MIAMI, Fla – Premiere Racing announced a change for their Miami event today – shifting to a ‘Grand Prix’, single venue format for 2007. Professionally-run keelboat racing in the waters off Miami and the South Beach nightlife will continue to be a draw for racing sailors from across the country and around the world.

The grand prix Farr 40’s, a “headliner class” worldwide, has already committed to the 2007 Acura Miami Grand Prix. A second featured class will be the ‘big-boat’ IRC class with numerous programs having already expressed interest in the Miami event. Up to two additional classes will be allowed to compete. The Mumm 30 class, coming off of a November World Championship in Miami Beach, represents a potential third class.

In the two years since taking over SORC, Premiere Racing grew the event from a 58-boat single venue regatta to a 142-boat event featuring racing on both Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Acura Miami Race Week’s popularity and prestige rose quickly, and included the 2006 Rolex TP52 Global Championship last March.

The unusual 2005 hurricane season and the subsequent effects on fuel prices and boating in South Florida, are the driving forces in a business shift by the Miami Beach Marina. The official site can only commit to a limited number of transient slips. There simply will not be enough transient slips available in the area for a multi-division 80-90 boat ocean fleet in 2007. While discontinuing the event was considered, Acura and Premiere Racing both felt it was worth pursuing the Grand Prix approach for 2007 and then revisiting all alternatives for 2008 and beyond. One of the primary goals is to keep the regatta venue, dates, visibility, and potential intact while assessing future options. One significant factor will be the impact, or lack thereof, that the 2006 hurricane season might have on the marina and logistical infrastructure.

The “SORC Renaissance”, which established credibility following the successful 2005 and 2006 events, will continue. “We can appreciate the logistical challenges Premiere Racing is faced with in South Florida and are very excited that Acura and Premiere have decided to continue the SORC tradition next March,” said Farr 40 Class President Jim Richardson. “The Miami Beach venue is superb for our class and a big part of the Winter schedule for visiting overseas owners as well as the many North American owners who travel south and east for the winter season.”

“The legendary SORC played a meaningful role in our sport over the years and we would like nothing better than to continue to grow this event,” said Premiere Racing’s Peter Craig. “Despite the logistical challenges that have been presented, both Acura and Premiere Racing are committed to a top-tier 2007 regatta as we evaluate and pursue solutions going forward.”

“A Premiere Racing event has always meant the very highest quality - both on and off the water”, said Farr 60 owner Dan Meyers. “Numbers will be doing both Key West and Miami next year because it represents some of the best IRC racing and race management we’ll see all year long.”

At the same time, recent one design class decisions have ruled out racing on Biscayne Bay for 2007. The Etchells class, representing half of the Biscayne Bay fleet, has changed their winter series dates and moved their Mid-Winter’s to within four days of Acura Miami Race Week, citing the 2007 Super Bowl in Miami as the reason for the schedule change.

The Southern Ocean Racing Conference – a Florida corporation known to racing sailors around the world as “SORC” – announced in April, 2004 that Premiere Racing would step in and produce the Miami event beginning in March 2005. The Marblehead, MA based company built their Key West regatta into the top annual keel boat event in North America and one of the elite race weeks on the international racing calendar.

“Peter has kept us apprised of the developing logistical issues since he took over back in 2004,” said SORC spokesman Buck Gillette. “The reality is that there are only two options for 2007– discontinuing the event or changing the format at least for the short term. We’re very pleased that the legacy of SORC will continue as we collectively seek solutions to the issues at hand.”

Share or bookmark this story: