Dateline: Hamilton, Bermuda: 06/26/07
   Silhouette takes SAIL's Bermuda Ocean Cruising Yacht Trophy

Dateline: Hamilton, Bermuda: 06/21/07
   Wind is up, boats finish

Dateline: Hamilton, Bermuda: 06/21/07
   Low on water; thank God for Gosling's

Dateline: Hamilton, Bermuda: 06/20/07
   22 Yachts finish before wind vanishes

Dateline: Hamilton, Bermuda: 06/19/07
   Father son team take line honors

Dateline: Hamilton, Bermuda: 06/19/07
   Bermuda Boat Wins Line Honors

Dateline: Hamilton, Bermuda: 06/19/07
   Kathleen vs Morgan's Ghost

Dateline: Enroute to Bermuda: 06/17/07
   Rescue at Sea

Dateline: Enroute to Bermuda: 06/17/07
   Deb Gayle - Day 1 and day 2

Dateline: Enroute to Bermuda: 06/17/07
   No Wind

Dateline: Marion, Massachusetts: 06/15/07
   72 YACHTS HEAD SOUTH TO BERMUDA

Dateline: Marion, Massachusetts: 06/14/07
   Race Fleet at 73

Dateline: Marion, Massachusetts: 4/30/07
   Calling all ORR Cruiser/Racers

The 30th anniversary Marion Bermuda Race is the East Coast’s biggest ORR Racing event of the year and there is still plenty of time for sailors to join this 645 mile Cruising Yacht Race to the sunny islands of Bermuda. The excitement starts from Buzzards Bay near Marion MA on June 15 for monohulls and June 16 for cruising multihulls.

If your yacht has an ORR certificate, come join the fun. Entries will be accepted on the race web site www.marionbermuda.com until June 7th. The last time for on-site registration at the Beverly Yacht Club is 1400 h, Thursday, June 14. Inspection must be scheduled by June 7. Yachts must have a 2007 ORR certificate. That usually requires about 2 weeks, but exceptions are made up until the last day.

The fleet is shaping up to be one of the largest in years, but there is still plenty of room in the ocean for more yachts. To date, 82 monohulls and 4 multihulls have submitted entries. In 2005 there were 68 monohulls and 7 multihulls. Marion Bermuda marketing director Ray Cullum is pleased with the entries in this year’s classic.

“We have a lot to offer experienced racers or the cruising sailor who wants to gain offshore experience.” said Cullum. “Marion Bermuda is the perfect offshore event to hone those seamanship skills while enjoying the competition.

“Gosling’s is the presenting sponsor of the Founders Trophy given to the overall winner of the race,” Cullum state’s, “so there will be plenty of Dark’n Stormy cocktails poured in both Marion and Bermuda.”

The Royal Hamilton Dinghy Club, co-sponsor with Beverly YC and the Blue Water Sailing Club, has planned a great social slate in Bermuda for friends waiting for yachts to finish and for skippers and crews once they arrive.

“We want the Marion Bermuda Race to be a special experience for everyone,” commented RHADC Commodore Charles Dunstan. “We’ve planned finish line visits and Lighthouse tours, Bermuda House & Garden tours, and a St George’s tour via the powercat Wildcat. Moe Dixon, Copper Mountain resort resident entertainer will be live on the RHADC terrace nightly. Thursday night is A Crown & Anchor fundraiser for Junior Sailing.

“Friday is a big fun day and Saturday is golf, awards ceremony and a gala dinner ,” Dunstan continued, “Gosling’s hosts the Friday afternoon Friends & Family Race for locals and visitors to bash around the buoys. They also host the Gosling All-Crew party at the club Friday afternoon and night. Saturday is a Belmont Hills golf outing followed by the prizegiving that will be held at the Government House this year. It is a spectacular venue and a very special occasion. The gala dinner back at the dinghy club caps off the event.” For the social schedule in Bermuda go to www.marionbermuda.com/bermudaevents

We would like to welcome Globalstar, Gosling’s and Kingman Yacht Center as presenting sponsors for this year’s event. As in 2005 be sure your friends and family track your progress on-line through iBoattrack from Horizon Marine.

Points East Article January 2007
   Marion to Bermuda Race 30th Anniversary
Ray Cullum, Marion Bermuda Race Organizing Committee

A lot can change in 30 years!!

Routing software, GRIB files, satellite communications, GPS plotters, laminate sail material are just a few of the changes to the sport of sailing since the first Marion to Bermuda Race in 1977. What hasn’t changed is the mission of the Race; A Corinthian race for cruising yachts in which all yachts and crew are participating for the joy and pleasure of sailing while offering keen fair competition in a serious off-shore event. The race as come a long way in 30 years but it still stands firm on this mission.

GMORA has supported a strong racing program in Maine for a number of years and it continues to grow. Many Downeast sailors have participated in the Marion Bermuda Race in years past and taken home a lot of silver. In 2005, Gus MacDonald from Freeport, ME on his Hinckley Pilot 35 Panacea, won First Overall! The Clubs and Racing Organizations in Maine and New Hampshire have always supported long distance racing to challenge the skills and abilities of the around the buoy racers. The Marblehead Halifax Race and the Admiral Digby Cup give skippers the opportunity to test their mettle in a more challenging venue. An ISAF Category 1 event takes that challenge to the next level.

Let’s get a couple of myths about the Marion Bermuda Race out of the way upfront; No…it is not a purely celestial navigation race and hasn’t been since 1997, No… you are not limited to Dacron sails, there is no material limitation, No…you do not have to be an ISAF Group 1 sailor, Yes…if you own a modern lightweight racer cruiser there is a high likelihood you will be approved for the race as long as you meet ISAF Category 1 requirements for offshore racing and the Marion Bermuda Race definition of a cruising sailboat, Yes…you can use weather and routing software as long as the data input is not a subscription service and is available to the public, Yes…you may race in an IRC class. If you have any questions at all about the race, you will get a quick response by submitting your questions at www.marionbermuda.com

The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race Organizing Committee understands it is their responsibility to stay abreast of the evolutionary changes occurring in the world of cruising and cruising yachts to insure the race is representative of the state of the sport. In 2005 race we added the cruising Multihull class and a Double-Handed class. We had thirteen multihulls participate that first year and we expect an even better turnout in 2007. We recognized the importance of multihulls to the cruising community so adding them to the race was a natural.

We place a significant amount of effort behind maintaining a safe well managed race. Again in 2007 all race participants will have access via SSB or SAT phone to the George Washington University Emergency Medical Department during the race and the return home. This is a 24 hour a day medical service that has been contracted by the Marion Bermuda Race that keeps a doctor on call for at sea medical emergencies. All racers carry a GPS transponder which communicates to a web site provided by iBoat Track from Horizon Marine that updates your location every two hours. This allows your family and friends to watch your progress throughout the race and your return home.

The Marion Bermuda Race Organizing Committee gave a presentation about the race this year to Maine sailors. It was the first presentation given as part of the Points East Off Season Seminar series on December 13 at the West Marine in Portland. The presentation was given to a group of enthusiastic sailors who are interested in doing the Race in 2007. If you belong to a yacht club or sailing organization you should consider putting together a team of three boats to challenge for the Ocean Spray Marion Bermuda Team Trophy. In 2001, the Harraseeket Yacht Club of Freeport, Maine, which boasts an outstanding racing program in its own right, won the coveted trophy.

The 2006 Newport Bermuda Race was the inaugural event for the Bermuda Ocean Cruising Yacht Trophy. Sponsored by Sail Magazine, this trophy is awarded to the skipper who has the best combined finish from the subset of boats that race in two consecutive Newport and Marion Bermuda Races. To be eligible to win this year, you have to have competed as part of the Cruiser Division of the Newport Race in 2006. All Marion monohulls are eligible.

The Marion Bermuda Race is a race for sailors who understand the importance of good seamanship and teamwork, and to take that understanding and pull together a focused group of individuals with the common goal of sailing to Bermuda in a good boat, safely and as quickly as possible. So now is the time to experience the thrill of ocean racing. The first step is to go to the Marion Bermuda web site www.marionbermuda.com and browse through all of the information that is available. If you have any questions please contact us at race@marionbermuda.com and you will receive a personal reply to your inquiry. Registration is now open on the Marion Bermuda web site so don’t hesitate and while your there, sign up for “Race Updates” to get the most up to date information on the race. Looking forward to seeing you on the starting line June 15 or 16, 2007!!

WindCheck Article January 2007
   Marion to Bermuda 30th Anniversary
Ray Cullum, Marion Bermuda Race Organizing Committee

A lot can change in 30 years!!

Routing software, GRIB files, satellite communications, GPS plotters, laminate sail material are just a few of the changes to the sport of sailing since the first Marion to Bermuda Race in 1977. What hasn’t changed is the mission of the Race; A Corinthian race for cruising yachts in which all yachts and crew are participating for the joy and pleasure of sailing while offering keen fair competition in a serious off-shore event. The race as come a long way in 30 years but it still stands firm on this mission.

Long Island Sound has a racing legacy steeped in tradition and well known far and wide. Many Long Island Sound sailors have participated in the Race in years past and taken home a lot of silver. The Clubs and Racing Organizations in New York, Connecticut and also Rhode Island have always supported long distance racing to challenge the skills and abilities of the around the buoy racers. The Vineyard, Block Island and Around Long Island Races give skippers the opportunity to test their mettle in a more challenging venue. The NORT is an excellent example of the expanded thinking and level of intensity that exists in this region. An ISAF Category 1 event takes that intensity to the next level.

Let’s get a couple of myths about the Marion Bermuda Race out of the way upfront; No…it is not a purely celestial navigation race and hasn’t been since 1997, No… you are not limited to Dacron sails, there is no material limitation, No…you do not have to be an ISAF Group 1 sailor, Yes…if you own a modern lightweight racer cruiser there is a high likelihood you will be approved for the race as long as you meet ISAF Category 1 requirements for offshore racing and the Marion Bermuda Race definition of a cruising sailboat, Yes…you can use weather and routing software as long as the data input is not a subscription service and is available to the public, Yes…you may race in an IRC class. If you have any questions at all about the race, you will get a quick response by submitting questions at www.marionbermuda.com .

The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race Organizing Committee understands it is their responsibility to stay abreast of the evolutionary changes occurring in the world of cruising and cruising yachts to insure the race is representative of the state of the sport. In 2005 race we added the cruising Multihull class and a Double-Handed class. We had thirteen multihulls participate that first year and we expect an even better turnout in 2007. We recognized the importance of multihulls to the cruising community so adding them to the race was a natural.

We place a significant amount of effort behind maintaining a safe well managed race. Again in 2007 all race participants will have access via SSB or SAT phone to the George Washington University Emergency Medical Department during the race and the return home. This is a 24 hour a day medical service that has been contracted by the Marion Bermuda Race that keeps a doctor on call for at sea medical emergencies. All racers carry a GPS transponder which communicates to a web site provided by iBoat Track from Horizon Marine that updates your location every two hours. This allows your family and friends to watch your progress throughout the race and your return home.

The Marion Bermuda Race Organizing Committee as given two presentations about the race this year to Long Island Sound sailors. Hosted by the Stamford Yacht Club in November and the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in December. Both presentations were given to a group of enthusiastic sailors who are interested in doing the Race in 2007. If you belong to a yacht club or sailing organization you should consider putting together a team of three boats to challenge for the Ocean Spray Marion Bermuda Team Trophy. 2007 will be the 5th race for this hotly contested trophy.

The 2006 Newport Bermuda Race was the inaugural event for the Bermuda Ocean Cruising Yacht Trophy. Sponsored by Sail Magazine, this trophy is awarded to the skipper who has the best combined finish from the subset of boats that race in two consecutive Newport and Marion Bermuda Races. To be eligible to win this year, you have to have competed as part of the Cruiser Division of the Newport Race in 2006. All Marion monohulls are eligible.

The Marion Bermuda Race is a race for sailors who understand the importance of good seamanship and teamwork, and to take that understanding and pull together a focused group of individuals with the common goal of sailing to Bermuda in a good boat, safely and as quickly as possible. So now is the time to experience the thrill of ocean racing. The first step is to go to the Marion Bermuda web site www.marionbermuda.com and browse through all of the information that is available. If you have any questions please contact us at race@marionbermuda.com and you will receive a personal reply to your inquiry. Registration is now open on the Marion Bermuda web site so don’t hesitate and while your there, sign up for “Race Updates” to receive the latest information about the race. Looking forward to seeing you on the starting line June 15 or 16, 2007!!

Shorthanded Press Release December 2006
  

The 30th Anniversary version of the biennial Marion-Bermuda Cruising Yacht race gets underway on Buzzard’s Bay June 15, 2007. The race is open to amateur sailors sailing cruising yachts both monohull and multihull. It is an ISAF Category 1 race on the east coast that has two shorthanded classes; Double Handed and Shorthanded (4 crew). What better destination than the beautiful island of Bermuda. It is a cruising race open to cruising yachts from 32 to 80 feet on deck.

The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race Committee understands it is their responsibility to stay abreast of the evolutionary changes occurring in the world of cruising and cruising yachts to insure the race is representative of the state of the sport. In 2005 race we added the Double-Handed class. We had eleven boats participate that first year and we expect an even better turnout in 2007. We recognized the importance of shorthanded sailing to the cruising community so adding a Double Handed class to the race was a natural. It is this ever changing landscape that makes the sport and the Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race great. With that in mind, all yachts are required to demonstrate to the Selection Committee to be of a design that is seaworthy and appropriate for sailing well offshore. As mentioned earlier, this is a Category 1 Race as defined by the ISAF (ISAF Special Regulations), and all yachts must be inspected and meet these offshore safety requirements. Details of these requirements can be found on the Marion Bermuda Race or US Sailing web sites. More importantly, prospective entrants are urged to visit the race website – www.marionbermuda.com – for a complete listing of all pertinent details. If you have a question on whether your boat will qualify, don’t hesitate to call your local race inspector, a full list of inspectors can be found on the Marion Bermuda web site, and have them take a preliminary look at your boat. The inspectors are there to help you qualify your boat not to keep you out of the race. They are very knowledgeable and helpful and we think you will consider it time well spent.

While the spirit of competition flows as freely in the veins of Marion-Bermuda racers as it does in sailboat racers everywhere, Marion Bermuda is a cruising yacht race. It is as much about seamanship and the joy of coaxing the best performance possible out of a sailboat as it is about being first to cover the 645 nautical miles from Marion, Massachusetts to St. David’s Head, Bermuda.

The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race started in 1977. It began as a friendly competition between two friends, one from the Beverly Yacht Club and Blue Water Sailing Club and one from the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club. Little did they know it would grow into the world renowned event it is today. The event consistently draws over 100 cruising boats every other (odd number) year for the 645 mile sail to Bermuda. We expect the same great turnout in 2007.

We will again be using the ORR handicapping system but this year’s race will also see the addition of an IRC class. Again we listened to our participants who wanted to race under the IRC system.

We place a significant amount of effort behind maintaining a safe well managed race. Again in 2007 all race participants will have access via SSB or SAT phone to the George Washington University Emergency Medical Department during the race. This is a 24 hour a day medical service that has been contracted by the Marion Bermuda Race that keeps a doctor on call for at sea medical emergency. All racers carry a GPS transponder which communicates to a web site called iBoat Track which updates your location every two hours. This allows your family and friends to watch your progress throughout the race and your return home.

The Marion Bermuda Race is a race for sailors who understand the importance of good seamanship and teamwork, and to take that understanding and pull together a focused group of individuals with the common goal of sailing to Bermuda in a good boat, safely and as quickly as possible. So now is the time to experience the thrill of shorthanded ocean racing. The first step is to go to the Marion Bermuda web site www.marionbermuda.com and browse through all of the information that is available. If you have any questions please contact us at race@marionbermuda.com and you will receive a personal reply to your inquiry. Registration is now open on the Marion Bermuda web site so don’t hesitate. Look forward to seeing you on the starting line June 15, 2007!!

Dateline: Marion, Massachusetts 11.13.06:
   Marion to Bermuda NoR Online

The Notice of race for the 30th Anniversary Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race is online at www.marionbermuda.com.

Monohulls in the biennial cruising yacht race start Friday, June 15, 2007 in Buzzards Bay near Marion Massachusetts. The cruising multi-hulls will start on Saturday, June16th.

In 2005, sixty-eight monohulls and thirteen multi-hulls started the race. Race organizers expect more than 100 competitors in 2007. All yachts will be scored under the ORR (Offshore Racing Rule) system, formerly AMERICAP II, and a class or classes will be scored with the IRC system that has become popular for many east coast events.

Yachts choosing to sail with celestial navigation only will receive a favorable 2% rating credit to their corrected time. They will then compete alongside yachts using electronic navigation for overall prizes. The 2% rating credit reflects the statistical difference between celestial and electronic performance in the past three Marion to Bermuda Races.

For the first time in this event, Sail Magazine will present the second annual Bermuda Ocean Cruising Yacht Trophy. This new prize is presented to the performing captain in successive Newport Bermuda and Marion to Bermuda Races. The first pair of these trophies was presented to two deserving captains. Jeff White of Radnor Pennsylvania sailed his Hylas 49 Makai in both the 2005 Marion and 2006 Newport ocean races and was the top boat among boats that had sailed in both events. Laura Sudarsky of New York sailed Cassiopeia to the lowest combined score considering all Cruiser Division boats racing in both races.

Contact:
Talbot Wilson
Talbot Wilson & Associates, Inc.
Tel: +1 (850) 432-8170 Fax: +1 (850) 432-8050 Mo: +1 (850) 217-7138
email: talbot@talbotwilson.com

Marion, Massachusetts Feb 21, 2006:
   The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race Association announced today that they would add an IRC class for the 2007 Race.

The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Association will be adding an IRC class for the 2007 Race. The use of IRC will be in addition to the traditional ORR (former Americap II) handicap system that has been in use for a number of years by the race. After an in-depth review by Race Operations Chairman Gordon Vineyard, which included discussions with US Sailing and race chairmen currently using IRC, it was agreed that the rule fits the mission of the race. This addition will open the race to a much broader spectrum of competitors.

“First and foremost we are a cruising yacht race,” according to Graham Quinn, Executive Director of the race. “Our goal is to maintain the integrity and tradition of the Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race and it is our feeling we can continue to do that while offering a choice of handicap systems to our participants.”

The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race has been run biennially since 1977. The race is open to monohulls and multihulls between 32 and 80 feet LOD. The next race will start in Buzzards Bay off Marion Massachusetts on June 15, 2007.