Game on for Block Island Race Week

One hundred seventy-seven boats are entered for 2023 Block Island Race Week on June 19-23, with the 30th edition of the biennial event to split the fleet into 18 classes. With an improved forecast, competition is spread pretty equally among the ORC, PHRF, and One-Design Buoy Racing Circles, with the Performance Cruising Class attracting 45 boats.

The largest boat in the fleet is Hap Fauth’s Maxi 72, Bella Mente, at 74 feet looking to use Race Week as a warm up for some European races after a recent refit. The largest fleet comprised the 24 J/105s with thirteen J/109s all vying for their North America Championship as party of Race Week.

Back to defend their title as “Boat of the Week” is Jack McGuire’s J/29, Dirty Harry “but it’s a blank slate,” he says. “We have much of the same crew and got some new sails but it’s a new regatta.”

Depending on their class, there is a mix of buoy and distance racing. Still, all of the boats will race in the iconic Regatta Crafts Mixers Round-the-island Race – which can happen any day of the week but traditionally is the day the Race Committee foresees as the windiest.

Event information – Race details – Results

Source: STC