News of California Offshore Race Week and More

Sorry folks, these news bytes are no joke.

Opening Day on San Francisco Bay

PICYA has announced that the 2020 Opening Day on the Bay is postponed until further notice. “All organized events on the Bay are at a full halt,” writes Patti Mangan, vice commodore of PICYA. Opening Day on the Bay had been scheduled for the last Sunday in April, the 26th.

California Offshore Race Week Canceled! (*sob*)

The California Offshore Race Week organizers — San Diego Yacht Club, Santa Barbara YC, Monterey Peninsula YC and Encinal YC — have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 California Offshore Race Week due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We would like to say thank you to all competitors for their support, encouragement and understanding as we have navigated this unprecedented and uncertain time. Please visit www.offshoreraceweek.com for more information.”

CORW was to have started on Friday, May 23, with the Spinnaker Cup from San Francisco Bay to Monterey. San Diego is the ultimate destination.

Transpac Tahiti Postponed

Postponed for now, but hopefully to be rescheduled at a later date, is the Transpac Tahiti. The 3,570-mile race from Los Angeles to Tahiti was supposed to start on May 28. Ten boats — eight monohulls and two multihulls — had entered the race, which has been held only 14 times since its inaugural edition in 1925. The entries range in size from Jim Partridge’s Antrim 49 Rapid Transit to Steve Meheen’s Botin 80 Cabrón.

“There is a lot of interest in going to Auckland for the next America’s Cup in 2021,” said entry chair Dave Cort, “and some want to use this race to get to the South Pacific and keep going west. We may see more interest in entering among those with this agenda.”

The Atlantic Cup and the Kids

Manuka Sports Event Management canceled the 2020 Atlantic Cup, which had been scheduled to take place June 5-21. But there is some good news: “With the support of 11th Hour Racing, we are continuing to provide robust Atlantic Cup Kids programming via https://atlanticcup.org/kids,” writes Julianna Barbieri. “There are multiple learning modules with worksheets and videos for kids ages 8-13. In addition, the Atlantic Cup Kids classroom visits are going virtual. Classroom visits feature Captain Dave Rearick teaching kids about offshore sailing, wildlife, ocean health and his experience of sailing around the world alone.” To schedule a visit, contact Barbieri at [email protected].