.

Back in 1977 when the first race was run, all navigation was celestial. Over the years, with the advent of GPS, the sextant has been put aside for the ease and accuracy of GPS.

The Marion Bermuda Race is now the only ocean race in North America that offers a celestial class for those skippers that want the challenge. To help stimulate participation in using celestial, in 2015 we increased the time adjustment from 2% to 3% over electronically navigated yachts.

Also, to encourage younger sailors to participate in an offshore race, the Race added a Youth Trophy to the 2015 event, with the goal of increasing the number of younger sailors in our sport. This is another first in offshore racing. If you can accommodate a minimum of four young sailors between the age of 16 and 23, you can qualify for this new trophy and give some young sailors and opportunity of a lifetime!

This year’s Founder’s Division has 39 entries.  Amongst those teams are the J/122 AUGUST WEST, skippered by Jamey Shachoy from Marion, MA and the J/46 MOJO sailed by Eric & Robert Grubman from Milford, CT.  For more Marion to Bermuda Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.