With 81 boats already registered for Storm Trysail Club’s 29th Block Island Race Week presented by Margaritaville, the 2021 edition is shaping up to be one of the biggest turnouts in recent years. We are pleased to report that we have over 30% more signups compared to this time in the previous two editions, so this early enthusiasm is a promising sign for the biennial event.
Even more encouraging, new skippers make up half of the sign-ups. This was true in 2019 as well, as many newcomers told us this was a “bucket list item” for them; speaking to the appeal and unique nature of this regatta. We are thrilled to welcome this growth among our expanding sailing community. Many of these registrations are in our most popular “Performance Cruising Division” with their race pursuit-style, once-per-day, around government marks.
For One-Designs, the J/105, J/88, and J/109 fleets are back along with the J/44’s who sat out the last cycle. There are also a few additional potential One-Design classes in the works with just a few more registrations needed for us to designate a class- exclusive start.
The J/109 ‘s will take this opportunity to run their East Coast Championships. "The J/109 Class has been a part of Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race Week since the boats debuted more than 15 years ago. The consistent conditions on the water, and great land-side activities, give us the opportunity to showcase close one-design racing and Class camaraderie,” says John M. Greifzu, Jr., president of the J/109 class and owner of Growth Spurt. “We had 21 boats in 2017 when we hosted the North Americans at Race Week, and 2021 will be our East Coast Championship. With 10 109s already registered we are looking forward to great turnout."
The biggest news for the Storm Trysail Club organizers is that Margaritaville is returning as the presenting partner. During Race Week in 2019, Tamara Baldanza-Dekker, Chief Marketing Officer for Margaritaville, said “Margaritaville is really about a state of mind and that has never been more important. It speaks to fun and escapism, which is something sailors surely understand.” Be sure to check out the full story about Margaritaville’s partnership.
“Escapism” is surely something we expect our sailors are looking forward to after 2020 and we hope there are many red circles drawn around the third week of June right now. While what the shore-side activities will look like will be determined close to the event in accordance with the best health and safety practices, race organizers plan to make 2021 fun for all.
Reminder: Feb 15th is the last day to lock in the early bird rate for registration. Even pre-registered boats must pay by this date to get the discount.