GMC Yukon Yachting Key West
Race Week 2000
January 17 - 21, 2000
|
GMC Yukon Yachting Key West |
.....More Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2000 Key West Race Week Brings Intense Sailing Action to North America --Fleet of 263 boats from 12 nations ready for battle
MARBLEHEAD, Mass. (January 7, 2000) — This winter, the eyes of the sailing world have been trained on America's Cup action in New Zealand. But this month, when 263 boats from 12 nations converge on
the southernmost U.S. island of Key West (Fla.) to compete in the 13th annual GMC Yukon Yachting Key West Race Week, there will be another event to rival for the attentions of the sailing world.
"There will be only one other regatta going on in January that can match the intensity and competition of Key West, and that's the America's Cup," says AmericaOne mainsail trimmer Terry Hutchinson,
who's sailed every Race Week since 1991, save for this year's. Hutchinson and his Cup compatriots in New Zealand, many of whom are past trophy winners at Race
Week, will be missing from afterguards this year in Key West. But even those sailors busy battling for the Louis Vuitton Cup on the other side of the world know there's one place to look in January to size up
the competition: "As it is the first major international event of the year, Key West sets the tone for the boats to watch in the coming year," says Hutchinson.
Competition at Key West Race Week begins on Monday, January 17 and concludes Friday, January 21 for five days of racing. "There will be sixteen classes competing, and sixteen intense battle to watch," says Event Director
Peter Craig as he surveys the entry list on the eve of competition. "But all boats will be gunning for one ultimate prize: the Yachting Magazine Trophy." The Boat of the Week trophy, a determination based on
a mathematical formula based on time, distance, and series points, will be presented on Friday evening, January 21, after the conclusion of racing.
Large one-design classes are a feature of Race Week 2000. With 28 boats, the Farr 40 class has drawn the biggest fleet to date for this international owner/driver class. "This will be a very, very
competitive fleet," says Jim Richardson (Boston, Mass.), 1998 Farr 40 World Champion and owner of Barking Mad. "The competition is going to be unbelieveable: In fact, it's kind of scary." Farr 40s from
eight nations are entered in the regatta. With 21 boats, the One Design 35 (1D35) class is facing a week of racing that 1D35 National
Champion Dan Cheresh (Holland, Mich.) can only forecast as potentially brutal, and unpredictable. "On any given day, there are a number of boats that could step up to the plate and get the job done," says Cheresh.
Other one-design classes include the Melges 24s (45 boats), Mumm 30s (26 boats), J/105s (18 boats), and J/80s (12 boats). Even the largest boats in the fleet will have sparring partners. Irvine Laidlaw's 60-footer
Highland Fling (CM 60)—sailing from the Isle of Man, U.K.—captured the 1999 Yachting Magazine Trophy. But this year, this 60-footer will have a sparring partner in sistership Rima (Newport, R.I.). These two boats have
not yet sailed against each other in around-the-buoys racing. "We're very excited to be racing against Rima: That's our race," said one Highland Fling crewmember as he looked ahead to a match between
these two boats. At 70 feet, George Collins' Chessie Racing (Gibson Island, Md.) and Bill Alcott's Equation (Detroit, Mich.) will be the largest boats in the PHRF fleet. This year Collins squires
Chessie Racing (ex-Pyewacket), a legendary West Coast record holder, to Race Week for the first time. Twelve international teams will battle for the Yukon Cup in the international team racing competition. The
format for the Yukon Cup, presented by title sponsor GMC Yukon, is based loosely on the renown Champagne Mumm Admiral's Cup in England.
In the Yukon Cup, boats can race for individual nations or regions (when there are not enough entries from one country to field a team). This year, the United Kingdom has fielded two teams, and Italy,
Japan, Canada, Norway, and France each have one team. Two European teams, Europe A and Europe B, will mix Greek, Italian, French, English, German, and U.S. sailors. Three U.S. teams will sail this
year for different regions, so West Coast, East Coast, and Great Lakes boats this year have a forum at Race Week to battle for regional preeminence.
The 12 nations represented in this year's fleet include Brazil, Canada, Greece, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Bahamas, and the United States. The United Kingdom
leads in the number of international entries, with a total of nine boats. U.S. sailors hail from 30 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. With 30 entries, Florida has sent the largest number of entries to Race
Week, seconded by California (29) and New York (22). Title sponsor GMC Yukon and event founder Yachting Magazine are joined this year by event sponsors
and suppliers Boatscape.com, The Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Development Council, Mount Gay Rum, Lewmar Marine, Champagne Mumm, Grand Banks Yachts, The Historic Seaport, Samuel Adams,
Fiji Natural Artesian Water, Saucony, Kenwood Cup, Historic Seaport, and the Ocean Key. Key West Race Week is produced by Premiere Racing of Marblehead (Mass.).
For more information Cynthia Goss: (203) 453-2731, Fax (203) 453-3026,
Peter Craig: (781) 639-9545, Fax (781) 639-9171, PremiereRacing@compuserve.com
NOTE: To follow hometown sailors from your area, please contact Cynthia Goss at the numbers above until January 13. As of January 13, contact the Race Week Press Center at 305-295-6373 (telephone) or 305-295-9254 (fax).
return to:
Premiere Racing Home Page
Key West Media Center Page
Yachtingnet
- Race Week Index