Engaging Youth in Offshore Sailing

(June 6, 2019) – The Storm Trysail Club announced the second annual “Tri-State Youth Offshore Challenge” which includes a series of regattas in Long Island Sound, Rhode Island and Shelter Island, NY. As part of the Club’s efforts to engage younger sailors in the offshore component of yacht racing, the 2019 series will incorporate the Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race, May 24th, the Riverside Stratford Shoal Race, June 29th, the Around Long Island Regatta, July 25th, the Race Around Shelter Island, August 2nd, the 12th Mudnite Madness Overnight, August 9th, and the Ida Lewis Distance Race, August 17th.

The winner of the series will receive the “Rugg Family Youth Offshore Trophy” – a trophy donated by the Rugg Family through the generosity of Storm Trysail Club member Peter Rugg. Mr. Rugg and fellow STC member Bruce Lawrence had the initial vision for the series and were instrumental in bringing it to fruition.

Teams competing for the Rugg Trophy must complete at least two of the six events in good standing, and have one more than half of the crew (rounded up) between the ages of 14 and 23 in the current calendar year (e.g. 5 qualifying youths out of 7 total). The boats must be offshore-capable yachts with a minimum LOA of 30 feet.

Each member of the crew under shall have attended a Junior Safety-at-Sea seminar and those over 18 shall hold a valid US Sailing Offshore Safety-at-Sea certificate. (For a list of Junior Safety events, go to https://www.stormtrysailfoundation.org/safety-at-sea-seminars) There are additional safety requirements for boat equipment as outlined in the Notice of Series.

Any boat owners who would like to participate in the Series, and any crews looking for boats/teams to race with, are encouraged to contact the Series co-chairs Bruce Lawrence (Bruce@bogaertconstruction.com) or Tim Keyworth (Timothy@worldtradingcorporation.com).

The complete and official Notice of Series with more details concerning the eligibility and safety requirements, as well as the scoring procedure, may be found at this link: https://www.stormtrysail.org/regattas/tri-state-youth-offshore-challenge

About the Storm Trysail Club:
The Storm Trysail Club, reflecting in its name the sail to which sailors must shorten when facing severe adverse conditions, is one of the world’s most respected sailing clubs, with its membership comprised strictly of skilled blue water and ocean racing sailors.

The club is involved in organizing or co-organizing various prestigious offshore racing events including the annual Block Island Race, the biennial Block Island Race Week, The Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race, the Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race, The Down-the-Bay Race in the Chesapeake, The Mills Trophy Race in Lake Erie, and the Wirth Munroe Race from Miami to Palm Beach, Florida. They are also one of the four organizing clubs of the 2019 Transatlantic Race. For more information about the club, visit www.stormtrysail.org.

About the Storm Trysail Foundation:
The Storm Trysail Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to support the education of young sailors, junior and adult safety at sea, and intercollegiate big boat racing.

The Storm Trysail Foundation educates young people as they bridge the gap between learning to sail and becoming accomplished blue water sailors, through a national program of events including approximately 10 Junior Safety-At-Sea seminars a year in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, California and Michigan. For more information on these invaluable and life-saving events, contact: Lisa Schinella at Lisa@stormtrysailfoundation.org or call her 646-996-3498.

Source: Ron Weiss – Chairman, Communications and Sponsorship Committee, Storm Trysail Club