Newport Bermuda Race 2024 will be scored using a Forecast Time Correction Factor
Cookie Monster finishes Newport Bermuda, 2022. © Chris Burville
How often have you thought the other boat experienced ‘lucky’ weather? The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee (BROC) is proud to announce that the 2024 edition will be the first ocean race to use Forecast – Time Correction Factor (F-TCF) as a scoring model. The intention to use F-TCF scoring was communicated in the 2024 NOR published in June (now amended) and we are sharing additional details about this innovative scoring method.
The BROC is always considering opportunities to improve the fairness of our race and a major target for improvement has been the scoring method. After careful consideration and analysis, the BROC is confident that F-TCF offers a substantial improvement in fairness and clarity over the previously used method, Performance Curve Scoring (PCS).
What is F-TCF and how does it work? Hours before the start of the race, a predicted elapsed time to finish for every boat will
be determined using timely weather and current grib files and each boat’s polar file to determine the optimized route using Expedition.
• Within each division, a forecast – time correction factor (F-TCF) will be calculated for each boat. The F-TCF is the ratio of a scratch boat’s predicted elapsed time to complete the course, to the predicted elapsed time of each boat in the division.
• The F-TCF for every boat will be communicated to the fleet the morning of the race.
• The corrected finish time for any boat can be calculated by multiplying the F-TCF for a boat by the actual elapsed time (plus any penalties) for that boat.
• A rank order of corrected finish times by class and division will determine the order of finish for each class and division.
The 53rd Thrash to the Onion Patch starts Friday, June 21. To learn more (and register!), log onto bermudarace.com.
New Incentive for The Wetherill
Last minute adjustments on Commodore Gunther’s Blue Skies © Janet Dorrance
Introduce a new boat, get 40% off your entry fee!
By Phil Dickey, Essex Yacht Club
Essex Yacht Club in Essex, CT is pleased to announce the 72nd running of the Sam Wetherill Trophy Overnight Race, the oldest existing ocean race named after a Cruising Club of America member. The Race starts Friday, May 17 off the Saybrook Point Lighthouse, with a course out to the “G31” Bell at Gay Head on Martha’s Vineyard, and then back to Saybrook, leaving Block Island to starboard on the return. The course is approximately 140 nautical miles and offers legitimate ocean challenges in an overnight race.
Last year, the winners exited Long Island Sound through the Race in patchy light air. A blustery southerly filled in mid-afternoon, affording an exciting power reach to Gay Head and fetch back to Block Island. As sometimes does in May, the wind died in the early hours of Saturday morning south of Block, but filled in later to get the boats back into the Sound. The Wetherill is a great warm up race for those headed to Bermuda or to other ocean adventures—80% of the course is in open ocean.
The very competitive 2023 fleet had multiple Bermuda Race veterans including Black Watch, Alliance, Towhee, Flying Lady and others. Perennial J/109 national championship contender and Pequot YC Commodore Dave Rosow on Loki sailed doublehanded with Adam Klyver, claiming second in PHRF 2. Jeff Wilson, another Pequot YC contender, sailed his Sabre 42 CB Tacktile to fifth in PHRF 1. Brad Gibbs on his SunFast 3300 Arkana won ORC, with Steve Yang’s Swan 44 The Rover and doublehanded entry Thomas O’Connell on J/99 Finale also in the silver.
The 2024 edition will include ORC, PHRF, and multihull classes with DH divisions if possible. A Wetherill Club Trophy will be given to the yacht club with the best combined performance, and skippers who introduce a new boat to The Wetherill will get a refund of 40% of the entry fee.
The Essex Yacht Club will assist in logistical arrangements; slips and moorings in Essex are available on a first come basis. Some yachts may wish to berth at Saybrook Point Marina in Saybrook and make their arrangements separately. There will be a skippers’ meeting with complimentary wine and beer for skippers and crew on May 16 at the Essex YC and a post-race awards ceremony and dinner. Please register for The Wetherill on YachtScoring.com, and don’t miss this great race!
Northeast Ocean Race Symposium 2024 – It’s Back!
By Ray Cullum,
Marion Bermuda Race Committee
Following the overwhelming success of the inaugural Northeast Ocean Race Symposium in 2023, the Marion Bermuda Race and partners, the Marblehead Halifax Race and the Bermuda 1-2, will again present a broad range of topics that not only appeal to ocean racers, but to all sailors. The full-day, in-person-only program on Saturday, March 16 at Bentley University in Waltham, MA, will include eight presentations, one panel discussion, lunch, and exhibitors. Whether you’re cruising to the Azores, racing to Bermuda or Nova Scotia, or just on an overnight sail to Maine, this symposium will have something to make you a better sailor while enjoying safer, more comfortable passages.
The venue again this year will be Bentley University in Waltham, MA. Their facility is tailored to offer everything needed to hold a well-coordinated event. Presentations will be held in the large conference center room with complete audio-visual support. A second room will showcase a variety of sailing-related exhibitors discussing and showing their products, ready and willing to fulfill you sailing needs.
Presenters are professionals and experts in their fields, with years of experience. They’re also on the leading edge of changes in their respective technologies. Each presentation will be 45 minutes, with time for questions from the audience. This year’s presentations include Personal Flotation and Signaling Devices – State of the Art; Marine Pumps – Types, Maintenance & Spares; Sleep Management for Offshore Sailors; Competent Crews – Building your Skills; Lithium-Ion Batteries – Options, Conversions and Care; Essentials of Offshore Medicine; and more! Many of these subjects came from the 2023 symposium participants themselves, when asked in an end-of-day survey what they would like to see in a future symposium.
This event runs from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, with registration starting at 7:30 am. The Bentley University Conference Center is located at 175 Forest Street, in the LaCava Campus Center #300. This is the only time the Northeast Ocean Race Symposium will be offered in 2024, so register soon at marionbermuda.com as seats are limited!
NYYC American Magic Women’s Team for the Puig Women’s America’s Cup 2024
Our friends at New York Yacht Club American Magic are proud to introduce the groundbreaking women’s team set to make history while representing the United States at the Puig Women’s America’s Cup, scheduled from October 10 to 16 in Barcelona, Spain.
Among the half-dozen athletes on the squad are four Olympians, two former winners of US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award, and a recent winner of The Ocean Race. Collectively, they bring to this challenge an unparalleled level of accomplishment and expertise. The six sailors are:
Francesca Clapcich: Park City, UT
Erika Reineke: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Steph Roble: East Troy, WI & Miami, FL
Helena Scutt: Kirkland, WA & San Francisco, CA
Sara Stone: Marion, MA
Anna Weis: Fort Lauderdale, FL
“It’s an honor to be selected for the American Magic Women’s Team and compete for the Puig Women’s America’s Cup,” said Erika Reineke, 2017 US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. “My teammates bring valuable experience from different classes, and we’re excited to learn from each other, work together, and maximize our potential. Training with both the American Magic Cup Team and the Youth Team is a great opportunity. We’re one team, all aiming for the same final result in Barcelona.”
Guided by Terry Hutchinson, Skipper and President of Sailing Operations, and Coach Charlie Ogletree, NYYC American Magic has meticulously crafted a versatile lineup of extraordinary female sailors, many of whom excel in multiple positions.
The Puig Women’s America’s Cup is a momentous step forward for women in sailing, offering a unique platform to demonstrate their outstanding skills on high-performance boats. NYYC American Magic’s Women’s Team is honored to be part of this pivotal moment in the sport’s history, and these remarkable women are poised to redefine the boundaries of competitive sailing.
Committed to rigorous training, perpetual growth, and mastery of the AC40s, the NYYC American Magic Women’s Team is steadfast in its determination to win the Puig Women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024.
This journey has been made feasible by the dedicated support of American Magic team principals (Hap Fauth and Doug DeVos), the New York Yacht Club, donors, sponsors, and volunteers. NYYC American Magic is profoundly dedicated to inspiring the next generation of female sailors and pushing the sport’s
boundaries.
“On behalf of the flag officers and members of the New York Yacht Club, we are incredibly proud of the accomplished and motivated female athletes who will represent us in the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup,” said Commodore Paul M. Zabetakis, M.D. “The fact that four of the six were members before the start of the selection process speaks to our Club’s desire to continue to be a leader in the sport.”
Racing in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup will take place in the world’s most exciting new foiling class – the AC40 – all equalized with standard components in strict one-design monohulls. Skill, talent, perfect racing intuition, and dynamic foiling will see the very best rise through both fleet and match racing.
Stay updated with NYYC American Magic’s Women’s Team (including individual sailor bios) on AmericanMagic.com and on Instagram @AmericanMagicTeam.
International 29er Class Joins the Clean Class Initiative
By Emily Conklin, Program Manager, Sailors for the Sea powered by Oceana
Courtesy 29er.org
Sailors for the Sea is thrilled to welcome the International 29er Class to our recently launched Clean Class Initiative. Since their European Championships in 2022, the 29er Class has demonstrated a commitment to sustainability and communicating our mission with their members. As a Clean Class, the 29ers will work with us to run all their events as high-level Clean Regattas and share the message of environmental stewardship with their sailors.
In 2022, the 29er Class earned a Platinum Level Clean Regattas certification for the European Championships in Rungsted, Denmark, demonstrating the progress and commitment made at a regatta of this size. In 2023, both the European and World Championships worked with the Clean Regattas program and the events were able to go paperless and plastic free. For 2024 and beyond, all of their EuroCup events, Europeans, and World Championships will be Clean Regattas and we will support the event hosts and the Class to take the most effective steps to improve environmental sustainability locally.
The 29er Class is the third member of the Clean Class Initiative and our first International Class. Alongside Pippa Kenton-Page and the 29er Class leadership, Sailors for the Sea looks forward to the opportunity to reach young sailors with the message of sustainability and environmental stewardship. Together, we can protect our oceans and waterways for generations to come.
SendIt Sailing has a New Home in Connecticut
In early 2020, Captain Bill Wiggins and his partner Ashley launched SendIt LLC, later rebranded as SendIt Sailing (senditsailing.com), with a vision to offer unique charter experiences on their 40-foot sailboat. Little did they know, their venture would evolve into a leading provider of boating products in the U.S., catering to a diverse range of nautical enthusiasts.
Bill’s boating passion began in his childhood on Lake Ontario, leading to distinguished service in the U.S. Coast Guard, including time on the Cutter Gallatin and at a Search & Rescue Station in Oswego, NY. After the Coast Guard, he embraced sailboat racing, channeling his passion for sailing into a career.
With 34 years of experience in the marine industry, working with various companies and sailmakers, Bill’s network and expertise became SendIt Sailing’s foundation. This venture, focused on supplying quality boating products at competitive prices, is a blend of business and personal commitment to the boating community.
In 2023, Steven King, former owner of Offshore Spars in Detroit, joined as a 50% partner, bringing invaluable business expertise and a vast vendor network. This partnership significantly enhanced SendIt Sailing’s capabilities.
A pivotal moment came in late 2023 when Bill and Ashley moved to Essex, CT to be closer to Ashley’s family. This relocation not only signified a new chapter in their personal lives but also strategically positioned SendIt Sailing within close proximity to 90% of its customer base. The move promises exciting growth opportunities within the Northeast sailing community.
SendIt Sailing boasts an impressive catalog of over 65,000 SKUs in the boating sector. Their extensive vendor network ensures they can meet virtually any boating need, reflecting their commitment to the boating lifestyle.
Bill and Steve are dedicated sailors known for their willingness to tackle challenges and engage with fellow boating enthusiasts. Always open to assist or share insights, they can be contacted at bill@senditsailing.com and steve@senditsailing.com. As they navigate the New England waters, their dedication to the sailing community remains steadfast, promising continued growth and service.■
