Wish I could be with this gang.. there is a (near) real time tracker on the page..
http://www.pensacolahavanarace.com/
http://www.pensacolahavanarace.com/
It seems to me like a true race; get to Havana on your own hull as quickly as you can. It is probably a safety issue as well as an event scheduling issue. It mimics real world cruising situations where motor sailing can enable to maintain boat speed and allowing a more direct course to destination to encompass weather windows. Permitting for an event to enter Cuba may require a more compact schedule than perhaps free sailing can provide. Boats will be divided in classes and handicapped to provide the usual chances for any participant to win. These events are mostly social in nature allowing for cruising boats to travel together and it is not unusual to see a fired up grill or two for cooking steaks or burgers at the starting line.Also I can't quite get the concept of a race where you can use your motor.
Just not a SAILBOAT race.It seems to me like a true race; get to Havana on your own hull as quickly as you can.
It's not all that rare. The Newport (CA) to Ensenada Race allows motoring at night (typically when the wind is down) in its Cruising classes. Of course, you have to take a penalty based on the number of hours motored. Heavier cruising boats (i.e., not ULDBs) cannot get to Ensenada in even 40-50 hr traveling downwind in 5-10 kt of true wind. As race organizer, if you want those dull, slow, heavy boats in the field to keep entries up, then you have to make accommodation. As Benny said, they're largely social events anyway, and the crew wants to be there for the party, especially if the wives are also coming to Mexico to fetch some of 'em back!Also I can't quite get the concept of a race where you can use your motor.
Or motor straight into islands.It's not all that rare. The Newport (CA) to Ensenada Race allows motoring at night (typically when the wind is down) in its Cruising classes. Of course, you have to take a penalty based on the number of hours motored. Heavier cruising boats (i.e., not ULDBs) cannot get to Ensenada in even 40-50 hr traveling downwind in 5-10 kt of true wind. As race organizer, if you want those dull, slow, heavy boats in the field to keep entries up, then you have to make accommodation. As Benny said, they're largely social events anyway, and the crew wants to be there for the party, especially if the wives are also coming to Mexico to fetch some of 'em back!
Why not?Just not a SAILBOAT race.
Call me old fashioned, but to me sailboat races are about, well, sailing. If you want to motorboat race, enter a motorboat race.I see that apparently on Day 3 a few decided to hit the bars in Tampa.
Why not?
Jim...
Your point is well taken. I just lament the dumbing down of the sport, in an attempt to make it more accessible. Some of the stuff used to be hard, and doing it was prestigious. Now it's something that people do just to check off their list.For all we know it could be that they had to use a sporting event to be able to travel into Cuba. The purists need not need to get their tights in a wad as racing is defined as a competition based on a challenge and a set of agreed upon rules. Isn't this how the Americas Cup race is arranged? We have had multihulls and 50MPH abominations as a result of agreed upon rules. Someone came up with an idea to race sailboats from Pensacola to Havana and all the participants have of their own free will agreed to the use of the auxiliary engines. The logistics of planning a race to Havana are much more complicated than a club race in a lake, bay or inlet and hence some tailoring of the rules are necessary for a successful event.