The 46th Congressional Cup scheduled next Tuesday through Saturday will be sailed on Catalina 37s, but that’s nothing new.

They’ve been sailed in the United States’ only Grade 1 Open match racing event for 20 years, and that doesn’t seem about to change.

The 10 skippers who will sail next week, with current International Sailing Federation (ISAF) rankings:

Sally Barkow, Nashotah, Wis. (99), Pine Lake YC

Johnie Berntsson (9), Sweden, Royal Gothenburg YC

Gavin Brady, New Zealand, Royal Hong Kong YC

Francesco Bruni (24), Italy, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

Simone Ferrarese (32), Italy, Yacht Club Cortina

Bill Hardesty, San Diego, Chicago Match Race Center

Damien Iehl, (3) France, APCC Voile Sportive

Eric Monnin (31), Switzerland, Yacht Club Immensee

Evgeniy Neugodnikov (20), Russia , Team Synergy

Dave Perry (45), Southport, Conn., Long Beach YC

If anything, the Catalina 37s have grown in popularity since Catalina Yachts President Frank Butler and chief engineer Gerry Douglas brought 11 of them, including a spare, to the Congressional Cup organizing Long Beach Yacht Club, which later placed them under the administration of the Long Beach Sailing Foundation for charter. Now they’re used in various fleet racing regattas, including Long Beach Race Week and last weekend’s intercollegiate Harbor Cup at San Pedro.

They are the only 11 ever built and they weren’t built for speed or comfort as much as for maneuverability and to last, like your father’s good old pickup truck. They aren’t high-tech fast, either, and you probably wouldn’t sail one to Mexico or even to Santa Catalina Island for a weekend. No bunks, no nav station, no head, just a Porta-Potty.

Catalina 37s were built for match racing where, as long as all boats are equal, speed and comfort are less important than durability because match racing is more Destruction Derby than Tour de France. And the Catalina 37s are certainly equal.

They were conceived and constructed by with solid—not cored—fiberglass hulls, making them heavier but tougher, with virtually indestructible rigging and hardware. If they hadn’t been built that way they wouldn’t have lasted long enough to survive two generations of punishment and abuse from the world’s best—i.e., instinctively aggressive—sailors.

Scott Dickson has probably raced them more than anybody. Since migrating to Long Beach from New Zealand in the early 90s he has raced them as a skipper in 12 Congressional Cups and several Ficker Cups, the qualifier event—and the same door that Sally Barkow used to qualify as only the event’s fourth woman skipper in nearly half a century.

Dickson, who also has raced other boats in other international events, sees no reason to change.

“They’re a good open platform and they’re simple, which really enables you to sail a big boat with a small team, which is very challenging,” Dickson said. “The 37s are hanging on from a previous generation where you had heavier displacement and bigger boats. Displacement for match racing is a very, very good thing … [being] slow to accelerate, slow to decelerate makes it a lot more technical. You have to plan ahead a lot more.

“The other older boats that are talked about that are still very popular are the IRDs in Bermuda, for exactly the same reason. It slows the whole game down, and you’ll find that a lot of the skippers enjoy those boats, as well.

“Because the boats are not high tech and there’s not too many strings to play with has put a premium on boat handling and crew work—and you can’t get any better than that for match racing.”

For 10 years before the C/37s the Congressional Cup used Catalina 38s that were maintained by the builder but were privately owned loaners and therefore difficult to equalize for match racing. Nevertheless, LBYC often expresses its gratitude for “three decades of generous support of Catalina Yachts.”

Butler and Douglas still lead the largest sailboat building company in the United States and remain properly proud of their Catalina 37 product—the only boats they ever gave away, probably more to boost the sport than for any promotional value to be gained from a stake in the granddaddy event of world-class match racing. They talked about their creation two decades after its debut.

Q: Did you think the Catalina 37 would still be going strong after 20 years?

Gerry Douglas: “Well, we build boats to last (smile). They still look very contemporary, and I think the key to the longevity of those boats is that they were so simple.”

Q: What would you do differently now?

Douglas: “Well, they’d be big trimarans, of course (smiling again).”

Frank Butler: “Gerry, that’s a matter of opinion. I would have liked to have had one less crew on it. The more people the more weight, and it’s hard to get people to come from all over the world to bring an extra one or two.”

Douglas: “On the other hand, it has given some local sailors a chance to participate as fill-in crew that might not have had the opportunity otherwise.”

Butler: “That is a point.”

Q: What about asymmetrical spinnakers that are now so popular?

Douglas: “You could make them into pole boats. At the time these boats were designed that wasn’t on the table.”

Q: Would that enhance performance?

Douglas: “I’m not sure. Watching these guys drive downwind is kind of fun. It would remove an element from the racing that makes it interesting. Watching these guys dip-jibe as they do so quickly is kind of neat, and that just wouldn’t happen with pole boats.”

Q: The 37s were designed primarily for match racing, but these days they’re also being chartered for fleet racing by crews that aren’t match racers. Does that surprise you?

Douglas: “They’re fairly simple boats. You don’t spend a lot of time learning how to make the boat work. Something the Foundation has done that’s been terrific is that so many other events use those boats … Harbor Cup, Long Beach Race Week, the Women’s [match racing event], the Linda Elias [Women’s One-Design Challenge], the Yacht Club Challenge. That’s been neat to see.”

Q: What has been the biggest criticism of the boats over the years?

(Silence … then…)

Douglas: “I haven’t heard any, really … [except] at one time they were talking about a smaller, five-man boat, for reasons that Frank mentioned.”

Butler: “But that was about eight years ago.”

Douglas: “Technical criticism of the boat … nothing.”

Q: Speaking of the recent America’s Cup, what did you think of the match-racing tactics and strategy?

Douglas: “There didn’t seem to be any.”

Q: …compared to the Congressional Cup?

Butler: “When we go down to watch it, it’s is good from the very first to the very end.”

The Congressional Cup has maintained a high level of organization over the years with a volunteer force of some 300 club members and their families. Each crew is assigned boat hostesses and a housing team to deliver the outstanding local hospitality the Congressional Cup has offered now for 45 years.

Spinnaker sponsors are F&M Bank, the Press-Telegram and Oceanaut Watches. Sails sponsors are MCA Logistics, Gladstone’s Restaurant, Newmeyer & Dillion and Union Bank. Hospitality sponsors are The Port of Long Beach, St. Mary Medical Center, City National Bank, The Breakers of Long Beach and Mount Gay Rum. An Honorary sponsor is Catalina Yachts.

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When the Farr 40s arrive in the Dominican Republic later next month, April 21-24, all eyes will be on the defending World Champion, Jim Richardson’s Barking Mad (USA). A three-time Rolex Farr 40 World Champion in 2009 (Porto Cervo), 2004 (San Francisco), and 1998 (Miami), Richardson will be back with most of his all-star crew, including tactician Terry Hutchinson, 2008 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year in the USA.

The 2010 venue - the second time the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship has been hosted in the Caribbean - makes full use of the stunning 7,000 acre Casa de Campo Resort and Marina located on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic. The Marina offers great access to sailing conditions the Caribbean is well known for: steady south-easterly breezes, turquoise waters and shirt-sleeve sailing.

Lining up Barking Mad in their sights, will be more than a few teams who have proven in the past that they are capable of winning not just races, but more importantly whole series: Helmut Jahn on Flash Gordon 6 (USA) with tactician Bill Hardesty, won the 2009 Rolex Farr 40 North American Championship and is fresh from winning the Farr 40 class at the 2010 Miami Grand Prix last week. Most of the Miami fleet will be moving on to the Dominican Republic and if the racing in Florida, where Flash Gordon held off 2nd placed Nerone (ITA) by a mere point, is any indication, the Worlds will be hotly contested. Jahn, who shares helming duties with his son, Evan, said about Miami, “we moved up (in the standings) every day, we didn’t let ourselves get too excited, just another race, and another, and then it came down to the last one. The lead changed every day; we had to win the first race on the last day, and we did, but three boats could still have won the regatta.” Jahn is pragmatic as he attributes Flash Gordon’s success to more time in the boat with the same core team, “we’re doing better lately, more focused, fewer mistakes, as well prepared as can be, but still something can always go wrong!” Finishing 2nd in Miami, behind Flash Gordon, was Massimo Mezzaroma, on Nerone, with tactician Vasco Vascotto onboard. Nerone was the 2003 Rolex Farr 40 World Champion and 2009 European Champion.

Still other teams offer up a strong challenge, including Guido Belgiorno-Nettis on Transfusion (AUS), with tactician Tom Slingsby, who last week in Sydney won the 2010 Farr 40 Australian Championship for the second year in a row; Wolfgang Schaefer on Struntje Light (GER); Doug Douglass on Goombay Smash (USA), with tactician Morgan Larson; Alex Roepers on Plenty (USA), with tactician Tony Rey; Alberto Rossi on Enfant Terrible (ITA); Lisa & Martin Hill on Estate Master (AUS), with tactician Hamish Pepper; and Alessandro Barnaba on Fiamma (ITA). New to the Farr 40 fleet this past year is Nico Poons on Charisma (MON), who is the reigning Swan 45 World Champion.

Richardson, defending World Champion and Farr 40 Class President said, “we are very much looking forward to the 2010 Rolex Farr 40 Worlds at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. With 11 strong teams representing Italy, Germany, Australia, Monaco and the United States, we are expecting a highly competitive regatta. As evidenced by the recently concluded Miami Grand Prix Race Week, where four different boats led after each day of racing, the Class remains incredibly balanced. Our Barking Mad team knows we will have our hands full defending the Championship we won a year ago in Porto Cervo.
 “Having scouted the venue personally, we are certain that the sailing conditions and ambience of this venue will be second to none. Great sailing, tropical weather and Casa de Campo, a spectacular five-star resort, make all the ingredients for a fantastic championship. We can’t wait to get there next month!”

To date, the Farr 40 class is well represented with 11 entries from five countries. The fleet will warm up with two days of racing in the Rolex Farr 40 Pre-World Championships on Saturday, 17 April and Sunday, 18 April. The Rolex Farr 40 World Championship racing begins on Wednesday, 21 April and finishes on Saturday, 24 April.

The Rolex Farr 40 World Championship is organised by the Casa de Campo Yacht Club and the Farr 40 Class Association. The racing will be held in the waters off La Romana, Dominican Republic. Racing will be led once again by Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio, with Henry Menin as Jury Chairman. The Race Committee intends to conduct as many races as practicable on each scheduled day of racing, with up to a maximum of ten races for the series.

A charity fundraising golf tournament for the competitors, on the famed Pete Dye-designed “Teeth of the Dog” golf course, will be held on Monday, 19 April. Monies raised from the tournament will be donated to benefit the Haitian disaster relief effort, through Partners in Health (PIH), a Boston-based non-profit organization that has been on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. PIH operates world-renowned clinics and health care programs with 120 doctors and nearly 500 nurses and nursing assistants in eight sites across Haiti. For more information, go to www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti.

For more information about the 2010 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, including entry lists and media accreditation please visit www.farr40worlds.com.

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With the start of the Rolex China Sea Race just three weeks away, a competitive fleet is lining up for this 565-nautical mile Asian offshore classic. To date, 29 boats are registered, with several more anticipated to enter the race, which starts on Thursday, April 1 in Hong Kong and finishes in Subic Bay, northwest of Manila, the Philippines.

Organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, in co-operation with Manila Yacht Club and the Subic Bay Yacht Club, this will be the 25th edition of the biennial blue-water race that will start, weather permitting, amidst the hustle and bustle of seagoing activity - sampans, ferrys, and ships - of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.< br>
From the starting line off the RHKYC, there is a short leg to a windward mark before the fleet heads eastwards across the South China Sea, along the west coast of the Philippines to the finish off Subic Bay. That is the simple geographic course description of course; seasoned competitors know it is never that easy, as typically the weather the first day and night in the South China Sea can feature a boat and crew-testing combination of lumpy seas and a strong headwind. The race then becomes fairly strategic as tacticians and navigators have to decide how close to sail to the Philippine shoreline in search of breeze.

RHKYC Commodore Warwick Downes, an enthusiastic competitor, will be a helmsman onboard Avant Garde, a new Archambault 40 owned and skippered by Greg Kearns. Downes, having raced in the RCSR about ten times including several wins, knows what to expect offshore, and said, “I look forward to a spectacular start, a rollicking reach to the obstacles of the oil rigs, then a blue-water blast towards a fickle finish!” As to strategy, he offered, “It usually pays to go a bit south of the rhumbline, but sometimes a northern route will get you there - it depends on the weather reports and how much you trust them.”

The current race record of just under two days was established in 2000 by local yachtsman Karl Kwok on his Volvo 60, Beau Geste, with an elapsed time of 47h 43m 07s. This year’s entries include several strong contenders to challenge Kwok’s race record, with 2008 RCSR line honours winner, Neil Pryde on his modified Welbourne Custom 52 Hi Fi; the TP52’s Geoff Hill’s Strewth, Ray Robert’s Evolution Racing (AUS), and Sam Chan’s FfreeFire 52; and Fred Kinmonth/Nick Burns’ Mills 51 EFG Mandrake. Also in the lineup is FfreeFire 70, a ULDB sled, skippered by Lowell Chang, as well as the 2008 RCSR handicap winner, Ernesto Echauz’ Subic Centennial (PHI), a Sydney 46, back to defend their win.

An internationally known sailmaker and formidable competitor, Neil Pryde on Hi Fi, is a veteran of 18 China Sea Races with two wins - including 2008 line honours - so he knows well what may lie in store enroute. Pryde offered, “It is always a very challenging race. We start with a sprint across the South China Sea driven by the northeast monsoon. As this runs out, we then work our way into a new weather system that develops off the Philippines coast and there is always a gap in the middle, which is difficult to bridge. Like any other ocean race, to win you need an element of luck and obviously, we hope we are going to get plenty!

Tactically, this is a very interesting race and the objective is always to place the boat in the right position to get first use of the new breeze that takes us into the Philippines, but even when we get to the (Philippine) coast, the last few miles into Subic Bay can bring surprises. Depending on the time of the day you arrive, you can either get land or sea breezes and again, there is always a gap in the middle. Such is the joy of ocean racing!

This year the competition is going to be tough with four other 52 ft boats in Racing Division, including three TP52s. We certainly will have company!”

The Rolex China Sea Race rules require boats must be a minimum length of 10m (LOA) to compete and will be divided into: IRC Racing (3 divisions), Cruising Class, and Premier Cruising Class. Shore-based fans will once again have the opportunity to follow the racing online. Pole Star and SkyWave have joined forces to provide a web-based tracking facility for the event.

The China Sea Race was first run in 1962, and it has been held every two years since then. In 1972, it was officially recognised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Since then it has continued to attract increased interest and served to draw the attention of the international yachting fraternity to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

The Rolex China Sea Race joins other prestigious Rolex sponsored events including the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Swan Cup, Rolex Middle Sea Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

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After 62 years of the oldest of all races from the U.S. to Mexico, shouldn’t everybody know how to sail the 125.5 nautical miles from Newport Beach to Ensenada?

Not necessarily. From year to year, the wind and sea conditions are seldom the same—and, of course, a number of competitors are doing it for the first time.

To promote safety and maximum performance in its premier event, the Newport Ocean Sailing Association is doing what responsible races do: offer free pre-race seminars that not only serve as primers for rookies but refresher courses for veterans.

One critical decision to be made almost every year is whether to sail inside or outside the Coronado Islands at the border. Stand by.

This year’s series of seminars is already under way. There will be six more throughout Southern California through March 25. The schedule:

Del Rey YC Thursday, March 11, 7 p.m.
Shoreline YC, Long Beach, Tuesday, March 16, 7 p.m.
San Diego West Marine, Wednesday, March 17, 7 p.m.
Seal Beach YC, Long Beach, Tuesday, March 23, 7 p.m.
Dana Point YC, Wednesday, March 24, 7 p.m.
Bahia Corinthian YC, Corona del Mar, Thursday, March 25, 7 p.m.

The subjects range from preparing your boat to racing at night to entering Todos Santos Bay and anchoring in Ensenada Harbor.

Expertise is provided by race veterans and representatives from Vessel Assist and North Sails—the latter discussing sail handling and trim.

So, do you go inside or outside the Coronado Islands at the border?

That’s the simplest part: If your deck is wet as you approach the Coronados, go outside, because the breeze is from the sea; if your deck is dry, go inside, because the wind is from the California desert shore.

Vessel Assist boats will monitor the fleet down the Southern California coast to the border, from where a new branch of the Mexican Coast Guard will continue on station to ensure another safe race. A power cruiser also will accompany the fleet from start to finish.

The seminars also offer Information on new passport regulations for everyone crossing the border, including racers and those who choose to take a Carnival Cruise ship out of Long Beach during race weekend.

For families and friends driving to Ensenada, new, large directional signs in English have been placed over the roadways leading out of the San Ysidro border crossing to guide drivers past the outskirts of Tijuana and onto the free-flowing and guarded Highway 1 toll road directly to Ensenada.

NOSA also is working closely with the Mexico Tourism Bureau to arrange for an enjoyable weekend highlighted by a gala fiesta Saturday night, followed by the boisterous awards ceremony in the courtyard of the headquarters Bahia Hotel Sunday afternoon.

The race is open to boats from high-tech ocean racers to Mom and Pop trailerables. Classes will be established for designated Sport boats, including Melges 32, Melges 30, Melges 24, Farr 30 (formerly Mumm 30), Henderson 30, Turbocharged Hobie 33, Viper 830, Columbia 30-32, Flying Tiger 10M, B 32 and Antrum 27.

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Nine of the world’s best match racing skippers have accepted invitations to the 46th Congressional Cup March 23-27. A 10th will be Sally Barkow, who didn’t wait to be invited.

Barkow, 29, of Nashotah, Wis., earned the privilege by winning last summer’s Ficker Cup qualifier on the same outer harbor course off Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier where she’ll meet the men in the same Catalina 37s. It’s the only Grade 1 Open match racing event in North America.

The rest of the lineup, alphabetically, with current International Sailing Federation (ISAF) rankings:

Johnie Berntsson (9), Sweden, Royal Gothenburg YC
Gavin Brady, Annapolis, Md./N. Zealand, Royal Hong Kong YC
Francesco Bruni (24), Italy, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda
Simone Ferrarese (31), Italy, Yacht Club Cortina
Bill Hardesty, San Diego, Chicago Match Race Center
Damien Iehl, (3) France, APCC Voile Sportive
Eric Monnin (30), Switzerland, Yacht Club Immense
Evgeniy Neugodnikov (20), Russia , Team Synergy
Dave Perry (45), Southport, Conn., Long Beach YC

The rankings are based on a sailor’s best four results dating back two years. Brady and Hardesty have competed in only two and three events, respectively, in that time.

Berntsson is defending champion. Brady is one of three four-time winners. Perry won in 1983 and ‘84.

“We’re really excited about it,” Barkow said. “It was our goal going to the Ficker Cup.”

But there’s much more than that to the resume of the lady from the Pine Lake Yacht Club: Rolex (American) Yachtswoman of the Year in 2005 and 2007; three-time all-American at Old Dominion University, with a BS in psychology (that helps in match racing); in 2004, with Debbie Capozzi, Carrie Howe and Annie Lush of the UK, the ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship; Olympic skipper at Qingdao in 2008.

Not bad for a lake sailor from the Midwest, starting at age 5.

She won Ficker Cup with an all-woman crew that she hoped would remain intact, but they’ll be unavailable while preparing for the Olympic-geared Princess Sofia match race regatta at Palma de Majorca, Spain, which starts just after Congressional Cup ends. Barkow plans to join them for the first day of racing.

She will be only the fourth woman skipper in the Congressional Cup, following JJ Fetter Isler in 1993 and ‘96 and Betsy Alison in ‘99. Fetter was the only one to race with an all-woman crew. Barkow will have Dave Dellenbaugh as tactician and is arranging for alternative talent that will probably include a male-female mix of six or seven.

Whatever works out, now it’s “Sally forth”—definition: “to set out in a sudden, energetic or violent manner.” Barkow will offer nor receive no slack. ISAF ranks her 16th among women and 118th in the Open classification, where no woman is ranked higher. That’s because she divides her racing between the two groups, preferring to race against men when she can.

“We had been racing on the women’s circuit, which hasn’t given us the points, so we just started racing on the Open circuit last March and we’ve been moving up in the ranking,” she said. “We started in the thousands and then we were in the hundreds. Our goal of the year was to get into that top hundred.”

They almost made it. Their breakthrough achievement came in the Grade 3 Ficker Cup where they whipped five teams, including those of Perry, the current US Sailing match racing champion, and Annie Nelson with an otherwise all-male crew. The contest is named for Bill Ficker, the 1974 Con Cup and 1970 America’s Cup winner. The champion automatically receives a Con Cup berth.

Barkow has a new sponsor: Safe Passage Sailing, which provides opportunities for intermediate and advanced sailors to participate in high-profile events internationally.

In 2008 she and crew Debbie Capozzi and Carrie Howe—Team 7 Sailing—sailed an Yngling for the U.S. in the women’s Olympic match racing at Qingdao, China and placed seventh.

“[Match racing] is the bigger thing for me right now, trying to break into the circuit for another year or two,” she said. “I really enjoy sailing the bigger boats.”

But now, testing the Congressional Cup waters, isn’t there a risk of reaching too high and setting back the cause of women in the game?

Barkow said, “You take the opportunity to race against some of the top guys. We recognize that racing against women gets you only so far.

“I don’t think there’s much difference with the way women and men sail. Other sports, like basketball, they can just jump higher. Sailing is a unique sport. There is an equality there and, yeah, we’re looking to close that gap and get the respect we want and have a chance to go race against them.

“It comes down to the same things that win every event, which are experience and knowledge and talent. There is nothing holding women back from that except going out and doing it.”

She is not in the least intimidated by crossing the gender line. She did that a lot as a kid and as an all-American at Old Dominion.

“I grew up with three older brothers,” she said. “That’s how I learned to sail.”

The 10 six-man crews will rotate daily on Catalina 37s owned by the Long Beach Sailing Foundation. Each team will race every other team twice. The top four qualify for the championship sailoffs on Saturday.

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Neither rain nor sleet nor snow, all of which had combined to cancel flights and delay trains in the Northeast, could deter Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) and Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) from getting to Manhattan today for their moment in the spotlight at US SAILING’s Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards ceremony.

The award recipients, chosen for their outstanding on-water sailing accomplishments in 2009, were joined by family, friends, sailing dignitaries and members of the press at the New York Yacht Club’s renowned Model Room for an intimate retrospective on their rise to the top of the sport. Gary Jobson, president of US SAILING and one of the sport’s most familiar media personalities, presented sailing highlight videos with childhood photos for each winner, which led to emotional acceptance speeches. The recipients received specially engraved stainless steel and platinum Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Masters, symbolic of their achievements in excellence. Also participating in the program were Rolex Watch U.S.A.’s President and CEO Allen Brill, US SAILING Executive Director Charlie Leighton and US SAILING Olympic Sailing Program Chair Dean Brenner.

Tunnicliffe, who also won the award in 2008, was cited for her win in Laser Radials at French Sailing Week, an ISAF Sailing World Cup event, among other notable events. Gulari, a first-time winner, was cited for winning the CST Composites International Moth World Championship. A shortlist of 10 male and five female sailors – determined from nominations submitted by members of US SAILING – was evaluated by a panel of sailing journalists who then selected the sailors for the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman distinction, the country’s highest sailing honor.

“I’m proud to say I’ve had another great year,” said Tunnicliffe, “but I am so humbled by the recognition from the sailing community, and this award is a fantastic way to top everything off.” With a nod to her crew at the luncheon — Molly Vandemoer, Debbie Capozzi, and Liz Bower — she added, “What I’ve done is not an individual effort.”

Gulari acknowledged support from his family as well as friends and fellow American sailors in the Moth class, who pushed each other to excel. “By the time we got to the worlds we really had raised the bar for the Americans and had the dominant edge as a nation,” said Gulari. “This award means so much to me; I don’t have words for it.”

Gulari heads immediately to Dubai to defend his title at the 2010 Puma Moth World Championships, while Tunnicliffe will next prepare for the Princess Sofia Trophy, an ISAF Sailing World Cup in March.

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Sailing has always been a fun, relaxing sport that families can do together. Many families sail together on local waters and some like to get away to tropical waters for vacation time. Going away from your local waters and chartering a boat in say the Caribbean may require certification. We offer American Sailing Association classes here at Torresen Marine but have often received the question “What about our kids?” or “We want our kids to learn but don’t want them to have to go through the testing for certification.” Well, the answer is finally here in the form of Sailing Fun Packs!

Sailing Fun Packs are designed as a unique way to have one or two skippers become American Sailing Association (ASA) certified as well as meet the needs of family, friends and/or crew who may be interested in a learning experience but not the certification process. The skippers, quite often Dad and Mom, intending on certification will be expected to meet the ASA standards while the rest of the group (family) will be taught on a more personalized level. We base this on age, interest and experience. Those crew-members not working towards certification will receive certificates of participation. Sailing Fun Packs are based on 101/103 or 103/104 class study and certification.

Bring your family and/or bring your racing crew and enjoy some time on the water while gaining knowledge on the great sport of sailing. Visit us at torresen.com for more details or e-mail Judi Shedd or call 231-759-8596 to check on dates.

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The snow is still on the ground here in Muskegon, Michigan but we are looking forward to spring events to put us in the mood and get prepared for the upcoming sailing season. We hope you can join us for one or maybe all of the following events.

Spring Thaw – Saturday, March 13, 2010 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Torresen Marine has been shaking off the winter blahs with our annual Spring Thaw Open House for 30 years. We are continuing our tradition of in store discounting, onsite seminars, product representatives, exciting open house specials and great door prizes. Captain Jack Klang from Quantum Sails will be back this year with three new seminars, one of which is geared towards ladies only. Kevin Kyle from Interlux Yacht Finishes will also be doing a seminar for Spring Thaw. Kevin always has good information regarding your boats finish whether you are a racer and/or a cruiser. Please visit torresen.com for a list of the seminars, product representatives, and other information regarding the Spring Thaw Open House.　

Spring Seminar Series – Starting Saturday, March 20, 2010 The following is a list of our 2010 Spring Seminars. Please continue to check torresen.com for updates as additional seminars are pending.

Seminar #1: Bad Stuff On Boats - Saturday, March 20 - 1:00 p.m.

Hosted by Marian Lambrecht from Schuss Marine Services. Marian is a U.S.C.G. licensed captain, advanced diver and the only female yacht surveyor in the Midwest. She is only one of 20 women surveyors in the small group of 1,500 worldwide. Holed, cracked and wet keels, hulls and decks is only the beginning of this sobering collection of photos and stories she has collected during her surveying career.  The emphasis will be on sailboats, a reflection of Marian’s amateur racing career, which spans 25 years and four countries.  The session will be interactive so the group can comment and ask questions throughout the presentation. 

Seminar #2: Atomic 4 / Gasoline Inboards - Saturday, March 27 - 1:00 p.m.
Hosted by our lead mechanic Jeff Senf.

Seminar #3: Yanmar Diesel Engines - Saturday, April 3 - 1:00 p.m.
Hosted by Gordon Torresen.

Seminar #4: Universal / Westerbeke and Other Diesel Engines - Saturday, April 10 - 1:00 p.m.
Hosted by Gordon Torresen.

Seminar #5: Rigging - Saturday, April 17 - 1:00 p.m.
Hosted by our lead riggers John Schumacher and Matt Noren.
Topics will include: cordage technology, hardware evolution, LED lighting, rig inspections and a question and answer session. All dates and topics are subject to change. Seminars take place in our training area at our Ships Store, 3003 Lake Shore Drive, Muskegon, Michigan. Call 231-759-8596 or email seminars@torresen.com for more information and to reserve your seat today. The seminars are free, but space is limited and an RSVP is required.

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Entries in this year’s race topped 200 late last week. If you’ve entered but have not paid your fee, you are not officially in the race per the NOR. I encourage you to pay as soon as possible to guarantee your place.

Invitations to first timers will go out on March 1. There is currently a list of more than thirty boats eagerly awaiting their invitation and another thirty boats in various stages of completing the request process. If you’re in the latter group, we encourage you to complete your request as soon as you can. The sooner you complete your request the sooner it can reviewed and either help you complete it or get your invitation to you.

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Last month, the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) invited the leading American yacht clubs to compete for spots in the second biennial New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, to be sailed in Newport, R.I., September 10-17, 2011. The U.S. Qualifying Series will be held in Newport, R.I. this September 7-11.

Twenty-four yacht clubs have accepted the NYYC’s invitation to compete in the 2010 U.S. Qualifying Series. They are American in Rye, N.Y.; Annapolis; Bayview in Detroit; Boston in Marblehead, Mass.; Carolina in Charleston, S.C.; Eastern in Marblehead, Mass.; Fishing Bay in Deltaville, Va.; Fort Worth Boat Club in Texas; Ida Lewis in Newport, R.I.; Indian Harbor in Greenwich, Conn.; Larchmont in New York; Little Traverse in Harbor Springs, Mich.; Long Beach in California; Newport Harbor in Newport Beach, Calif.; Pequot in Southport, Conn.; Rochester in New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Seawanhaka Corinthian in Oyster Bay, N.Y.; Southern in New Orleans; St. Francis in San Francisco; St. Petersburg in Florida; and Stamford in Connecticut.

The U.S. Qualifying Series is an invitational fleet racing regatta to be sailed in Sonars and J/22s. The goal is to select three U.S. yacht club teams who will be invited to participate in the NYYC Invitational Cup held in Swan 42 Class yachts, September 10-17, 2011. The U.S. Qualifying Series is the only opportunity for U.S. Yacht Clubs to earn an invitation to the 2011 NYYC Invitational Cup.

The top U.S. teams will join the top six teams from 2009: New York, Royal Canadian, Japan Sailing Federation, Nyländska Jaktklubben of Finland; Royal Cork of Ireland and Royal Bermuda, plus at least 10 other international teams, to be invited in the spring of 2010.

In 2009, the NYYC organized the first New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup where 19 predominately amateur yacht club teams from 14 nations competed in chartered NYYC Swan 42s at Harbour Court. Competitors had to be members of the yacht club and nationals of the country represented. The 2009 event, sponsored by Rolex, Sperry Top-Sider and Nautor’s Swan, saw teams from Japan, Germany, Finland, Spain, Bermuda, Canada, Ireland (two), Denmark, Hong Kong, New Zealand, England (three), Italy (two), France and the United States (two), including the host and eventual winner, the NYYC. Such a gathering of clubs was unprecedented, and many viewed the event as effectively a global yacht club championship.

The regatta chair is Dod Fraser, with Will Crump and Marie Klok Crump serving as vice chairs. Commented Dod Fraser, “We are extremely gratified by the overwhelming response to the invitation. The Qualifying Series is shaping up to be a national Corinthian sailing championship between American yacht clubs, and it leads to an opportunity to compete for an international crown in the 2011 Invitational Cup. The New York Yacht Club looks forward to welcoming the contestants to Harbour Court.”

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