International 110 National Championship Regatta Returns to Tomales Bay
If you’ve been watching the one-design racing scene and wondering where the action will be this August, look no farther than Tomales Bay. The 110 class — whose iconic double-ended sloop holds the distinction of being the world’s first purpose-built sportboat — will be hosting its national regatta August 8–12 at the Inverness Yacht Club, home waters for local Fleet 56 and a venue that needs no hype from us.
Tomales Bay is the kind of place that makes visiting sailors forget to check the weather forecast. Sheltered by the rolling hills of Point Reyes National Seashore, the bay offers a near-perfect racing environment: steady afternoon breeze funneling through the coastal gap, glassy mornings giving way to crisp, pressurized sailing by the time the first warning gun fires. Calling it sailing in paradise isn’t hyperbole — it’s geography.
A Class in Motion
The 110 class arrives at this year’s Nationals with some fresh energy from the revived Fleet 19 in Seattle, and follows a pair of rule proposals that passed nearly unanimously at a special membership vote on May 13. The most talked-about change opens an experimental period allowing inboard jib leads with a smaller headsail: a #2 genoa of approximately 140% overlap as an alternative to the class’s traditional massive, overlapping #1 genoa.
The debate is one that any performance sailor can appreciate — old-school power and driving area versus modern efficiency and crew ergonomics. Traditionalists rightly point to the #1 genoa’s proven upwind authority. That enormous overlap has been pulling 110s through chop for decades, and there’s a reason it became the standard. But proponents of the smaller sail argue that inboard-sheeting geometry changes the equation significantly. With a tighter sheeting angle, they contend, the #2 can match the #1’s upwind output despite the reduction in canvas.
The practical advantages of the change are harder to argue with: easier trimming, faster tacking, cleaner sightlines for the helmsman, and perhaps most importantly for the class’s future, the ability to race competitively with a smaller crew. That last point matters. One of the persistent challenges facing established one-design classes is keeping the boats accessible to sailors across different stages of life and crew availability. A sail plan that demands less horsepower on the foredeck is a sail plan that invites more people into the cockpit.
The two-year experimental window means this debate will play out on the racecourse before any permanent decision is made. Expect animated conversations at the dock in August.
Come Sail With Us
Here’s the part where we speak directly to you, the Latitude reader who’s been eyeing your August calendar: Fleet 56 is rolling out the welcome mat for visiting sailors, and that includes boats available for charter during the regatta.
The 110 is a rewarding boat to race — athletic and responsive, the kind of sailing that keeps you sharp. The fixed keel means you can push hard without lying awake at night worrying about an unplanned swim. But make no mistake: This is performance one-design racing that will demand your full attention and a reasonable level of fitness. If that sounds like your kind of fun, Tomales Bay in August is where you want to be.
With visiting teams from the East Coast and the Pacific Northwest, Fleet 56 has a tradition of providing charter boats. Depending on out-of-region attendance there may be an opportunity for a local S.F. team to join in the fun. To find out about charter availability and what it takes to get on the starting line, reach out to class president Milly Biller and the local Fleet 56 organization through the class website.
August 8–12. Inverness Yacht Club. Tomales Bay. Some things are worth rearranging your schedule for.
Latitude 38′s June issue will be on the docks tomorrow. Go check it out!