Encore Repeats ORR Championship

Wayne and Suzie Koide’s Richmond Yacht Club-based Sydney 36 CR Encore has won the ORR West Coast Championship Northern Division for a second year in a row. 

"ORR is a measurement rule and is supposed to take all the guesswork out of rating dissimilar boats. The fact that we can be competitive with much larger and faster boats is a testament to that rule," said Wayne. "Regardless of what rule we are sailing under, I believe the most important element in racing is having a committed crew," he stressed. "Win or lose, if you’re racing with your friends and family, you can never go wrong." He added, "This was quite an honor to have won this for two years in a row and I have our devoted crew to thank for our success."

The Offshore Racing Rule (ORR) and the Offshore Racing Association (ORA) announced the winners of the 2016 series on Thursday. Edward Marez’s Santa Cruz YC-based Santa Cruz 70 Buona Sera finished second. Another boat sailed by an RYC couple, Mark and Shana Howe’s Santa Cruz 50 Adrenalin, placed third.

The ORR West Coast Championship Series began in 2013. The 2016 races included the OYRA Lightship, the YRA Great Vallejo Race, the Spinnaker Cup, the Coastal Cup, the OYRA Farallones Race, the Pacific Cup, and the Rolex Big Boat Series. Scores were based on the best results of a minimum of three of the races. The Pacific Cup was weighted as two races while the other regattas were weighted as one race. "Not everyone (including us) did all of these events," commented Wayne — but all three of the top finishers raced in the Pac Cup.