Rockland Yacht Club, in Rockland, Maine, is starting a new informal racing program, on Thursday nights, open to everyone, including sailboats that are not sailed by RYC members. Beginning on Thursday night, June 23, informal racing will commence starting inside the breakwater with the first warning gun at 5:15 p.m. (1715).
The races will be designed to be one to one-and-a-half hours in length, with a barbecue to follow at the RYC Clubhouse (found at harbormaster’s office on the public landing). These will run roughly every other week in July and August depending on interest.
These are informal, fun events, envisioned to get family and friends out on the water to enjoy sailing, camaraderie, and informal competition. There will be a timed start, with courses designed out and around one or two marks and back to the finish. These will be longer legs, and may not be the traditional windward-leeward or triangular courses of typical racing events, in order to minimize sail handling.
PHRF certificates are not needed as there will be no formal scoring. Sailors can contact the race organizers on VHF Channel 68 near the start. Times will be kept if anyone wants to figure how they did within their ratings, but RYC will not be scoring these races. There will be no charge for the racing as these are designed for everyone — large boats and small boats, racers and cruisers alike — to enjoy sailing against old and new friends. Come out and enjoy the sailing. Let Don Abbott know if you have any interest, have questions, and if you will be able to make it on the 23rd at dabbott@pdamaine.com.
Molly Mulhern
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