Go Virtual Sailing — for Free

Sail Newport (in Rhode Island) has inaugurated a Quahog Cup Virtual Regatta for the entire family. “During the virus crisis, we’re joining forces with sailonline.org to hold a purely entertaining virtual regatta series starting on Sunday, March 22, at 9 a.m. [EDT],” reads the announcement.

Registration

“There’s no registration fee, no entry fee, no one will get a sunburn, and there will be no need to leave your house. Race with fellow sailors as we weather this challenging time together. This series of races will be held until we can all get back on the water. The first race on Sunday will be a race around Narragansett Bay using one-design Farr 30s.

Go to www.sailonline.org to pre-register. Receive an email, follow the link to finish your registration, and
pick a username/boat name and password.

Once you register, you will be able to do some practicing. (These races are best done on a computer, Mac or PC). Once you register for the Quahog Cup, you will be able to practice on that course as well.

Find a guide to registering here, and a manual here.

Quahog Cup Course

West Coast sailors, here’s your chance to learn a bit about East Coast geography. At 9 a.m. EDT, all boats will be virtually towed to the starting line off the Sail Newport Sailing Center in Brenton Cove. The course will go north, leaving Rose Island to starboard; from there, up toward Bristol to the Hog Island mark to port; then northeast to round the Poppasquash mark to starboard; from there, north toward Barrington around the Rumstick Rock mark to port; heading south, you will leave Patience Island to port; a mark near the Jamestown Bridge to port and then head toward the ocean. The final marks are Newton Rock (Beavertail on Jamestown) to port; Fort Adams mark to starboard; and then to the finish back in Brenton Cove off the Sail Newport Sailing Center.

If any of our readers race in this virtual regatta or one like it, we’d love to hear about it.