Marion Bermuda Race focuses on Youth and Safety

'Swift' the US Naval Academy 44 (NA11) took home a treasure trove of prizes from the 2015 Marion Bermuda Race © Talbot Wilson

In 2015, the Marion Bermuda Race was the first category 1 offshore race to offer a class for youth sailors creating the Offshore Youth Challenge Trophy. This new class enabled young adult sailors to experience the challenge of sailing a serious offshore race accompanied by adult mentors. On June 9, we'll be racing for the 2nd biennial Offshore Youth Challenge Trophy.

To qualify as an Offshore Youth Challenge boat, the crew must have at least four youth sailors between 16 and 23 years of age and have aboard at least one mentor. Five youth class boats participated in the 2015 race. 'Swift' from the U.S. Naval Academy won the inaugural prize.

The Marion Bermuda Race is a 501(c)(3) organization and among other educational efforts, supports Youth Sailing programs. Children represent the future of sailing and the Marion Bermuda Race hopes to encourage their stewardship of, participation in and love of the sport.

Sailing helps build leadership, personal responsibility, communication, problem solving and teamwork skills that will benefit and enhance the lives of our world's children for their future.

Details about the Offshore Youth Challenge Trophy are in the Notice of Race: www.marionbermuda.com

Take Safety Seriously

Whether you're new to sailing or an "old salt" Safety at Sea Seminars are for everyone. Cruisers, racers, offshore or coastal and power boaters, there is a possibility we will face the same dangers at one time or another. The Marion Bermuda Race hosts their biennial Safety at Sea Symposium and Practical Training on March 11-12 at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

This US Sailing sanctioned Safety at Sea seminar starts day one with safety instruction from experts who have crossed oceans and dealt with a wide variety of challenging situations. A second day is offered with enhanced, hands on classes covering emergency medicine, weather, navigating the Gulf Stream and in-water life raft procedures.

For those that are participating in the Marion Bermuda or Marblehead Halifax Races, the offshore requirements mandate that at least 30% of all crew members complete a Safety at Sea course within the last five years. For additional information and registration, go to: www.marionbermuda.com

Races within the Race

Celestial Navigation — A yacht may elect to race using celestial navigation. If a yacht elects to be celestially navigated, she will receive a 3% favorable adjustment to her ORR rating. This choice must be made by May 12. See NOR Attachment D for the details of the conditions that a yacht must meet to be considered a celestially navigated yacht. In its true Corinthian spirit, the Marion Bermuda Race is the only ocean race to Bermuda that offers a celestial navigation prize.

The Family Race — A "family" yacht is one with a crew of five (5) or more with all or all-but-one being members of a single household or a single family. Persons related to a common grandparent and spouses of these will be considered "family."

The Offshore Youth Challenge — A "youth" yacht is one with at least 4 youths aboard with at least 66% of the crew qualified as youths. A youth sailor must be 16 years of age or older but not more than 23 years old by June 8, 2017. One or more adults at least 23 years old by June 8, 2017 must be onboard.

The Double-Handed, Short-Handed Competition and All-Female Crew — Yachts sailing with a crew of two (2), a crew of three or four (3 or 4) or an all-female crew may elect to compete in the double-handed, short-handed, and all-female competitions respectively.

The Team Race Prize - offered for established Yacht Clubs or Sailing Clubs which may form a team of three member yachts to compete for the Team prize. The team whose three yachts have the lowest corrected time total will be declared the winner.