Counting
down to Block Island Race Week XX
Large fleet expected at America’s original
Big Boat Race Week, June 22, 2003
In 1965, the Storm Trysail Club
held the first Block Island Race Week. Thirty nine years later,
the event has grown to over 200 entries on four race courses. Four
fleets will be divided into Red, White, Blue and Green. The Red,
White and Blue Fleets will race windward/leeward courses. The Green
Fleet will race around government marks and/or race committee marks.
Five days of racing are planned from Monday to Friday, June 23-27.
A minimum of two races each day is planned for four of the five
days. On one day, the traditional Round The Island Race is planned.
This year the harbor signals
will be 30 minutes earlier, at 0900. The first warning signal will
be at 1030. This will allow the possibility of three races per day
when the wind is steady.
Race Week Headquarters and the
Race Week Party Tent will again be located at The Oar Restaurant,
in the Block Island Boat Basin on the shore of the Great Salt Pond,
also known locally as New Harbor.
The On the Water Chairman for
2003 is Storm Trysail Club Member Peter “Luigi” Reggio.
Luigi has recently returned from New Zealand where he was Principal
Race Officer for the Luis Vuitton Cup Series. The Principal Race
Officers on each Fleet will be Charley Cook from Marblehead, MA,
Mike “Grizz” Thomson from the Great Lakes, Wayne Bretsch
from the Chesapeake Bay and Ray Redniss from Long Island Sound.
The International Jury will be chaired once again by Arthur “Tuna”
Wullschleger. Tuna is one of the founding fathers of Block Island
Race Week.
Storm Trysail Club Commodore
and BIRW XX Chairman Dick Neville promises that racing on the water
will be complimented by unparalleled onshore socializing each evening
from 1800-2000 at the Race Week Tent. Purchasers of a weekly wristband
will receive an official Mt. Gay hat, while supplies last. This
year, daily wrist bands will also be available at Race Week Headquarters.
Rolex, the most prestigious
watchmaker in the World and a long time supporter of sailing, has
joined Block Island Race Week XX as Presenting Sponsor. Rolex will
present a Submariner timepiece to the boat with, in the opinion
of the Race Committee, the most outstanding performance of the week
in each of the three racing fleets. 2003 Race Week welcomes the
other sponsors of this event: Mt. Gay Rum, Jeep and the Tri-State
Jeep Dealers, Lewmar Marine, Gill, Hall Spars & Rigging, Sailing
World, UK Sailmakers, Heineken, The Rhode Island State Yachting
Committee and US Sailing.
As with other Mt. Gay Rum sponsored
regattas in 2003, Mt. Gay, through Tuchman Sports Entertainment
(TSE), will enter all registered boats into a prize drawing. The
winner of the drawing will receive a signed limited edition print
by renowned marine artist John Mecray. The winners of these limited
edition prints will then be entered into a grand prize drawing that
will award a trip of a lifetime for two to the gem of the Caribbean
and home to Mt. Gay Rum – Barbados. TSE will draw the winner
of this prize in December 2003 in Barbados. A long time sponsor
to BIRW, we all look forward to Mount Gay Night in the tent. The
Tri-State Jeep Dealers Association, sponsors since 1991, are pleased
to showcase their latest vehicles in the tent. Jeep will once again
sponsor the Skipper’s Bags. UK Sailmakers will supply each
skipper with a sailcloth briefcase at registration and will sponsor
the Race Week drinking cups.
The leader in modern yacht equipment,
Lewmar Marine produces the world’s finest winches, windlasses,
hatches and hardware. Gill USA returns as the official foul weather
gear supplier to BIRW XX. They will be available evenings in the
tent to show (and sell) us the latest and greatest in gear. Hall
Spars/Rigging will again be located at the Block Island Boat Basin
to help with repairs and rigging problems during the week. Also
joining us is an old friend, Sailing World Magazine, the authority
on performance racing. Heineken will help cups and egos spill over,
as racers embellish their sailing tales under the ‘Big Top’
each evening.
If you haven’t entered
Block Island Race Week XX yet, there is still time. You may obtain
an entry form from the Regatta Documents link on this web site.
In The Storm Trysail Club tradition, it will be a great week of
racing and fun.
Race Week Based at The Oar
Again
The Storm Trysail Club is happy
to be setting up our tents at the site of the original BIRW back
in 1965! Once again, from June 22-27, 2003, Job’s Hill, (better
known as the home of “The Oar”) will serve as it was
originally intended when built in 1965 - as the clubhouse for The
Storm Trysail Club’s Block Island Race Week. The spacious
site, just east of “The Oar” on the harbor bluff, will
be home to the Duty Office, Official Notice Board, Message Board,
Scoring and Press Offices. Jury rooms will once again be located
at the Narragansett Inn. Also on sight will be “The Tent,”
where daily race trophies will be awarded at each evening’s
sponsor party. Improved lighting inside the tent will help the sailors
tell their post-racing war stories until late in the evening. Plenty
of parking is available at the site. Rally Migliaccio of the Block
Island Boat Basin and Cliff Payne of Paynes Dock are actively working
with STC to insure smooth marina and shoreside activities during
BIRW XIX. The Storm Trysail Club is very excited to return to this
historic site.
Raffle to benefit a local Block
Island non-profit organization
Ever dreamed of being called
center stage to receive your Rolex for the Yachtsman or Yachtswomen
of the Year? Well stop dreaming. This year all you have to do is
be the holder of the Grand Prize raffle ticket at the STC Block
Island Race Week 2003 charity raffle. That's right, the Grand Prize
will be a coveted Rolex watch donated by the renowned Swiss company
noted for their timepieces. In an effort to recognize the community
of Block Island for their years of unsung support, the STC Race
Week committee has organized a raffle to benefit a local non-profit
organization. To date, our generous sponsors promise to make this
the start of a very worthwhile and well deserved tradition. Thanks
goes to our presenting sponsor Rolex, along with Mount Gay, Heineken
and Gill for their support in helping STC initiate this effort.
Tickets will be $10.00 each or in books of 10 for $90.00. Name and
contact information will be needed. The drawing will be Thursday,
June 26, under the tent at the post race gathering. Tickets will
be offered by mail and during Race Week at the Duty Office. Your
presence is not necessary to win.
Good luck to all.
Swan Class Trophy
To be awarded to the top performing
Swan at BIRW 2003. The trophy will be presented Friday, June 27
at the Awards Party. The winner will
bedecided by dividing a boats finish position by the number of competitors
in the class.
For example:
2nd place in an 8 boatclass
– 0.25 pts
3rd place in 20 boatclass –
0.15 pts
The 3rd place boat has performed better.
One Design Class Competition
Block Island Race Week has been
the hot bed of class competition since its beginnings. This year
is no different, call your class representative below for more information”
Other interested classes that do not appear below should get in
touch with the STC office:
• J105
Nelson Weiderman
401-783-6727
• Fleet 6 Joerg
Esdorn 914-921-3595
• Beneteau 36.7 Rachel Sweeney 843-805-5000
• J120 Hugh
Balloch 203-629-3630
• J44 Tom
Castiglione 631-421-7245
• Farr 36 Renee
Mehl 410-268-1001
• Farr 40 Kim
Woodhouse 401-848-7762
• 12 Meters
Paul Buttrose 954-467-2079
• C&C 99– 110 Jim Egensperger
440-354-3111
ext: 111
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