OYRA Duxship Race Will Sail to Pt. Bonita and EYC

April 26, 2012

Laura Muñoz, Executive Director of the Yacht Racing Association, writes, "The OYRA Board has been busy trying to coordinate an in-the-Bay race in place of the offshore Duxship race. With special thanks to South Beach YC and Encinal YC, we have been able to work out an arrangement. Saturday’s race will start as scheduled off the StFYC Race Deck and head out to Point Bonita, then will finish off Encinal YC in the Alameda/Oakland Estuary. Revised Sailing Instructions are being hammered out right now and will be emailed as soon as they are available.

"For those of you that are planning on coming out to race, we hope you’ll come up to the EYC Bar after you finish and join the OYRA Board for an informal get-together."

Saturday's OYRA Duxship Denied USCG Permit
During the investigation into the loss of five sailors in the OYRA Farallones Race, the Coast Guard is suspending permits for ocean races. "The Coast Guard issues permits for all marine events, and there are over 800 per year in the local area," said OYRA President Andy Newell. "All YRA races are permitted. YRA works closely with the USCG on all of our races and OYRA will not hold ocean races without the blessing of the USCG.

"What I have heard is that Captain Cynthia Stowe, Port Captain for Sector San Francisco, has decided that we should take a break from ocean racing until more is known about the root cause of the Low Speed Chase incident at the Farallones. I have heard that this will be 30 or 60 days (heard both independently) and that OYRA Duxship and SSS Singlehanded Farallones would need to stay in the Bay or be cancelled. It is possible that we could be out there by Spinnaker Cup at the end of May, but that is speculation at this point.

"This news just came out Wednesday evening and we are working on getting information confirmed so we can share accurate information. Expect something on the YRA website and probably to the racers signed up for the Duxship to be out this morning [Thursday]. The USCG has said they will make a statement by end of day."

US Sailing will be conducting an independent review of the Low Speed Chase accident. We'll keep you posted.