{"id":74770,"date":"2023-01-05T12:45:06","date_gmt":"2023-01-05T17:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=74770"},"modified":"2023-05-07T00:03:48","modified_gmt":"2023-05-07T04:03:48","slug":"helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-distance-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/regatta-series\/helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-distance-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Days of Distance Races on Tap For St. Pete"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2692-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Regatta Series St. Petersburg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2692-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2692-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2692-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2692-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2692.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Competitors in the 2022 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series St. Petersburg Distance Race start on a tight reach before turning south toward Skyway Bridge.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Paul Todd\/Outside Images<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>If anyone is looking for Antonio Sanpere on the third weekend of February, scan the horizon from the St. Petersburg shoreline and look for his diminutive blue C&amp;C 24. The 82-year-old Sanpere will be on the helm of <em>Cayennitta III<\/em>, chasing down his competition like a hound on a hare in the new Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series Distance Race. And chances are he\u2019ll be cruising toward another trophy to add to his collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sanpere has been a perennial jib-and-main racer in the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta\u2019s informal one-day \u201cRally\u201d race and it was he who last year pleaded with regatta organizers to offer not one, but two days of long-course racing for Tampa Bay\u2019s more serious cruisers. <strong>Organizers listened and Sanpere now has his wish with back-to-back days of around-the-bay racing now on the docket for this February\u2019s regatta<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sanpere was, of course, first to sign up and has some major news to share with the fleet: He\u2019s finally replaced his 30-year-old sails with a fresh inventory, so good luck. \u201cThe only boats that can beat me are boats that fly spinnakers,\u201d he says of his 24-footer. \u201cNobody else can beat me without a spinnaker. No one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For anyone in the southeast looking for some long-course racing this winter, consider that a challenge laid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta St. Petersburg Distance Race Dates: February 18-19<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Location and Host: St. Petersburg Yacht Club, St. Petersburg, Fla.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/regatta-series-st-petersburg\/\">Regatta Information Center for Race and Entry Details<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/yachtscoring.com\/event_scratch_sheet.cfm?eid=15504\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Current Scratch Sheet<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sanpere, however confident he is today, will have his work cut out for him as the growing entry list has a handful of serious contenders on the scratch sheet. The races will use PHRF as the handicap system of choice, so as a bonus for Distance Race competitors, the weekend\u2019s final results will count toward the region\u2019s Boat of the Year scoring. There will be both spinnaker and non-spinnaker divisions, as well as a cruising division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regatta organizers expect the new two-day offering to be a strong draw for the sailors of nearby Davis Island and other points around the bay because the long-course format is appealing to new and seasoned sailors seeking an alternative to traditional windward\/leeward courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs a matter of fact, this type of racing is a real and growing thing here on the bay,\u201d says North Sails\u2019 Brian Malone, who is also the Davis Island YC Fleet Captain. \u201cIn the racer\/cruiser fleet, the boats are being sailed by younger people and they\u2019re going for minor sail upgrades and they do use a spinnaker while racing 100 percent of the time\u2014that\u2019s the largest and fastest growing fleet in the area. We\u2019re not talking about the salty liveaboard cruisers with davits and dinghies\u2026these teams want to race and have better sails.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2693-1024x681.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Beneteau 40\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2693-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2693-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2693-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2693-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2693.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The Beneteau 40 &#8220;Liquid Time&#8221; makes good time during the  2022 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series Rally Race.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Paul Todd\/Outside Images<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>One notable and early entry in the Distance Race\u2019s PHRF Spinnaker division is Harvey Ford and Tom Mistele\u2019s J112e <em>Silver Surfer<\/em>. Ford says he will sail both race days doublehanded, with Chris Bergstrom as his teammate. The two of them know the lay of Tampa Bay well, especially Ford, who\u2019s spent more days sailing on the 400-square mile estuary than he could possibly remember. His advice for those keen to take on the daily Distance Race experience is to heed the tidal flow. \u201cRead the tide charts closely,\u201d he says. \u201cIf it [the tide] is going against you, you don\u2019t want to get into it, especially if winds are light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For visiting teams, Tampa Bay\u2019s primary shipping channel, which runs north-south, should definitely be a major tactical consideration, he adds, and there are noteworthy shallows along the eastern shore that reach quite far into the bay: \u201cWith the water color change you\u2019ll see it before you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for local knowledge on the wind direction and habits, Ford offers that in early winter, the westerly sea breeze tends not to be strong until late in the day, and if it\u2019s a true thermal sea breeze, it typically starts rumbling on the east side of the bay first before working its way west, which may seem counterintuitive for anyone unfamiliar with the bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Personally, Ford has fingers crossed for the timely passage of a cold front and the swift winds that traditionally follow because longer legs suit his style and his boat. It\u2019s good to have a lot of runway to enjoy the ride and set up for the next maneuver, especially when sailing doublehanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The random legs of the new Distance Race long courses also appealed to Scott MacGregor, a professional boat captain from St. Petersburg who has finally pulled his Melges 32 <em>Trash Panda <\/em>out of long-term storage for the occasion. He\u2019s looking forward to knocking off a pair of fast 15- to 20-mile races with a crew of seven of his friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe two-day PHRF distance-race format is what enticed me,\u201d says MacGregor, who was instrumental in developing nearby Davis Island YC\u2019s Melges 32 fleet a few years ago. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice change of pace from doing the typical windward-leeward. I really enjoy sailing out of St. Pete because you\u2019re into deep water pretty quickly, it\u2019s typically flat and the sun is usually shining, which is a good combination for stretching our legs a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>St. Petersburg YC\u2019s experienced race committee will manage the Distance Race starts and finishes, which will be staged off St. Petersburg\u2019s New Pier. Early starts are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday (at 1000, if the wind cooperates, of course) and the goal, says Jody Abrams, SPYC\u2019s Regatta General, is to provide a full day\u2019s race and get competitors back to the dock for the nightly regatta parties. There are a variety of course types available to the race committee using navigational marks, Abrams says, and they\u2019re really only restricted by the regatta\u2019s other four courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTampa Bay really is ideal for this sort of thing because we have the ability to go out from downtown St. Pete and sail out under the amazing Skyway Bridge. We can adjust the courses anywhere from a 10- to a 20-plus mile course and have long legs that offer different challenges. It\u2019s open water, but it\u2019s not open-ocean water, so we can take less experienced people out there and do these types of races.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abrams is enthusiastic about the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta\u2019s two-day format and considers it a better opportunity to engage a wider variety of teams. \u201cWith this format, you have a better chance of having the right conditions for your boat on the day,\u201d he says. \u201cPlus, a lot of people work Fridays and can\u2019t always do the full regatta. We are getting more and more people requesting the random-leg distance type races because they don\u2019t have to worry about every little windshift [like you would on windward\/leeward] and instead can focus on the sail trimming and getting the most out of their boat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regatta registration is now open, and with nearly 150 entries to date, Abrams says the club is still able to allocate member slips for visiting teams. There\u2019s only so much room in the basin, however, so if Sanpere\u2019s challenge is appealing, don\u2019t delay in accepting it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For those who prefer long courses over windward\/leewards, the one-day Rally Race format of the past was never enough fun, so organizers have doubled down for 2023 with two days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":74772,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Dave Reed","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"157","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"The 2023 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series adds two days of long-course distance racing to its schedule.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_targeting":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[157],"tags":[181,311],"class_list":["post-74770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regatta-series","tag-helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-series","tag-helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-series-st-petersburg"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}