Excerpted from
”Cruising via Rally” By Joy Smith
Rallies can provide a good way for new cruisers to get their feet wet in
offshore cruising.
A rally can provide education, hard information, and resources that would otherwise take weeks to assemble on one's own; and traveling with a knowledgeable group can be an on-the
water safety net for assistance with mechanical or
medical problems.
Blue Water Rallies Limited
This company, an offshoot of the
Trade Winds
Round the World Cruising Rally 1995 –97, was formed by its directors and participants. Contact Peter Seymour at
www.yachtrallies.co.uk
~
Blue Water Round the World Cruising Rally—leaves every two years from
Gibraltar to
cruise along the
trade wind's equatorial
route.
~ Rally Antigua—leaves
Gibraltar annually,
sails via Tenerife en
route to
Antigua and the
Caribbean for
Christmas.
~ Oz
Med Rally—departs from Darwin in
Australia each October and travels from the pacific and down under to the
Mediterranean.
~ Biscay Triangle—annual cruising rally in the Bay of Biscay.
Blue Water Sailing School
This Ft. Lauderdale, FL-based organization offers
ASA (American Sailing Association)
offshore passage-making
classes and opportunities for on-the water
experience. Contact Ted Wheeler at 954-763-8464.
~ Ft. Lauderdale to Bermuda—10 days, May 4 -13, 2002.
~
Bermuda to Ft. Lauderdale—(Return trip) May 17 -26, 2002.
Nautech Enterprises
Small, but growing in popularity, this organization stresses a good
weather window and participant involvement and uses seminars, workshops, and cruising videos. Contact Jim and Marjie Favors at
www.nautechenterprises.com
~ The Round Delmarva (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) 400 Cruising Rally—governed by the ORC (Ocean
Racing Council). Takes place each spring between end of May and beginning of June.
~ The
New England 600 Rally—From
Annapolis, MD to Camden, ME with an intermediate stop in
Newport, RI. Takes place from mid-June to early July each year.
~ Snowbird Rally—from Block Island, RI to the
Chesapeake Bay, this event is run annually in late September. (Can connect from this to
Caribbean 1500).
~
Nova Scotia Adventure Cruising Rally—A new event from Camden, ME to
Nova Scotia.
~
Bahamas 500—Another new event that heads out from
Beaufort, NC to the Abacos;
Offshore Passage Opportunities
Hank Schmidt coordinates rallies and crews. Contact him at
www.sailopo.com
West Marine Rallies
Two popular rallies organized by Steve Black and Hal Sufphen, which include
passage maker seminars and a large volunteer crew list and many amenities. Contact
www.carib1500.com
~ Caribbean 1500—From Hampton, VA to Virgin Gorda,
BVI; about 50
boats. Uses a gun start and cruisers have option to
race.
~
Bermuda Cruising Rally—From Hampton, VA to St. George's, Bermuda and return. Combines ocean passage making with a week's relaxed cruising. June 16-July 1.
World Cruising Club
From the originators of the rally
concept, these
events are for yachts on a worldwide basis. Contact
www.worldcruising.com
~ Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC)—follows trade
wind route from Canary Islands to
St Lucia every year. 150-plus
boats is the usual turnout.
~
ARC Europe—starts in St. Augustine, FL; also, from
Antigua in the West Indies.
~ BT Challenge—a 10-month
race around the world. US
West Coast departure
Trade Winds Rallies
Royal Air Force Yacht Club holds rallies for cruising yachts. Amateur, non-commercial event sailed on a club-to-club basis. No
racing. Takes one to two years; seminars and rendezvous included. Contact
www.users.globenet.co.uk/~twind/
From the “Sailnet” article ( http://www.sailnet.com/index.cfm )
”Cruising via Rally” By Joy Smith at: http://www.sailnet.com/collections/a...eid=smithj0011
Linear Mode
Recent Discussions