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2020 Race to the Coast
Welcome to the 2020 Race to the Coast Information page.

RACE TO THE COAST

June 19–20, 2020
Starts in Lake Pontchartrain, finishes in Gulfport, MS
50 nm, pursuit start, inshore/offshore race.
First leg of the Sawgrass Offshore Series

There will be no Skippers Meeting for this event.
SI and Scratch Sheet with start times will be distributed online and via email.
Mid-Lake Pursuit Start: 0800-1200 Saturday, June 20
Awards will be presented at the SYC Awards Night in January.
THERE IS NO ACCESS TO GYC FACILITIES OF ANY KIND FOR NON-GYC-MEMBERS. NO GYA RECIPROCITY.
GULFPORT MUNICIPAL MARINA SLIPS ARE READILY AVAILABLE.
Regatta Chair: Kett Cummins
PRO: Wallace Paletou & Nathan Adams

Sailing during the COVID-19 global pandemic presents new challenges to event organizers and competitors alike.  The OA, including host clubs, intend to follow all applicable governmental requirements, but it is also up to each individual skipper, crew and guest to act responsibly and within their own comfort range when choosing whether and how to participate in this event. Similar to offshore safety equipment, the OA strongly recommends all appropriate health precautions, but makes no assessment or warranty of each team’s preparedness or safety.

EACH COMPETITOR PARTICIPATES IN THIS EVENT AT THEIR OWN RISK.

RACE TRACKING | RESULTS (PDF)

Sat : Jun 20
(Registration Not Open)
NEWS/NOTICES

Fri Jun 19, 2020 : 19:43

ICW Mark

Mont Echols has confirmed that ICW mark "19" is on-station.

Fri Jun 19, 2020 : 15:43

Clarifications, Questions and Changes to Sailing Instructions #1

START BOAT
 
The start boat will be PATROL II with Nathan Adams as PRO.
 
FINISH BOAT
 
The finish boat will be Mont Echols' WILD, a 40-foot motoryacht.  After dark, he will attempt to display an amber strobe light.  
 
Mont's cell is 504-813-9070.  If you retire from the race, you MUST let the RC know and the best way is to call Mont.
 
BRIDGE TIME
 
There is nowhere available to submit written bridge time.  Please text or email your bridge time - with your boat name! - directly to me, Kett, at 504-723-0979.  You can do this during the race once you're out of The Rigolets, so you don't have to do it later!  Be sure I acknowledge you.  This changes SI 11.1 and 16.
 
Also, at the finish you will be asked whether you have any bridge time or not.  This is a yes-or-no check, do not give your bridge time to the finish boat.
 
The deadline to submit bridge time is one hour after the last boat finishes, so don't forget.
 
QUESTIONS
 
1)  If ICW mark "19" is missing, do we round "20" instead? - A: Yes.  Mark "19" is outside of "20", so if "19" is there and you round it, you will have passed "20" on the correct side.
 
 
# # # END # # #
 
Posted by: Kett Cummins  

Fri Jun 19, 2020 : 00:00

Race to the Coast - Virtual Skippers Meeting

Hello Race to the Coast competitors!

 
First, a correction: BWYC is NOT locked down and welcomes all reciprocal GYA guests!  Sorry for the misinformation.  PCYC and GYC have restricted access to only their respective club members.
 
START TIME and LOCATION
 
The regatta committee has been watching the forecast and, while it is not what we hope for each year, it is also not the string of goose-eggs we saw in 2018.
 
The decision has been made to go ahead with the traditional Mid-Lake start and full 50 nm racecourse.  The start times are as shown on the event website.  Remember that the race will be scored using corrected time after the finish, so a slow start does not preclude a good finish.
 
RACE TRACKING and SPOT URLS
 
A number of you have had difficulty registering your SPOT devices.  It turns out that SPOT has changed their client app and there is no longer a Shared Page URL. Instead, what we need is the "XML Feed ID" which looks something like this: Your XML Feed ID:  0adKiqCHq8GtlCDbI7ITpMJe5V1Hnonqy
 
Here are the required steps:
Click on XML Feed at the top of the findmespot.com page.
Click Create XML Feed and keep the defaults.
Once created, click View Details.
Copy the XML Feed ID string and email it to me at kett@cumminsnola.com
 
Everyone with a SPOT needs to do this.  Sorry for the difficulty, but we were unaware of this change.
 
RACECOURSE
 
The Hwy 11 bascule bridge is still under repair.  The east side is in the down position and the west side is open.  This reduces the passage to half its usual width.  Please use caution and be reminded that you may not pass another boat while transiting a bridge passage - even if you have to slow down! 
 
Last year, mark "19" outside of The Rigolets, at the ICW, was missing, so its mate, mark "20" was added to the course list.  Both "19" and "20" remain on the list, but "19" is the intended rounding mark.  We have not confirmed whether "19" has been replaced.
 
We have also added St. Joe Pass mark "2" to the course.  It is north of the ICW channel, but well clear of Lighthouse Point at the east end of St. Joe Pass.
 
Also, be reminded that Pass Marianne remains a mark of the course.  You must leave Merrill Shell Bank marks "10" and "8" to port.  Merrill Coquille shoal is a separate feature and does not have a required side.
 
 
If we receive any questions about the Sailing Instructions, we will share the answers with everyone.

Fair Winds,
Kett Cummins

Thu Jun 18, 2020 : 00:00

Race to the Coast – Critical Updates

Hello Race to the Coast competitors!

 
There is a lot to cover so let's get started...
 
COVID-19
 
There has been a flare-up of COVID on the Miss. Gulf Coast and, in particular, in the sailing community.  As of today, GYC, PCYC and BWYC have all instituted a members-only, no guests, "lockdown" policy.  This means that we will have NO ACCESS to any amenities at Gulfport YC.  We cannot moor at the visitors dock, use the boat hoist, nor the restroom facilities.  Essentially, non-members may not set foot on GYC's property.
 
We have contacted the Gulfport Municipal Marina and were told they have plenty of available slips of all sizes.  The marina does not accept reservations, but we were assured that they can accommodate everyone.  Contact them via VHF upon arrival, open 24-hours a day.
 
The public boat launch is available for ramp-retrieval of trailerable boats.
 
WEATHER FORECAST
 
The forecast looks hot and dry, but with very little wind until the seabreeze fills in the afternoon.  To address this, we are looking at two options for postponing the start.  The first option is to postpone for appx. 4 hours and move the start appx. 13 nm down the course into The Rigolets, just beyond the Hwy 90 Bridge, near Double Bayou.  The second option is to postpone for appx. 6 hours and move the start appx. 19 nm to the outside of The Rigolets near Long Point in Lake Borgne.
 
The final decision on the start time and location will be announced tomorrow, along with the final scratch sheet and start time list.
 
RACE TRACKING
 
Once again, Kattack.com is providing online GPS tracking for the fleet.  Several of you have registered the cell phone app and a few have sent me their SPOT Shared Page URL.
 
Please review the Race Tracking Specification and register your tracking device ASAP.
 
Here is the Kattack race tracking link: http://kws.kattack.com/player?FeedID=1850
 
SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
 
The Sailing Instructions have been posted online, but will be amended with the course specs tomorrow.
 
Fair Winds,
Kett Cummins

Wed Jun 17, 2020 : 00:00

No Skippers Meeting or Awards Presentation

Due to COVID-19 concerns there will be NO Skippers Meeting on Friday evening and NO Awards Presentation following the race.

Gulfport YC is open for business and the ground floor Anchor Bar will reportedly be open with food 11a to 7p and bar only until 9p on Saturday.  The ground floor restrooms will remain open all night.

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Race Tracking Specification
RACE RESULTS
RACE RESULTS - REVISED
Prize List

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