Point Roberts Race Week adds championship events

By Meg Olson

Race Week is adding new levels of excitement for their inaugural year in Point Roberts.

The July 13 to 17 event will host both the Corsair Nationals and the International 6-Meter North American Championships this year, in addition to other one-design and handicapped racing fleets.

The Corsair Nationals at Point Roberts Race Week marks the 26th anniversary of Corsair Marine Nationals, which were first held in Pensacola in 1994. “Our goal is to make this an event that caters equally to both racers and recreational sailors by upping the fun factor and adding educational and informational sessions, while still providing a rigorous racing schedule for hardcore racers,” said Scott Wallingford, commodore of the Northwest Multihull Association.

A variety of multihulled sailboats are expected to participate. Any group of five or more boats shall race in a separate one-design class in addition to being eligible for overall awards. A multihull cruising class will also be assembled – upon demand – to host catamarans and unclassified multihulls. Based on previous National Championships, the Corsairs estimate that there will be 30-45 boats participating, according to a Point Roberts Race Week press release.

Yachts from Canada and the U.S. including both modern and classic 6-metres (designed pre-1965) will participate in the five-day North American Championship event, racing as a single division on windward and leeward courses off the Point.

While 12-Metre yachts may be better known to the general public as the classic America’s Cup competitor from 1958 to 1987, the 6-Metre yacht is iconic in its own right. The International 6-Metre was first chosen as an Olympic class in 1908 and sailed in each Olympic Games until the last appearance in 1952 in Helsinki. The 6-Metre was also the boat of choice for a number of other high-profile events including the British-American Team Race Challenge, Seawanhaka International Challenge Cup, the One Ton Cup and the Bermuda Gold Cup. “Due to its place on the world stage, the class has historically attracted the very best sailors to its ranks,” announced Point Roberts Race Week organizers.

Point Roberts Race week is a five-day sailboat racing event open to boats over 19 feet. The 2020 event will run two big boat race circles but will not include dinghy racing.

The notice of race released in December 2019 announced John Abel from the Royal Victoria Yacht Club will be at the helm as principle race officer and he will be joined by race officer Paul Evenden of Vancouver, B.C. and chief judge Jared Hickman of Seattle, Washington.

Registration for the event opened January 1, 2020 and more information for racers and spectators is available at pointrobertsraceweek.com.

Point Roberts Race Week owner and event organizer Schelleen Rathkopf has been named managing editor of Northwest Yachting, the largest publication for boaters, sailors and fishermen in the Pacific Northwest. “I’m thrilled to be at the helm and looking forward to sharing more fun on the waterways of our region,” she said.

Race Week 2019, which took place on Whidbey Island, will be moving to Point Roberts in 2020. Point Roberts Race Week will be a five-day sailboat racing event open to boats over 19 feet. Photo by Meg Olson