Key West, Florida Keys -- Racing teams from across the country
and around the world are getting ready to compete in the waters
off America's southernmost city during the 27th annual Key West
Race Week, scheduled Sunday through Friday, Jan. 19-24.
The "wow" factor is clearly in play again for the 2014 edition. All
three divisions will feature well prepared programs gathering to
enjoy great competition and renowned Key West sailing
conditions, as they pursue coveted podium finishes.
The incredibly popular J/70 class is coming off a very successful
Key West debut with the fleet topping 60 boats for their 2014
Midwinter Championship. Returning veterans and newcomers to
Key West will experience big fleet racing with exciting starts, tight
mark roundings, and close finishes. Both the J/70 Open and
Corinthian winners will be recognized with daily and series
trophies.
The variety of boat size and type are two of the elements that
make Key West special, and big boat racing will again be a
meaningful part of the 2014 story. Three 72 footers will test each
other in the 'Mini Maxi' IRC class. 2013 winner George Sakellaris'
Shockwave and Hap Fauth's Bella Mente will mix it up with Alex
Schaerer's 2013 Rolex Capri Sailing Week champion Caol Ila R.
The 52 Class begins their second US Super Series in Key West.
They'll continue the series at their 2014 World Championship in
Miami next March. Alberto Roemmers and team Azzurra will be
back to defend their 2013 title against five other high-powered
programs.
The J/80s are the comeback class of the year. These one
designs, strong players in Key West for many years, will feature
quality and quantity with 14 boats currently on the scratch sheet.
Andrew Kerr, tactician on Ron Buzil's Vayu 2 shared his
enthusiasm: "We are excited to have a growing fleet of J80's for
this coming year's Key West Race Week. Key West is an
important part of the J80 class' winter tour as teams gear up for
the World Championships in Annapolis in late September. Racing
at Key West always features world class competition in every
fleet. Top level race and event management from Premiere
Racing, coupled with fantastic sailing conditions, helps the event
attract more and more J/80 teams who want to kick start the
racing year!"
Continued
Countdown to Key West
-- Quantum Key West 2014 Begins January continued
Handicap racing will also come in the form of a High Performance (HPR), IRC3, and two PHRF classes.
For the PHRF racing, three number handicaps will be in play for three established wind ranges - a first in
Key West - which is expected to produce even closer racing. All four of these classes boast serious
programs, experienced racers and talented afterguards, along with some exciting, new models. A look at
the scratch sheet tells a very promising story.
"As the curtain comes down on the 2013 racing season, the Premiere Racing team is looking forward to
kicking off 2014 with a bang," remarked Event Director Peter Craig. "The make-up of the Key West fleet is
different every year, but one thing that never changes is the quality of the competition, which will come in
the form of terrific one design, IRC, HPR and PHRF racing."
For those who can't be out on the race course, there will be plenty of ways to follow the racing. Last year
was a first for "Key West Live" coverage (#QKeyWest) and there will be more real time bloggers and
video coverage to keep everyone connected this year.