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Short Tacks: Sailing News Roundup

Dec 19, 2024

2025-2028 Racing Rules

Changes and corrections to the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2025–2028 have now been made by World Sailing. The 2025–2028 edition will take effect on 1 January 2025. The revised Rules and a Notice of the Changes and Corrections are now available on the World Sailing website.

The Sail Canada prescriptions have also been submitted to World Sailing for approval. They will be published on the Sail Canada website and circulated widely once approved.  

Salty Dawg Rally to the Azores

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association (SDSA) will be running its first ever rally across the north Atlantic to Horta in the Azores Islands in the spring of 2025.  

SDSA president Michael Benjamin announced, “The rally will have starts in St. Maarten in the Caribbean and in Hampton, Virginia, on May 18, with an initial destination of Bermuda. The fleet will gather in Bermuda for final preparations and festivities and will then depart for the Azores on June 1.

The passage across the Atlantic should take in the neighborhood of two weeks depending on boat speed and weather.  For many of us, this passage across the Atlantic to the Azores and then on to Europe has been on our bucket lists for a long time.” This is an excellent opportunity for Canadian cruisers to cross with the club.

The Salty Dawgs will conduct a number of webinars for skippers and those contemplating the run, with the next session scheduled for January 9th at 17:00 eastern time, with a focus on the Azores as a cruising destination.  To register for this free event, go to this link (https://sdsa.memberclicks.net/freewebinarazoresrally).

Key rally dates:

  • Starts from Hampton and St. Maarten for Bermuda:  May 18, 2025
  • Start from Bermuda for Horta: June 1, 2025
  • Arrive Horta:  Mid June. 
  • Educational webinars for participants to be scheduled will include topics such as weather routing, cruising
  • the Azores, provisioning, spare parts, in addition to overviews of destinations such as Europe and the Mediterranean.  

Sail Canada extends partnership with Gallagher

Sail Canada and Gallagher, one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting firms, are pleased to announce the extension of their long-time partnership for an additional five years. 

Gallagher Skippers’ Plan is also the official sponsor of Sail Canada’s Gallagher Skippers’ Plan Athlete/Team of the Year Award, which annually celebrates the current Canadian Sailing Team athletes/teams who have a record of outstanding achievement in national and international competitions. Santiago 2023 Pan American Gold medalist in Starfish Lee Parkhill and silver medalist in ILCA 6 Sarah Douglas are last year’s Sail Canada’s Gallagher Skipper’s Plan Athlete/Team of the Year Award winners. More information about Sail Canada’s Gallagher Skipper’s Plan Athlete/Team of the Year Award is available at https://www.sailing.ca/the-skippers-plan-athletes-teams-of-the-year-past-winners/.

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