I am new to the Viper Class and am actively trying to generate growth in the mid atlantic area. Specifically in Annapolis and the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake. I am wondering if any of the active fleets in LIS and Massachusetts might be able to help by telling me what events are on the schedule for the north east in 2014.
For completely personal reasons, I am hoping that we might get enough boats to warrant a class start at the Buzzards Bay regatta this summer. I cannot think of a better place to showcase the boats than a windy venue like BBR. It is in between the LIS guys and the Boston area guys. Maybe someone can help answer why the class hasn't made this a must do event in the past?
I am trying to formulate my schedule for the summer and have limited availablity...I dont want to miss out on any awesome events because they werent on the class schedule and I say yes to something much much worse.
Cheers,
Geoff Ewenson
Hi Geoff,
I tried this a few times with the organizers. This is going back 4-5 years ago. The first time there was no room for us, until the J-22's pulled out. But then there was not enough interest in the fleet to get the minimum boats required for a start. The second time I tried, I was told there simply was not enough room for us. Agree that it is a great venue for Vipers
When is the viper calendar being updated with east coast events? I was told last week, but it doesnt look like it yet.
Please make sure the Lake Champlain Viper 640 Regatta gets included, September 27-28, lcyc.info
Thanks,
jason
Welcome to the class Geoff! I'm looking forward to seeing you out on the water--possibly this summer!
I'm not sure of the 'official' race calendar, but I can share with you my schedule for travel regattas:
April 10-13: Charleston Race Week, Charleston, SC
May 30-June 1st: Cedar Point One Design Regatta, Westport, CT
July 11-13: Newport Regatta, Newport, RI
July 25-27: Marblehead Race Week, Marblehead, MA
Sept. 27-28: Lake Champlain Sportboat Regatta, Shelburne, VT
Oct. 11-12: HPDO
Nov. 16-17: Fall Fling, Hampton, VA
EDIT: I'd love to do the BBR in a Viper. I remember hearing that logistics may be tough down in Marion for Vipers--but that might just be a rumor. If enough of us showed interest we might be persuasive. It does seem like a natural event for the Northeast Viper fleet..
Ill be in Charleston during race week, but will be sailing on a big boat instead of the Viper! I will however try to come check out the boats a bit.
My schedule is pretty full until August and so I am likely going to be sailing in Annapolis until late summer or even fall. It should give me a chance to sort out the boat a bit before coming to play in a proper sized fleet.
If the fleet could get together for BBR then I would likely do that, possibly lake champlain, definitely HPDO and Fall Fling.
There are a few yards in Marion that I believe could launch Vipers. the challenge is always dockage.
they use their extensive mooring field to house the boats and the dockspace is very limited.
Maybe we could try to contact someone at Tabor to see if there might be an opportunity there.
If we could get 10 boats or more to commit.......that would be fine enough with me.
hope to meet some of you in charleston.
geoff
All,
The east coast regatta calendar has been a bit delayed in being posted, but I am told our class admin will have it up today. In the meantime, here is what is on it so far:
Feb. 22-23 Winter Circuit # 1 / Sarasota
Mar. 2-3 EFG Winter Cup / Winter Circuit #2 / Miami
Mar. 6-8 EFG Pan American Championships @ Bacardi sailing Week/ Winter Circuit # 3
Mar. 23-24 Sarasota One Design/ Winter Circuit #4 Sarasota, FL
Apr. 11-13 Charleston Race Week (Atlantic Coast Championship)
May 2-4 Annapolis NOOD [May only race May 3-4, TBD]
May 24-25 Larchmont YC Memorial Day Regatta Larchmont YC, NY
May 30-June 1 Southern Bay Race Week Hampton YC, VA
May 31 – June 1 Cedar Point One Design Regatta
June 7-8 Wickford Regatta Wickford, RI
June 23-24 Nepean One Design Regatta (Nepean, Ontario)
July 5-6 American Independence Regatta American YC, NY
July 12-13 Bacardi Newport Regatta SailNewport, RI
July 19-20 Larchmont Race Week
July 18-20 Atlantic City Race Week
July 27-29 Marblehead NOOD (Viper New England Championship)
Aug. 2-3 YRALIS Championship Regatta Indian Harbor YC, CT
Aug. 22-24 CORK One Design Regatta Kingston, Ontario
Sep 2-7 Viper 640 North American Championship Alamitos Bay YC, Long Beach CA
Sept. 20-21 Stamford YC Viper Invitational Stamford YC, CT
Sept. 27-28 Lake Champlain Sportboat Regatta Lake Champlain YC, VT
Oct 11-12 High Performance Dinghy Open American YC, Rye, NY
Nov. 16-17 Hampton Fall Fling - Viper Mid Atlantic Championship Hampton YC, VA
This doesn't include regular weekly / 2-3x month racing that will be happening in the Larchmont, Greenwich, Fishers Island Sound, Newport, and Marblehead areas in 2014.
As far as BBR goes, it's a question of slotting it into the schedule and getting people excited to go. Given that it is a week after Viper New Englands in Marblehead, a couple of weeks after Newport Regatta, and the same weekend as the YRALIS Champs for the WLIS boats, it seems like a lot of core Viper areas in the northeast will be burned out or already occupied that weekend. But as with any event, if enough people want to show up, someone is willing to organize it, and there's space for us with regatta organizers, then a regatta will be added. All 3 elements need to exist - there are a lot of events where either regatta organizers or 1-2 local boats want Vipers to show that aren't feasible for a decent turnout -- but if those people are willing to convince a bunch of their friends in the class to come to one of those events, great. The calendar is meant to include events where we know there will be one design starts for Vipers - not "every possible event where there might be a Viper start if enough people scramble to make it happen."
The Todds Point Viper Fleet has already committed to be at YRALIS for 2014.
Some of us will certainly be travelling to the New Englands in Marblehead. The attraction of Marblehead over BBR is that there are local Vipers in Mhd.....Local hosts + Dry Sailing are always a plus.
I love BBR, altho launching and mooring might be an issue.
I know the Cedar Point Regatta is a long way out but it would be nice to have a good turnout there. The J70s have got close to 40 boats already registered.
The J/70s are using the Cedar Point event as their New Englands in 2014, just like the Vipers did in 2013. It would be good to have a solid turnout at Cedar Point since it was a fun event last year for the 26 or 27 Vipers who made the trip. Hopefully people will start focusing on the spring and summer regattas now that we're into March.