Yacht Racing - Races

Races

The major races of today can be classified as offshore, ocean, around the world, and inshore racing all adhering to one set of rule, but diverse handicapping standards.

Offshore:

• Fastnet – established in 1924 with 7 boats, the race covers approximately 600 miles starting at Cowes on the Isle of Wight, rounding Fastnet rock on the southern coast of Ireland, and finishing at Plymouth.
• Tour De France A La Voile – established in 1978 with 20 boats, the race parallels the cycling event and takes place along France's three coasts: English Channel, Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean. It covers over 1000 miles.
• Sydney-Hobart – established in 1945 the race runs from Sydney, Australia to Hobart, Tasmania covering over 600 miles.
• Newport to Bermuda – started in 1923 the race runs from Newport, RI to Bermuda, a small island approximately 600 miles off the Georgia coast.
• Chicago to Mackinac – founded in 1898 with five boats, the race runs from Chicago, IL to Mackinac Island on the northern tip of Michigan covering over 300 miles of freshwater racing.
• Coastal Classic – starting in 1982 this race is New Zealand’s premiere fleet race. Covering about 125 miles, it is shorter than most offshore races and runs north from Auckland to Russell, which is at the northern tip of New Zealand’s North Island.
• San Fernando – this race, started in 1975 with six yachts, runs a distance of 500 miles between Hong Kong and the Philippines.
• The Governor's Cup – this race, started in 1996 with 15 yachts, runs a distance of 1700 miles between Simon's Town in South Africa and St. Helena Island in the South Atlantic.

Ocean Classics:

• Route Du Rhum – established in 1978 and starting in November, this race happens every four years. It is primarily a singlehanded race, but crewed boats do compete. It starts in France’s north coast running to Guadeloupe, a French Island in the Caribbean. The race covers about 3700 miles.
• Mini Transat – started in 1977, this is a singlehanded race held every two years that crosses the Atlantic on a similar route as the Route Du Rhum. This race is broken up into two legs, the first going from France to the Canary Islands and the second to Guadeloupe Island in the Caribbean.
• Osaka Cup – first held in 1987 the race runs from Melbourne to Osaka and is slated as a double hander, only two crew. Many different types of boats race this including tall ships.
• Transpacific – one of the oldest races, the Transpac, as it is known, started in 1906 with only three boats. Originally the race was to take place between San Francisco and Ohahu, but the 1906 fire moved the starting line to San Pedro, CA. It is predominately a downwind race and covers 2225 miles.
• South Atlantic – originally the Cape to Rio, it was established in 1971 with over 50 original entries. The race runs from Cape Town, South Africa to Rio de Janeiro covering 3600 miles.

Around the World Races:

• Volvo Ocean Race – formerly known as the Whitbread Round the World Race, it started in 1973/74. This race is one of the pinnacles of yacht racing, mostly professionally crewed. Originally a four leg race constituting 27,930 miles, it is now a nine leg race.
• VELUX 5 Oceans Race – formerly known as the BOC Challenge and later the Around Alone, this race started in 1982 with 17 entries. It is a single-handed race around the world, originally with 4 legs but now with 3.
• Global Challenge – this race was established in 1992/93 by Scottish sailing icon Sir Chay Blythe, the first person to sail around the world alone against the prevailing winds and currents. This is what makes this race unique, participants “beat” their way against the sea which makes for very uncomfortable, but safer, sailing conditions than sailing downwind. The race is sailed in one-design boats that are designed and built specifically for the race. The crews cannot be professional, and are made up of novice sailors who pay for a berth.
• Vende Global Challenge – this race started November 26, 1989 with 13 entries. It is single handed, non-stop, without assistance race. The first race took 120 days, and only 7 finished.
• Jules Verne Trophy – established in 1993 the race was designed to be a race against the clock, not other boats. Participants can start any time, have any design, any amount of crew, and the only two rules are: 1)start and finish at the Ile d’Ouessant, and 2) complete the journey under 80 days.
• Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - established by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, the first Clipper race took place in 1996. The race is sailed in a fleet of 10 one-design boats that are designed and built specifically for the race. Each yacht is crewed by a professional skipper and paying novice sailors. It is the longest yacht race, with multiple stopovers and taking 10 months to complete the circumnavigation.
• Barcelona World Race – double-handed (two-crew) non-stop sailing around the world on IMOCA Open 60 yachts and organized by Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona.

Inshore Races:

• The Admirals Cup – created in 1957 by the Admiral of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, it is raced every two years. This is a competition between countries who are allowed to send one team and three boats of a chosen one design class.
• The America’s Cup – established in 1851, this is the oldest, and arguably the most prestigious, exclusive event in yacht racing. Participants are restricted to a measurement formula for the boats, and the rules concerning the same have been controversial ever since Australia II took the cup away from the U.S. with a secret winged keel.