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.

Hamilton, Bermuda June 25, 2005:
   Panacea takes fleet honours in Marion to Bermuda Race

The Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race started in Marion MA on Friday June 17 for 68 monohulls yachts and on Saturday June 18 for six trimarans and one catamaran. Yachts began to finish at dawn Tuesday June 21st.

The first multihull Heartsease Larus Roc, a trimaran from St Maarten, crossed the line at St. David’s Lighthouse Bermuda 5:00AM. The first monohulls, crossed the line at sunset the same day with Mameluke representing the US Naval Academy crossing at 8:13PM and the Marion yacht Hawke come right behind at 8:23PM.

The last boat to finish, Edward Dunham’s Mistral 33 Bonspiel from Philadelphia and the smallest boat in the fleet, came in Thursday June 23 at 1:21PM. Dunham takes home the Cook’s trophy for Class E.

Jim Mertz, the oldest sailor in the fleet at 92, sailed Allegra in his eighth Marion to Bermuda Race and his 39th race to Bermuda in all.

Twelve boats raced in the Mt Gay Friend’s and Family race. Sailed in Bermuda’s Great Sound on a twelve-mile Olympic course with 12-18kt winds, the small fleet had plenty of sun and fun. Flashpoint won class one, Avalon took class 2, RHADCical got Class 3 and Hawke took line honours and class 4. Flashpoint took first in Fleet. Prizes, including an ample supply of Mt Gay products, were awarded at the rum party immediately following the race.

Prizes for the Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race were awarded at a ceremony Saturday at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel.

Hamilton, Bermuda June 24, 2005:
   Small boats triumphant in Marion to Bermuda

All boats had either finished or had withdrawn by late Thursday morning, and race officials of the Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race have issued unofficial results. The race started in Marion MA on Friday June 17 for monohulls yachts and on Saturday June 18 for six trimarans and one catamaran. The monohulls started on the wind a 30kt southwesterly while the multihulls started the next day with spinnakers in 3-7kts out of the northeast.

Down the course the breeze held for both fleets until they both found a trough between pressure systems and virtually 'hit the wall'. Many boats reported long periods of calm. The winning multihull Lars Svensson's Heartsease Larus Roc from St Maarten drifted in circles and then worked the light air and kept out from under clouds, which threatened to suck up what little breeze there was.

The trough turned into a parking lot and held up the Class A and B boats and the bigger celestial boats in Class C. The slow going in the middle of the course gave the smallest and slowest Class E the opportunity to save their handicap time on the others. The race was scored 'time-on-time so the more hours on the course the more handicap allowance went to the slower boats. Fleet honors will go to three boats in classes D, E, and C.

Panacea, a Hinkley Pilot 35 in Class E skippered by Gus McDonald of Freeport ME was first in fleet, Class D leader Cassiopeia a Beneteau 42s7 with Laura Sudarsky of Rye NY at the helm finished second, and Restive, the Alden one-off sailed by George Denny of Boston, took the first place in the Celestial Navigation Division Class C and finished third in fleet. Class C Panacea was one of the smallest boats in the fleet.

In addition to her first in fleet, Panacea also took first in Class E, Chris Streit of Stamford CT came second in his Class E Bermuda 40-MkIII Fandango, an hour and a half back. Ward McElhinny's Liberty, a Sea Sprite 34 from Cohasset MA, was third.

In Class D, Cassiopeia came first after her third overall finish. Makai, a Hylas 49 sailed by Jeff White of Radnor NY, was second and Bruce McNeil's Sequin 44 Thistle from Lincoln MA was third.

Restive, the Alden one-off sailed by George Denny of Boston, took the first place in the Celestial Navigation Division, Class C, and was third overall in fleet. Ray Greenwald's Cordelia, a Valiant 42 from Winchester MA was second and the Beneteau First 42, Allegra, sailed by Jim Mertz of Rye NY the oldest person in the race and the one man who has raced to Bermuda more than any individual, came in third.

Toronto resident Eric Cerny sailed his Jeanneau SO 40 Mad Dash to first place in Class B, New Yorker Fred Cosandey's Jeanneau SF36 Choucas was second and the all-lady crew led by Warwick RI resident Rebecca Bioty on her Beneteau First 42 Panama Red came home third. She will win the new Commodore Faith Paulsen Trophy for being the first all female crew in the race.

Marion resident Sam Vineyard skippered the Class A winner Hawke, a J/46. Second place Visions of Johanna, a custom Chuck Paine 62, was double handed by Bill Strassberg and Graham Schweikert of Northport ME. Don Blake of Stonington CT skippered Atlantic and took third.

In Class M, the Multihull Division, Cleveland doctor Lars Svensson in the Open 60 Trimaran Heartsease Larus Roc from St. Maarten took Multihull line honors and first in class. He was followed by North Haven ME resident Charlie Pingree in the Hammerhead 54 Flying Fish. Rex Conn from Worton MD sailed the Newick Traveler tri Alacrity to third,

Prizes will be awarded at a ceremony Saturday at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel.

The iBoat tracking home page presented by Globalstar on the race website www.marionbermuda.com shows the tracks of all the boats in the race. The tracks can be superimposed on the Gulf Stream and reviewed by yacht, class and fleet.

Contact:
  Talbot Wilson
  Talbot Wilson & Associates, Inc.
  Advertising • Public Relations • Creative Services
  Tel: +1 (850)432-8170 Fax: +1 (850)432-8050 Cell: +1 (850)217-7138
  Email: talbot@talbotwilson.com
  Bermuda Phone 441-505-7032

Hamilton, Bermuda. June 21, 2005:
   Heartsease Laurus Roc takes multihull honors

The largest boat in Class M, the Open 60 trimaran Heartsease Laurus Roc, skippered by Lars Svensson, took multihull honors at the finish line of the Marion to Bermuda race at 0500:17 Tuesday June 21. This is the first multihull division in Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race history and it's one of the important innovations in the event this year. Lars Svensson is a famous heart surgeon in the USA who is also in charge of the Heartsease Foundation.

The quick tri looks like its seagull namesake gliding across the water and has a wingspan, hull to hull, of about sixteen paces like the bird named ‘Roc’ by Marco Polo. She started 24-hours after the monohulls and passed them one day later in the Gulf Stream. Heartsease Laurus Roc finished off St David’s Lighthouse in Bermuda an estimated 12-hours ahead of the next finisher.

Once the race committee calculates the official elapse time, their performance will set a new benchmark for multihulls in this 645-mile biennial race. With the light air experienced in the bottom half of this year’s race the mark should be a good target in the future.

As the full moon set over the headland of Bermuda’s south shore and the dawn was just rising, Heartsease Laurus Roc ghosted across the finish in a 3-5knt southwesterly breeze. She was making 6knts and was able to round the shoal marks on the approach to Bermuda and squeeze up and use her momentum to cross the line without tacking for the finish.

The finish line volunteers in the lighthouse then welcomed them to Bermuda and advised them to stand by for refreshments from Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club Commodore Donald Jolliffe. The response from Heartsease Laurus Roc was "That would be most appreciated. Do you have any ice?"

As the line boat with Commodore Jolliffe aboard approached he welcomed them formally to Bermuda. When asked how the trip was navigator Ian Martin said, "It was exceptional."

"We had a hard-fought three-hour beat out of Buzzards Bay," said Svensson. "We had hoped to complete the race in about 55 to 60 hours. We made up the slow start covering 364 miles in the 24 hours after 5:00pm Saturday. In the eddy below the Gulf Stream, we had 20kt winds and 12-20 foot seas. After we passed the weather trough below the Gulf Stream, we went in circles, dodged clouds looking for wind and tacked back and forth until we worked our way down to the breeze. We did 10-12kts until we turned from the breaker marks toward the finish. "

Svensson thanked the Marion to Bermuda Race organizers for including multihulls in the event and when asked if he would return in 2007 said, "We would like to go again."

The iBoat tracking home page presented by Globalstar on the race website 0000,0000,FFFCwww.marionbermuda.com> derline> shows the positions of all boats in the multihull and monohulls fleets and gives their speed over the last 2-hour period between updates.

Five boats out of the original 75 starters have withdrawn. Monohulls Fiona Rois, and Saoirse and multihulls Alegra and Falcor have all headed back to the USA. Starr Trail, a Bermuda entry, is motoring to her island home.

Contact:
  Talbot Wilson
  Talbot Wilson & Associates, Inc.
  Advertising • Public Relations • Creative Services
  Tel: +1 (850)432-8170 Fax: +1 (850)432-8050 Cell: +1 (850)217-7138
  Email: talbot@talbotwilson.com
  Bermuda Phone 441-505-7032

Yachts racing the 15th bennial Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht are on their way to Bermuda. At 12:30 PM the first horn sounded to start the sequence for the start of Class E, the slowest in the race. some hour and fifteen minutes later Class A, the fastest got their starting signal. Under sparkling sunshine, winds on Buzzards Bay at the start were about 20kts building to 30kts for the final start of the day.

Sixty-seven of sixty-eight registered yachts started the race and one, Mark Stevens’ Kiva returned to the harbor after loosing most of his battens in the pre-start. He had just gotten a new main and apparently had serious problems with the batten pockets or the method of closing them.

Three yachts were over early and had to return to clear the line and restart. Mischief in Class C, Anasazi in Class D and Bonspiel all had to return after being over-eager at their start.

Boats with the best starts were Starr Trail in Class A, Babe in Class B that was the only boat to go to the right after the start, the US Naval Academy sloop Mameluke had the best pace in Class C and will navigate with sextant only to fine those small islands of Bermuda.

Seven multi-hulls, six trimarans and one cat, will start on Saturday. The inclusion of multi-hulls is a new addition to the race for 2005.

They are starting a day later than the single hulled yachts because they are faster. Organizers expect them to finish about the same time as the faster boats on the Friday start. Also new for 2005 is the Commodore Faith Paulsen Trophy for the top all-women crew.

Thirteen of Friday’s starters will only be using celestial navigation to find the small islands of Bermuda 645 miles out in the Atlantic. The remaining fifty-five will use GPS systems to navigate the course. The Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race originally required all boats to use celestial navigation, but yielded to modern electronics in 1997.

Among the hundreds of amateur sailors in the fleet, celebrity Sir John Vereker, the Governor of Bermuda, is sailing on Babe with Dr Colin Couper and Geraldo Rivera is racing his own 70’ S&S custom Voyager, the vessel he sailed ‘round the world.

The iBoat tracking home page presented by Globalstar is now active on the race website www.marionbermuda.com and it shows the position of the Gulf Stream slicing across the rhumb line with a 4 knot current moving basically West to East across the yacht’s course South to Bermuda. Other features such as revolving currents caused by warm and cold eddies are also visible.

Contact:
  Talbot Wilson
  Talbot Wilson & Associates, Inc.
  Tel: +1 (850)432-8170 Fax: +1 (850)432-8050 Cell: +1 (850)217-7138
  Email: talbot@talbotwilson.com
  Bermuda Phone 441-505-7032

In preperation for the 15th Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race Peter Cassidy caulks the wooden deck of the classic 70' ketch Kathleen. Cassidy, who will be a crewmember in the race, is trying to stop a leak over one of the aft bunks. CREDIT Talbot Wilson Photo.

Last minute inspections test skipper and inspector:

Yacht inspector Bill Farnham is jumping from ship to ship this week doing final inspections for the Marion to Bermuda Race that starts this Friday. On Tuesday he went aboard Kathleen a custom 72 foot Ketch owned by Jim Feeney.

Safety is a very important issue with the race organizers so every boat that competes must be personally inspected by one of the volunteer inspectors. They carry a check off sheet with a full page of questions to guide the owner and inspector through the process.

As Farnham stepped aboard Kathleen Feeney greeted him with a hearty "Welcome aboard". This inspector had checked Kathleen for the 2003 race and Kathleen is a local boat so he was immediately familiar with the layout and the owner.

Getting down to business quickly, the inspector and owner reviewed on-deck safety features like jack lines, safety harness attachment points, the preventer set up to stop the boom from swinging across the cockpit, a real safety hazard, and checked the life rafts to make sure they were securely fastened to the deck. They checked the storm sails and the arrangement for rigging a storm trysail in case of a real blow during the race. Once all this was done it was time to move below so inspect all the portable safety gear spread out below ready for the inspector.

It is mandatory that all safety gear be inspected and certified before starting a Category 1 race. The yachts will be well offshore, out of range of helicopter evacuation and must be self sufficient in case of an emergency. Farnham and Freeney reviewed the documentation on the life rafts, the emergency position beacon (EPIRB), and checked the dates on all of the required flares. Freeney also turned in a certificate stating that the crew knows how to do a quick-stop maneuver in case a person fell overboard. Safety harnesses are usually worn by sailors on deck and one is necessary for each crewmember. Clipping on a harness is the best way to prevent a serious accident.

Farnham examined the weather radio, the Globalstar Sat phone, the installed VHF and the back-up VHF’s and and the emergency antenna. Freeney explained that he had a main GPS system for navigation and two hand held back-ups and about 100 batteries.

Freeney showed Farnham wood pegs attached to thru-hull fittings throughout the hull. Each thru-hull needs a peg just in case the fitting breaks and a gushing hole needs to be plugged. All the tankage was reviewed to certify that enough fuel for motoring 250 miles was aboard and that there was sufficient water in tanks and emergency water for the crew of eleven. Freeney demonstrated the system for securing the floorboards.

Kathleen passed the test. The safety inspection took about twenty minutes in all mainly because Feeney was well prepared with all required equipment out and ready for review.

By 1:00 PM Friday sixty-eight yachts will be on their way out of Buzzards Bay in the 15th biennial Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race. The first preparatory gun will sound at 12:30 to signal the countdown to the start of the first group of yachts. Seven multi-hulls, six trimarans and one cat, will start on Saturday.

The inclusion of multi-hulls is a new addition to the race for 2005. They are starting a day later than the single hulled yachts because they are faster. Organizers expect them to finish about the same time as the faster boats on the Friday start. Also new for 2005 is the Commodore Faith Paulsen Trophy for the top all-women crew.

Thirteen of Friday's starters will only be using celestial navigation to find the small islands of Bermuda 645 miles out in the Atlantic. The remaining fifty-five will use GPS systems to navigate the course. The Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race originally required all boats to use celestial navigation, but yielded to modern electronics in 1997.

Among the hundreds of amateur sailors in the fleet, celebrity Sir John Vereker, the Governor of Bermuda, is sailing on Babe with Dr Colin Couper and Geraldo Rivera is racing his own 70' S&S custom Voyager, the vessel he sailed 'round the world.

The iBoat tracking home page presented by Globalstar is now active on the race website www.marionbermuda.com and it shows the position of the Gulf Stream slicing across the rhumb line with a 4 knot current moving basically West to East across the yacht's course South to Bermuda. Other features such as revolving currents caused by warm and cold eddies are also visible.

Weather predicted for the Friday's start calls for Southwest winds at 10-15 knots with dense fog early and a slight chance of a shower or two. Saturday calls for much the same, but maybe a little less wind.

About the Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race

The Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race is open to amateur cruising yachts, families and friends. Participants will have the opportunity to compete in an open ocean passage with a group of friendly competitors. Sailing in this race is a life experience that can bridge the gap between generations, solidify friendships and foster teamwork, all while promoting seamanship and the love of sailing.

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 companionship 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 to St. David's Head. Characteristically, a Friends and Family day race is scheduled for Bermuda a week after the start; prizes in that race go to, among others, the yacht with the largest crew and the one with the best attitude.

This prestigious race began in 1977 with its roots deep in the Corinthian spirit. The race is hosted by the Beverly Yacht Club, the Blue Water Sailing Club and, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club.

The race is open to single hulled sailing vessels with a minimum hull length, exclusive of sprits, of 32 feet, and a maximum of 80 feet. This year, for the first time, the race will be open to two new categories, Multi-hull yachts and Double Handed yachts. Also for the first time, a trophy will be awarded for the best finish of a yacht with an all-female crew.

Although Marion-Bermuda is a race for amateur sailors rather than pros, safety is a prime consideration and Marion-Bermuda's safety regulations are as stringent as any other race of its type.

All yachts will be required to demonstrate to the Selection Committee to be of a design that is seaworthy and appropriate for sailing well offshore. This is a Category 1 Race as defined by the ISAF (ISAF regulations). All yachts must be inspected and meet these offshore safety requirements. Visit the race website - www.marionbermuda.com - for a complete listing of all pertinent details.

The Marion to Bermuda Race includes both a Celestial and an Electronic division with equal distribution of prizes to both groups, with the exception of the Navigator Trophy, which is awarded to the Celestial winner. The fleet will be scored under the Americap II Rating System.

Pre-race festivities will include cocktails and dinner served on the grounds of the Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, Massachusetts, one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States. Participants will enjoy the spectacular view of Sippican Harbor and the camaraderie of club members, fellow crewmates and contestants.

The post-race activities are hosted by, and held at, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Bermuda.

For complete information on the 15th biennial Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race including all the dates and deadlines, entry list and much more go to www.marionbermuda.com.

iboat Track

Now, for the first time, spectators on shore can track the action of the entire Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race from start to finish. When the race starts June 17th in Buzzard's Bay, every boat entered in the 2005 Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race will be provided with a GPS transponder linked by iBoat and the internet to every computer round the world. This is the first Category 1 race in North America to have complete GPS tracking of racers. A demonstration site is available to preview iboat at http://www.marionbermuda.com.

Contact:
  Talbot Wilson
  Talbot Wilson & Associates, Inc.
  Tel: +1 (850)432-8170 Fax: +1 (850)432-8050 Cell: +1 (850)217-7138
  Email: talbot@talbotwilson.com
  Bermuda Phone 441-505-7032

Beverly Yacht Club Past Commodore Faith Paulsen was caught off guard last night as members of the Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race Executive Committee unveiled the new Commodore Faith Paulsen Trophy for the first all-women crew to finish in the 645-mile ocean race. The 15th Marion to Bermuda Race, starting June 17th and the 18th for multi-hulls, is the first to recognize all-women crews with their own prize. The trophy, an elegant glass bowl, will be presented at the prizegiving in Bermuda at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess on June 25th.

Faith was called up to the porch to receive her volunteer 2005 plate and the surprise of the new trophy named in her honor left her almost speechless. Graham Quinn, Executive Director for the race, presented the award to a surprised Paulsen saying it was presented by the Marion Bermuda trustees for all the years of love and care for all the sailors in the race. The presentation was the highlight of the ‘volunteers’ party ironically hosted by Past Commodore Paulsen at her home overlooking the yachts in Sippican Harbor preparing to make the upcoming race. All of the trustees from the US and Bermuda were with Quinn for the ceremonial presentation.

After the ceremony she appeared to tear up a little as she stood of to the side of the porch, looking down at the trophy and listening to the rest of the award presentations for Marion To Bermuda Race volunteers.

Faith, the 11th generation offspring of famous naval architect John Alden and wife Pricilla, has been sailing all of her life. She is a native of Braintree, Massachusetts and summered in Mattapoisett, just one harbor west of Marion. She grew up sailing a Cape Cod Knockabout, a Herreshoff 12 and has sailed a Bullseye since 1966. She has done the Marion to Bermuda numerous times most recently aboard the classic ketch Kathleen in 2003. She and husband Charlie will join Jim Feeney on Kathleen again this year.

As the first woman Commodore of the Beverly Yacht Club, Paulsen broke new ground for the club. You learn as you go, she said. I served two years as Rear Commodore, two as Vice Commodore and then two as Commodore. The six years passed like an instant.

Faith watched the first Marion to Bermuda Race start as a spectator in 1977 and has been on the Marion to Bermuda committee since 1979. First she coordinated land events in Marion and from 1989 on she has been on the administrative team. The first year in administration she organized a record fleet of 177 entries, all required to sail the course only using celestial navigation.

For complete information on the 15th biennial Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race including all the dates and deadlines, entry list and much more go to www.marionbermuda.com.

About the Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race

The 15th biennial Marion-Bermuda Cruising Yacht race gets underway on Buzzard’s Bay June 17, 2005. The race is open to amateur cruising yachts, families and friends. Participants will have the opportunity to compete in an open ocean passage with a group of friendly competitors. Sailing in this race is a life experience that can bridge the gap between generations, solidify friendships and foster teamwork, all while promoting seamanship and the love of sailing.

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 companionship 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 to St. David’s Head. Characteristically, a Friends and Family day race is scheduled for Bermuda a week after the start; prizes in that race go to, among others, the yacht with the largest crew and the one with the best attitude.

This prestigious race began in 1977 with its roots deep in the Corinthian spirit. The race is hosted by the Beverly Yacht Club, the Blue Water Sailing Club and, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club.

The race is open to single hulled sailing vessels with a minimum hull length, exclusive of sprits, of 32 feet, and a maximum of 80 feet. This year, for the first time, the race will be open to two new categories, Multi-hull yachts and Double Handed yachts. Also for the first time, a trophy will be awarded for the best finish of a yacht with an all-female crew.

Although Marion-Bermuda is a race for amateur sailors rather than pros, safety is a prime consideration and Marion-Bermuda’s safety regulations are as stringent as any other race of its type.

All yachts will be required to demonstrate to the Selection Committee to be of a design that is seaworthy and appropriate for sailing well offshore. This is a Category 1 Race as defined by the ISAF (ISAF regulations). All yachts must be inspected and meet these offshore safety requirements. Visit the race website - www.marionbermuda.com - for a complete listing of all pertinent details.

The Marion to Bermuda Race includes both a Celestial and an Electronic division with equal distribution of prizes to both groups, with the exception of the Navigator Trophy, which is awarded to the Celestial winner. The fleet will be scored under the Americap II Rating System.

Pre-race festivities will include cocktails and dinner served on the grounds of the Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, Massachusetts, one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States. Participants will enjoy the spectacular view of Sippican Harbor and the camaraderie of club members, fellow crewmates and contestants.

The post-race activities are hosted by, and held at, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Bermuda.

For complete information on the 15th biennial Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race including all the dates and deadlines, entry list and much more go to www.marionbermuda.com.

iboat Track Now, for the first time, spectators on shore can track the action of the entire Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race from start to finish. When the race starts June 17th in Buzzard’s Bay, every boat entered in the 2005 Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race will be provided with a GPS transponder linked by iBoat and the internet to every computer round the world. This is the first Category 1 race in North America to have complete GPS tracking of racers. A demonstration site is available to preview iboat at http://www.marionbermuda.com.

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

Concern has been expressed about Americap Rating Certificate not having been received and therefore not turned into the Marion-Bermuda Committee by the deadline of June 1, 2005. We understand anxiety, but assure all that no penalties will result from having certificates submitted after the deadline when it is not the Captain's fault but rather a US SAILING problem.

US SAILING told us this morning (June 6) that all but 3 participants in our race have been rated. The three that have not yet been rated are boats that do not have the usual measurement information and must be rated with some arbitrary decisions by the director of Offshore Sailing.. Dan Nowlan of US SAILING expects to have the remaining boats rated in the next 48 hours.

Please note that there will be administrative delay in filling out the certificates and mailing them. Dan thinks that will be done by June 10. The Marion Bermuda Committee should receive the information needed to rate the boats directly from US SAILING by that time. We will review the information and set the tentative class assignments over the weekend with the target to set the final class designation by June 14.

The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race is pleased to announce that the 2005 race will move to a single number, time-on-time (TOT) handicap system using the Americap II velocity prediction program. The reasons for the choice are that a TOT system makes more appropriate adjustment for an offshore race that involves current, such as the Gulf Stream and may include significant reaching, which is typical for this race. It is also simpler and easier to understand than the combination of time-on-time and time-on-distance. The decision was made in consultation with Jim Teeters and US SAILING after modeling this change based on the 2003 race. Handicapping will continue to be done through US SAILING and Americap II.

For the first time, the Organizing Committee is providing every boat entered in 2005 a GPS transponder. This transponder will track your location and progress during the 645 mile race as well as your return to your home port. The GPS transponder will be provided to each boat at absolutely no cost to the entrant except for a fully refundable deposit on the transponders return. iBoat Track, the program created by Horizon Marine, is an internet based tracking program that can be accessed through any browser. Now your family and friends will be able to watch your progress throughout the race, your position and speed, where you stand within the fleet and your position in your class. All of the sailing publications and newspapers will also be tracking the race and will be able to report in real time how the race is unfolding. Horizon Marine will be handling all the details, supplying the hardware and information on how to easily install the book size GPS transponder on your boat.

It is a great addition to the 2005 Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race and we would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Globalstar as a Presenting Sponsor for helping bring this significant improvement to the race.

The 15th biennial Marion-Bermuda Cruising Yacht race gets underway on Buzzard's Bay June 17, 2005.

With registration opening the beginning of January, over fifty boats have already signed up to race. The US Naval Academy, as in years past, is sending three boats to compete as is Massachusetts Maritime Academy. New this year is the addition of a Multihull class and a Double-Handed class. For the first time we will be offering a trophy for the all female crewed boat to finish first overall on corrected time. Beneteau is also offering a trophy for the best finish on corrected time by a Beneteau yacht.

New Our handicapping system will be changed slightly this year. We will move to a single number, time-on-time (TOT) handicap system using the Americap II velocity prediction program. The reasons for the choice are that a TOT system makes more appropriate adjustment for an offshore race that involves current, such as the Gulf Stream and may include significant reaching, which is typical for this race. It is also simpler and easier to understand than the combination of time-on-time and time-on-distance. The decision was made in consultation with Jim Teeters and US SAILING after modeling this change based on the 2003 race. Handicapping will continue to be done through US SAILING and Americap II.

Also New for this year will be the tracking of every boat in the race via satellite using the iBoat Track system. Each boat will be given a transponder free of charge (except for a fully refundable deposit) and their track to Bermuda and return will be available for all to see on-line. Globalstar is a major sponsor of the tracking system.

The local yacht clubs and sailing organizations should consider putting a team together to compete for the Ocean Spray Team Trophy. This trophy is awarded to the yacht club or sailing organization whose team of three yachts has the lowest combined time. The trophy has been won by the United States Naval Academy, the Harraseeket Yacht Club, Casco Bay, Maine and last year Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Bermuda.

If you have any question at all concerning the race, entrants are urged to visit the race website - www.marionbermuda.com - for a complete listing of all pertinent details or e-mail us at race@marionbermuda.com. 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.

The Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race is pleased to announce that the 2005 race will move to a single number, time-on-time (TOT) handicap system using the Americap II velocity prediction program. The reasons for the choice are that a TOT system makes more appropriate adjustment for an offshore race that involves current, such as the Gulf Stream and may include significant reaching, which is typical for this race. It is also simpler and easier to understand than the combination of time-on-time and time-on-distance. The decision was made in consultation with Jim Teeters and US SAILING after modeling this change based on the 2003 race. Handicapping will continue to be done through US SAILING and Americap II.

So You Want to Race in the Marion to Bermuda Race? - Ray Cullum, Marketing Chair, Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race

This was the theme of a presentation given this fall by the Marion Bermuda Cruising Yacht Association race committee at yacht clubs and marine venues up and down the northeast coast. The reception was outstanding and the new interest generated has already lead to early registrations for the 2005 race.

The 15th biennial Marion-Bermuda Cruising Yacht race gets underway on Buzzard's Bay June 17, 2005. The race is open to amateur sailors sailing cruising yachts. Participants will have the opportunity to compete in an open ocean passage with a group of friendly competitors. Sailing in this race is a life experience that can bridge the gap between generations, solidify friendships and foster teamwork, all the while promoting seamanship and the love of sailing.

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.

The local yacht clubs and sailing organizations should consider putting a team together to compete for the Ocean Spray Team Trophy. This trophy is awarded to the yacht club or sailing organization whose team of three yachts has the lowest combined time. The trophy has been won by the United States Naval Academy, the Harraseeket Yacht Club in Maine and just last year the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club.

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. For example, in 1997 we added an electronic class to the race, which until that time, was a totally celestially navigated race. In 2003 two major changes occurred, we increased the LOA of boats from 62 to 80 feet and we added an asymmetrical cruising spinnaker to the allowable sail inventory. That brings us to the 2005 race where we have again recognized the changes in cruising by adding a cruising Multihull class and a Double-Handed class. For the first time we will be offering a trophy for the all female crewed boat to finish first overall on corrected time. Most importantly we monitor the changes in construction and rigging techniques that are today creating much sturdier boats with lower displacement. Boats that may not have been approved three or four races ago may now fit the criteria of a safe, well constructed cruising boat. It is an 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. 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.

We will again being using the Americap II rating system for this year's race. Over the last several years of using the Americap system, it has proven to be a fair accurate rating system for long distance racing. It is easy get your boats' rating, just go to the US Sailing website (www.ussailing.org) and fill out the application. You must include a valid certificate with your race application.

The Marion Bermuda Race is a race for amateurs and beginning this year the amateur status of each of the crew must be identified through the ISAF classification program. Each yacht's racing complement must consist of Group 1 sailors, except that each yacht may have one Group 2 sailor on board with no limitations on his or her role. No Group 3 sailor may participate. All yachts must submit crew lists. The captain and each member of the crew must obtain an ISAF Sailor's Classification from the ISAF. This can be done online at http://www.sailing.org/isafsailor/ at no charge. We urge you to begin this process as early as possible. Each Sailor's Classification Certificate must be submitted with the crew list.

We place a significant amount of effort behind maintaining a safe well managed race. Again in 2005 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.

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 and browse through all of the information that is available. If you have any questions please contact us at race@marionbermudal.com and you will receive a personal reply to your inquiry.

June 17th, 2005 will mark the start of the 2005 Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race. The race is open to amateur cruising yachts, families and friends. Participants will have the opportunity to compete in an open ocean passage with a group of friendly competitors. Create your own sailing legacy! A life experience that can bridge the gap between generations, solidify friendships and foster teamwork; all while promoting seamanship and the love of sailing.

For the 15th year, the race will begin in the best sailing waters in the northeast, Buzzards Bay. The start will be off the picturesque and historic town of Marion, Massachusetts. The length of the race course is 645 nautical miles and will finish off of St. David’s Head, Bermuda.

This prestigious race began in 1977 with its roots deep in the Corinthian spirit. The race is hosted by the Beverly Yacht Club, the Blue Water Sailing Club and, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club.

The race is open to single hulled sailing vessels with a minimum hull length, exclusive of sprits, of 32 feet, and a maximum of 80 feet. This year, for the first time, the race will be open to two new categories, Multi-hull yachts and Double Handed yachts. More information on these new groups will be published in the Final Notice of Race. All yachts will be required to demonstrate to the Selection Committee to be of a design that is seaworthy and appropriate for sailing well offshore. This is a Category 1 Race as defined by the ISAF (ISAF regulations), and all yachts must be inspected and meet these offshore safety requirements. Details of these requirements can be found on this Marion Bermuda website. The Marion to Bermuda Race includes both a Celestial and an Electronic division with equal distribution of prizes to both groups, with the exception of the Navigator Trophy, which is awarded to the Celestial winner. The fleet will be scored under the Americap II Rating System.

The exciting pre-race festivities will include a blockbuster event hosted by, and held at, the Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, Massachusetts, the evening before the Race. Cocktails and dinner will be served on the grounds of one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States and participants will enjoy the spectacular view of Sippican Harbor. The post-race activities hosted by, and held at, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Bermuda, will be a race rendezvous extravaganza including the ever popular “Family and Friends Race” on Friday. Plan on inviting family and friends who are not part of the race to fly to Bermuda to join in the fun and festivities! This incredible celebration has become an integral part of the tradition of the race.

The 2005 Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race will prove to be fun, exciting and competitive. The preliminary Notice of Race and the 2005 Race Entry Form will be available on this website very soon. Create or enhance your sailing legacy for your family and friends- join us for the Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race on June 17th, 2005!