The Sailfish Club of Florida said today the 65th Anniversary Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race will be sailed on Friday, December 3rd, and will feature the popular two-course format, with starts in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. 

Sailfish Club Race Committee Chair Tom Bowler said the club was excited to get the race back on track following the cancelation of last year’s event because of a spike in COVID-19 cases in South Florida late in the year. 

“We are delighted to announce the return of the Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race this year and are encouraged by the strong early interest from race veterans and newcomers alike,” Mr. Bowler said. “There is clearly a lot of pent-up energy among racers to get out on the water and we are confident that by race day we will be able to stage a great event, including the club’s legendary post-race seafood buffet.” 

Mr. Bowler added that while expectations are for COVID-19 restrictions to continue to ease in the coming months, the safety and health of sailors, support crews and Sailfish Club members and staff are the Committee’s top priority. The Committee will continue to work closely with state and local officials, race partners and club management to ensure the event is run in compliance with health safety protocols at the time, Mr. Bowler said.  

In 2018, Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race organizers introduced the two-course race format, adding a 40-mile course called The Sprint, from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach, which complemented the existing 60-mile Miami-to-Palm Beach track, known as The Classic. The Sprint will start off Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, while The Classic will start off Government Cut in Miami Beach. Both courses will finish off the Palm Beach Inlet. 

The Classic Course will be scored as part of the SORC's Islands in the Stream series, which includes the Miami-Nassau Race, the Lauderdale-Key West Race, and the Miami-Eleuthera Race. The Sprint Course will not be scored as part of the series.  In place of last year’s Wirth M. Munroe race, the SORC staged a distance race that started and finished in Fort Lauderdale but did not stop in Palm Beach. That race was scored as part of the Islands in the Stream series.

The Organizing Authority for the Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race consists of The Sailfish Club of Florida, the Storm Trysail Club, the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. The SORC, Storm Trysail Club and the Sailfish Club of Florida will oversee race management. 

To enter the race and view the Notice of Race, please go to YachtScoring: (https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eid=14630)

For more information and to make dinner reservations, please contact Sarah Gay at (561) 844-0206 or [email protected].