Roy Disney's Volvo 70 Pyewacket sailed the 800+ nm NHYC Cabo Race course in record time, smashing the previous monohull course record by over 15 hours, averaging greater than 20 knots over the course. The new course record is 1 day, 21 hours, 22 minutes and 53 seconds. Only one multihull is verified to have completed the course faster, which was Mighty Merloe in 2015 having finished in 1 day 16 hours. The crew reports having had a great ride with tremendous boat speeds. Pyewacket sweeps the Cabo Race as 1st overall, 1st in Division 1 and 1st to finish.
The Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta, an early-spring weekend fixture on the San Diego Yacht Club calendar, will use VPP-based ratings from the Offshore Racing Association for a new Saturday-only mid-distance race.
US Sailing and host yacht clubs at spectacular sailing venues in Florida and California are thrilled to launch a new domestic racing and training series of Olympic-class regattas in 2021.
The 2021 America's Cup is approaching with lead-in and qualifying challenge events preceding the final America's Cup series. Limited methods for streaming the racing are available in the US. To view the three different events, subscribe to the NBC Sports Gold America's Cup Pass. The price is $157.50 after applying a 10% discount using code AM10. The subscription provides live and on-demand playing of the three events. A subscription can only stream on 1 device at a time.
Follow SDYC's Andrew Campbell (sailor for American Magic), Jimmy Spithill (sailor for Luna Rosa), and recent SDYC members Matt Cassidy (sailor for American Magic) and Melanie Roberts (R/C) as they prepare for the America's Cup in March 2021.
America's Cup Broadcast Schedule
Prada America's Cup World Series and Prada Christmas Race
December 17-20, 2020
The Prada Cup (qualifies a challenger to face Emirates Team New Zealand in the America's Cup)
Jan 15 - Feb 22, 2021
America's Cup
March 6- 21, 2021
Finally, San Diego County has eased the restrictive guidance for recreational boating, now allowing crew from different households to be onboard. The new requirement, however, is to wear masks if within 6’ of one another while aboard, and while ‘down below’. That guidance can be found at: SD County Covid Guidance and scrolling down to “Outdoor recreation”, and clicking on “Boating” you will find…
Boating
Recreational boating on the ocean, bays and lakes is allowed under state guidance for outdoor recreation and the local Safe Opening Protocol for Recreational Boating. Operators of boats at any of those locations may have more restrictive guidance.” Click on Safe Opening Protocol above to see the actual wording. Events for San Diego Yacht Club will follow these protocols, as well as similar guidance for any activity ashore at San Diego Yacht Club.
Twenty-five Finn’s flocked to San Diego Yacht Club this weekend for two days of the 2020 Finn Pacific Coast Championship. Among those sailors were those new to the fleet, those known for the fleet, and many active, enthusiastic competitors excited to be out on the water in their single-handed boats. Seven races were sailed out in the Pacific Ocean on the popular course of Coronado Roads.
Third time was not a charm…
The 2020 Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design (popularly known as the ‘NOOD’) Regatta has been officially canceled. Initially scheduled for March 20-22, while COVID cancelations rippled through the event world, it was abruptly rescheduled to a second date Sept 5-7. By mid-August, public health concerns continued to press on event cancelations, so SDYC and NOOD once again moved the event to a third date, September 25-27, with a deadline of Friday, Sept. 11 to make a final determination.
On Wednesday, September 9, the office of San Diego County Supervisor spoke of their ongoing efforts to control the spread of the virus and public activity that might be conducive to spreading. A single line of policy declaring “recreational boating … is allowed for members of a household.” was not addressed or rescinded. Thus, that precludes most of the regatta boats that rely on multiple crew, coming from multiple households, and necessitates that the 2020 event be canceled. The 2021 NOOD will be scheduled for its traditional calendar slot of March 19-21, 2021.
There has been nearly five months of a Covid-19 sailing lull for most San Diego and other national fleets due to the San Diego County guidance restricting recreational boating to crew of the same household. However, one fleet - the Finn fleet - heads back to the race course for the Finn Pacific Coast Championship (PCC) at the San Diego Yacht Club. On Saturday and Sunday, September 12-13, an expected 25 Finns will compete on the Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Zuniga Jetty.
In August, the Finn Fleet suited up for the 2020 Olympic Classes Regatta with (17) Finns on the line from as far away as Missouri and all corners of the West Coast. Sailing conditions were ideal for the Finn class with 6 of the 7 races sailed with the "O" Flag up allowing for unlimited free-pumping downwind. SDYC staff, RC, and volunteers did an excellent job of launching the fleets in pre-determined time slots allowing for plenty of 'social distancing' and a no-wait launching and retrieving times making for very efficient time use.
Over 80 single-handed boats sailed in the San Diego Olympic Classes Regatta (SDOCR) this weekend at the San Diego Yacht Club, a regatta that for most was the first opportunity to compete in months. Lasers, Laser Radials, and Finns made way to two separate ocean courses where they “socially distance” sailed in boat lengths for seven races. In an effort to provide sailors with a venue for them to compete in international, high-level classes, the SDOCR was home for sailors of all ages and experience levels.
In the Laser fleet, Ford McCann took first with 7 points, Marshall McCann took second with 10 points, and Paul Didham took third with 19 points.
In the Finn fleet, legend Finn-sailor Henry Sprague took first with 7 points, Michael Dorgan finished second with 11 points, and Scott Griffiths followed in third with 22 points.
In the Laser Radial fleet, Nathan Sih won first with 10 points, followed by Morgan Pinckney in second with 14 points and Santiago Quiroga in third with 22 points.