Staying Nimble to Remain Relevant

by Laurie Fullerton
New England’s top sailors gathered on August 26-28 for the coveted end of summer event. – the ONE (Offshore New England Championships) Regatta, which saw over 80 boats racing off Marblehead.

The ONE Regatta has evolved from the former PHRF New England’s, which once attracted over 1,000 sailors. As the big boat numbers have dwindled, the racing format has evolved to include smaller, sport boats and the change has received a lot of positive feedback from the sailors.

“We have to be nimble enough to make changes and we have incorporated the smaller sport boats like the J/70s and the Vipers,” said event organizer Carter White of Maine. “We are pleased that so many of the traditional guys are still coming here. Folks like Bob Kellogg have been coming for 30 plus years as sell as sailors like Phil de Carlo. We are glad they keep coming and we are trying to be a completely independent event and our sponsors come from the maritime fields.”

The event was unique this year because it had a double-handed overnight component featuring racing overnight and offshore on Saturday with an additional race on Sunday. Racing his Sabre 28-2 Ketch, Richard Sides topped the fleet.

“We really get a lot out of long distance sailing and double handed sailing,” said Alessandro Pagani who raced his Alerion 41 “Nina”. “We saw five shooting stars out there and had very calm seas overnight. We feel that shorthanded sailing is not just about sailing but you have to manage fatigue, coordinate sleep and be ready to make decisions quickly. We take 20-minute naps over nights and it is an entirely different experience.”

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