The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee (BROC) has published the official Notice of Race for the second attempt at the 52nd running of the 635-mile Newport Bermuda Race. (The 2020 race was cancelled due to the impact of the pandemic.)

As many as 200 entries are expected to start the race on June 17, 2022, and the race’s SailGate entry system will be open on June 18, 2021, one year ahead of time. Captains with accounts already set up in SailGate will be able to update their profile information in advance of next Friday, but all entrants will be able to begin their entry applications in earnest on the 18th.

Entry fees are similar to 2020, with discounts offered for early entry. In addition, due to the good will of several race vendors who passed on contracted fees from 2020 to 2022, the BROC is able to provide 2022 entrants full credit for deposits paid by entrants for the 2020 race. Captains will find credits reflected in their current SailGate accounts (click here for credit detail).

“We appreciate the efforts of our sponsors and vendors to support this race through the challenges of the pandemic,” says Somers Kempe, BROC chairman, “and we look forward to welcoming a large fleet of first timers and Gulf Stream veterans for the 52nd ‘Thrash to the Onion Patch’ next June.”

Nearly all sponsors from 2020 have committed to sponsoring the race again, and new sponsors have come aboard, too. The BROC recently posted a sponsor guide for any others interested.

Entry Webinar, June 15, 1200 EDT

Both prospective and committed competitors are invited to register for next week’s race webinar “How to Enter the Newport Bermuda Race.” The one-hour Zoom meeting will cover the basics of using the SailGate system and provide Q&A opportunities. (Note that the starting time for the webinar has been moved from 1900 to 1200 EDT; a recorded version will be available subsequently through the website.) Entries will continue to be accepted until April 3, 2022.

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Sailors helping sailors is a time-honored maritime tradition, and now the organizers of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers are adding a virtual twist to things with a four-night series it’s dubbed Bluewater Cockpit Conversations. The free, open-to-all series runs from May 25 through 28.

Among the experts who will participate are previous ARC skippers, yacht surveyors and refit specialists. They will be on hand to offer advice on how to find the right boat for a bluewater, ocean-crossing voyage, as well as answer more general cruising questions from the live audience. Each evening’s program runs from 17:30 to 19:00 BST (12:30 to 14:00 EDT).

Each night will have its own theme, including “Choosing the Right Boat for Bluewater,” “How to Buy a Boat,” “Planning Your Refit” and “Cruising Amazing Places.” There will also be a series of pre-recorded webinars along with inspirational videos that attendees can watch.

Yacht broker Berthon International is a sponsor of the series and will provide virtual tours of some of their bluewater listings as well as boats owned by previous ARC sailors.

World Cruising Club has been organizing transatlantic and round-the-world rallies for more than three decades, and has a wealth of information to share.

For information and to register, visit the World Cruising Club training site.

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The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee (BROC) has named Cruising World and Sailing World as Official Media Sponsors for the 2022 edition of the Newport Bermuda Race.

The magazines will design and produce the official Bermuda Race program, publicize the race through their print and digital channels, and support sponsorship sales efforts. Together, Cruising World and Sailing World reach the largest audience of passionate sailors in the world–over a million a month—through their magazines, websites, e-newsletters and social media channels.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Cruising World and Sailing World back as members of the sponsor family for the 52nd Bermuda Race,” said BROC Chairman Somers Kempe. “Their support since 2002 in the production of our Race Program has helped us deliver essential information, inspiration, and entertainment to competitors and members of the Race’s extended community in a world-class publication that reflects our world-class ocean race.”

“We’re proud to again partner with and support the historic Newport Bermuda Race,” said Sally Helme, Publisher of both Cruising World and Sailing World. “This is one of the pre-eminent ocean races in the world, a bucket list event for sailors everywhere. We have enormous respect for the Bermuda Race’s commitment to safety, seamanship and sportsmanship, which is renowned worldwide.”

Sailing World and Cruising World are sister media brands dedicated to serving racing and cruising sailors, respectively, and are natural partners to the race. Founded in 1962, Sailing World is North America’s oldest sailing magazine and the only one focused wholly on competitive sailing. Cruising World has been a champion of bluewater adventure and safety for decades, including playing a key promotional role as the Cruising Club of America and US Sailing were developing safety-at-sea training as a standard offshore practice for cruisers and racers. Today, cruising enthusiasts can find a wealth of information about coastal and bluewater voyaging throughout Cruising World’s print, digital and social channels.

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Fiji set a glowing example for other Pacific countries this past sailing season by successfully opening its borders to cruisers. The country consequently welcomed over 90 foreign boats, over 300 crew and an estimated $10 million to its shores.

The Blue Lane initiative, launched in June, set strict guidelines for pleasure craft to follow in order to enter Fiji. This protocol involved sailors having to activate their AIS for their entire trip so that the Fijian navy could confirm uninterrupted sailing, along with quarantining crew on board their vessels for a total of 14 days, including passage time. Additionally, all crew had to take a COVID-19 test and obtain a negative result within 72 hours of leaving their original country and again two days before their 14-day quarantine was up.

While Port Denarau is currently the only port of clearance in Fiji, once finished with their quarantine, boats are free to cruise the different island groups as usual.

Though small in number compared with the usual 750 boats that visit Fiji every year, the cruisers that arrived have helped contribute toward Fiji’s suffering tourism industry. They’ve provided the sailmakers, mechanics, electricians, taxi drivers and dive operators with a much-needed income, without which they might not have been able to survive the past few months. Due to a lack of onward destinations, the majority of these boats remained in Fiji during the 2020-21 cyclone season, providing further income for the industry.

United States Ambassador to Fiji, Joseph Cella, invited cruisers who’d participated in this initiative to a buffet brunch to celebrate its success, and there he highly commended the Fijian government for the way it has contained COVID-19. With only 35 cases in total, and no community cases for nearly 6 months, Fiji has handled this pandemic extremely well, with its Blue Lane initiative being a testament to its success. Let’s hope more countries follow suit next season.

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Starting April 1, the US Coast Guard will begin to enforce the use of engine cut-off switches for anyone operating a motor vessel less than 26 feet. The move comes after well-publicized accidents in which injuries occurred when operators of small powerboats fell overboard and their boats continued out of control and struck other boats or people in the water, including the driver.

Typically, cut-off stitches are located close to the helm or mounted on the arm of an outboard, and they have a tether that needs to be attached to the driver. Should the operator go overboard or fall, the engine is turned off immediately. Wireless electronic cut off-switches are also available. Information about the law and how it applies to a vessel you will be operating can be found at uscgboating.org.

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Peter Whiting, Managing Partner, announced that Seattle Yachts International, is continuing its expansion and vertical integration with the recent acquisition of famed 60-year-old boat manufacturing operation, Tartan-Legacy.

Seattle Yachts has formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, Marine Manufacturing Group LLC (MMG) to purchase the assets of Tartan Legacy Yachts, a manufacturing operation that produces Tartan Sailing Yachts, Legacy Downeast Yachts, and AMP brand carbon fiber masts and spars.

Whiting explained that Seattle Yachts has been a dealer for both Tartan and Legacy yachts for several years and had a number of boats in the Tartan Legacy production pipeline when it became evident the Ohio-based manufacturer was experiencing financial difficulties.

“Look, it’s no secret that Tartan-Legacy had fallen onto some hard times of late and was struggling despite having a healthy order book and some nineteen boats in process on the production floor,” said Whiting.

“We could see that, with some needed recapitalization and the infusion of some heavy-duty boat building management talent, we could restore the brands to their historically strong positions in the market,” he continued “We also felt that would ultimately be to the benefit of everyone, including current and future customers, other Tartan-Legacy dealers, and, of course, ourselves, who had significant investments at stake, not to mention the 45 some people who work in the operation.”

Whiting explained further that when the urgency of the situation became clear, he retained well-known marine industry consultant and former president and CEO of Palmer Johnson Yachts, Phil Friedman, to help evaluate what might be done and, later, to consult in the acquisition.

Friedman, a long-time friend and marine business associate of Whiting’s, described the whirlwind of evaluation and due diligence activities that followed.

“To an outsider with little experience in the recreational marine industry, the speed at which this process moved might seem astounding,” Friedman said. “But in situations like this, accelerated decisions are the norm, not the exception.”

“The fact is, buying and owning a boat manufacturing operation is not for the faint of heart,” Friedman said. “Nor is it something for gentlemen hobbyists or bean-counters in pinstriped suits. It takes talent, hands-on experience in the industry, guts, and a fair measure of tolerance for risk.”

In turn, Whiting said that he was pleased to have Friedman available to help with the reorganization and relaunch of the Tartan Legacy operation because in addition to marine business management experience Friedman also has in-depth background in the construction of both sailing and luxury motor yachts 10- to 50-meter range.

Whiting also pointed out that he and Friedman are being joined on the MMG management team by long-time yacht production pro, Bill Macnab, who spent a couple of decades building boats and yachts in Asia at firms like McConaghy, Prout, Tri-Con, and Allegro — and who, before that, worked for many years at Westbay Sonship in British Columbia, Canada.

“Our main goal at Tartan-Legacy is, in the short term, to improve processes and through-put of the operation, while maintaining the high quality of construction, fit, and finish for which these brands have been known,” Macnab said.

Tim Jackett, Tartan-Legacy’s perennial in-house designer and product development manager will round out the team going forward. “Tim represents the best of what makes the Tartan and Legacy yachts what they are today,” Whiting said. “He brings to the mix a genuine wealth of historical knowledge, solid design sense, and the appetite for constant improvement and innovation.”

The Tartan-Legacy manufacturing operation is being moved to a new 52,000-square-foot facility in Painesville, Ohio, about five miles from its current location. Although only slightly larger than the current facility, the new plant is, according to Macnab, much better laid out for boat building than what Tartan-Legacy has had for the last ten or so years. And the long-term lease at the new facility assures Tartan and Legacy brands will continue to be built in the heartland of America for a long time to come.

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The annual spring migration north is proving to be complicated for US- and Canada-bound sailors due to the evolving coronavirus/COVID-19 situation. With border and harbor closures and quarantine rules changing seemingly by the hour, we’ve compiled a list of resources where you can find the latest information. As we hear of more information, we will post it here, and if you have additional info to add, please send it to Jen.brett@cruisingworld.com.

• For Northbound US cruisers, it is recommended that you check with the individual port of entry before departing to find out what the current rules are and to let them know you are coming. The US Customs and Border Patrol Ports of Entry are listed here along with contact numbers: https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports

• Once in the US, depending on the harbor you’ve arrived in, you will likely need to stay aboard for a 14-day quarantine period. The rules on this vary from state to state. Our friends at the Waterway Guide have a continually updated list of marine facilities and current government notices. All that information can be viewed here: https://www.waterwayguide.com/covid-19-reports

• The Ocean Cruising Club has opened some of its Facebook groups to non-members who have boats in the Caribbean or East Coast of North America. This UK-based group has discussions underway about working together for possible Atlantic transits and for the best solutions if boats are to remain in the Caribbean or east coast of North America. The two Facebook groups are:

• OCC Atlantic Crossing West to East group
• OCC Caribbean Net+ group.

• For detailed country-by-country reports on worldwide port closures, visit: https://www.noonsite.com/news/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-special-procedures-being-introduced-in-ports-of-entry-worldwide/

• If you would like a helping hand and a bit of (distant) camaraderie for the journey back to the US, consider joining the Salty Dawg Homeward Bound Flotilla. The Salty Dawg Sailing Association is providing vessel tracking, weather routing and assistance coming into US waters.

Read more about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected cruising sailors in Behan Gifford’s latest Sailing Totem posts:

The South Pacific is Closed

Provisioning for a pandemic

How Coronavirus is impacting our plans

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This letter originally appeared in the Waterway Guide. Reprinted with permission.

Remember when you were in school and a few kids did something wrong and the whole class got punished? If so, then welcome to legislation—Georgia style. Georgia is now home to the most restrictive boater legislation in the nation. This past week the Coastal Resources Division (CRD) of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) posted the announcement of the implementation of HB201 on their website. You may recall this is the bill I warned Liberty and Bryan County residents about last summer. A hodgepodge of disjointed topics, the bill included anchoring permits, logs of pump-outs, fees and the establishment of anchorage areas. Did you catch that folks? Not just authorization to tell you where you CAN’T anchor but where you CAN anchor. The announcement this week (via Administrative Order from DNR Commissioner Mark Williams) graciously informs the public that “The Commissioner hereby ORDERS that anchorage areas for the purpose of overnight anchoring are established throughout all the estuarine areas the state…”. In other words, a right we have enjoyed for centuries in waters most boaters and boating organizations believe to be federally controlled (see the commerce clause of the US Constitution) has been granted to us by the DNR. This should be challenged in a court of law.

If you go onto the DNR website they will tell you “HB201 is a new law that mainly affects waste discharge from vessels with marine sanitation devices (MSDs) and overnight anchoring in coastal waters”. Folks, this is disingenuous at best. HB201 was NEVER about concern over the cleanliness of Georgia’s waters. It was about getting rid of a couple of nuisance boats in the coastal Georgia area to make a couple of powerful people happy. It was their scenery that was getting polluted—not the water. To fix their problem, Representative Don Hogan (Brunswick, GA) with the help of others crafted HB201 at the urging of DNR. Why? Because DNR needed a way to make these 2 complaints go away and establishing setbacks under the guise of clean water was deemed the answer. The hen has now come to roost in the form of this new DNR Administrative Order which outlines the following:

ONE. It restricts overnight anchoring within 1,000 feet (that’s over 3 football fields) of any structure, such as public and private docks, wharves, bridges, piers and pilings, except in areas near marinas. This 1,000’ offset needlessly eliminates anchorages all over the state. It will affect numerous boaters many of which transit Georgia waters as part of the annual migration along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) that brings in millions of dollars to Georgia businesses. Additionally, an unintended consequence of this ill-conceived legislation is that it gives private landowners jurisdiction over public waters free of charge with no need for a bottom lease from the state. Essentially waterfront owners now control thousands of acres of public water at no cost. I seriously question the legality of this action and challenge any attorney reading this to take action.

TWO. Commissioner Mark Williams and the DNR have created an animal known as Marina Zones, which wasn’t even in HB201. These will allow boaters to anchor as close as 300 feet to marinas or facilities that provide fuel, dinghy access, provisions, vessel maintenance or other services, regardless of whether other structures exist nearby. This, of course, begs the question, if we can anchor 300’ from a marina, where there are numerous comings and goings, why are we prohibited from anchoring 300’ from any other structure where there may be no or very limited activity? It makes zero sense but then it doesn’t have to as long as it makes the two waterfront owners happy. It would seem the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many.

Many boating groups to include the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), Boat US, Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA), Marine Trawler Owners Association (MTOA), American Great Loopers Cruising Association (AGLCA), and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association (AIWA) were never consulted before the legislation was passed. Most importantly, the general boating public was unaware of the bill until it had already passed. A public hearing occurred on June 17, 2019, in Brunswick where we voiced our concerns and were assured no rules would be implemented until they were vetted with the boating public. Afterward, at a July 31, 2019 “Stakeholders’ Meeting,” which I and several boating representatives attended, we collectively recommended 150’ setbacks from marinas and private structures. Personnel at DNR were informed that a 1,000’ setback was far too large yet that has now been implemented. So much for transparency and open dialogue with the public.

The General Assembly didn’t just take away the freedoms of Georgians, they also took away the freedoms of every American transiting our waters from other states. DNR never had any intention of engaging any of the end-users–Georgia boaters and visiting boaters to the coastline of Georgia. Actions speak much louder than words.

So, what can we do? I invite the citizens of coastal Georgia to join me in writing and calling both the Governor’s office as well as the Commissioner of DNR.

Governor Brian Kemp 206 Washington Street Suite 203, State Capitol Atlanta, GA 30334

Phone Number: 404-656-2846 Toll Free: 1-800-436-7442

Contact via web form: https://gov.georgia.gov/contact-us/constituent-services

Commissioner Mark Williams 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE Suite 1252 – East Tower Atlanta, GA 30334

Phone number: 404-656-3505 Contact via web form: https://gadnr.org/sendemail

Maps of restricted anchorage areas by county can be found here: https://coastalgadnr.org/Liveaboards

If you want to keep abreast of what’s happening, join the Facebook group Save Georgia’s Anchorages at https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaveGeorgiasAnchorages/.

Sincerely,

Jack White, boater, Liberty County resident and former GA State Representative, House District 3

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A grand opening celebration of the 24,000-square-foot store was held on December 7-8, 2019.

Attention Seattle sailors! West Marine has opened its largest store in the area with more than 24,000 square feet of space to serve the needs of area sailors, anglers, powerboaters and watersports enthusiasts. Located at 1400 NW 45th Street, Seattle, the new store features an expanded, state-of-the-art electronics and marine audio section, a greater selection of engine parts and the retailers largest full-service rigging shop. The huge clothing section features a boot wall plus all the weather gear from your favorite marine brands.

The flagship will also be a regional hub for West Marine Pro, the wholesale business that supports the region’s marine businesses and delivers a broad selection of core boating products.

“We are extremely excited and proud of our new Seattle West Marine,” said Lynn Gambrell, store manager. “The new store is nearly double the size of our old location and will provide our customers with more boating products than ever before, allowing us to better outfit, educate, and inspire boaters of all types.”

Check out store hours and the event schedule at westmarine.com/seattle

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Olaf Theodore Harken passed away peacefully at his home in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, on October 21, 2019. He was born on May 6, 1939, in Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia, and is survived by his wife of 47 years, Ruth, their 3 daughters, 4 granddaughters and 1 grandson.

Olaf Harken and his older brother, Peter, created the hugely successful rope handling business that bears their name, by working hard, delivering excellence, and having fun every day.

Harken, Inc. makes marine hardware, hydraulics and winch systems for racing and cruising sailboats of all types and sizes. Industrial hardware applications include the commercial marine, architectural, and rope access and rescue industries.

The brothers took a lot of chances over the years – and employees are encouraged to do the same.

When Olaf Harken was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2014 along with Peter, he explained the brothers’ business philosophy: “When trying new stuff our rule is to ask, ‘if it all goes bad, can we survive?’ Then we go to the bar and forget what we just said and do it anyway!”

Olaf and Peter quickly learned that the real fuel behind a company’s success is its people.

“Peter and I were not very smart,” Olaf said in his 2015 memoir Fun Times in Boats, Blocks & Business, “but we did know that success is linked directly to trust and treating people with dignity, and maybe a little sprinkling of humor.”

The Harken story has been full of twists, turns, successes, and reinventions, but through it all the goal of challenging the status quo and commitment to being at the front remains.

Today at Harken, Peter Harken told an assembly of Harken members:

“My brother did all the hard work so I could have all the fun.”

“During the days when the company was just getting going, Olaf was in charge of the money. He kept us in business. If I had been in charge of that we would have been in big trouble.”

“His legacy is in this culture. So, let’s just keep doing what we do. Just keep getting better. You are a great family. Thanks a lot. He’ll be watching you, so no sloughing off!”

Today at Harken, Bill Goggins, CEO Harken read this passage from Olaf’s autobiography in remembrance:

“Peter and I have long believed there is a word that should apply to almost every action and decision. That word is honesty. I got my first lesson in honesty shortly after we started the business—back when we were building those first six boats for Ohio State University. Like almost every boatbuilder, we were behind by quite a few weeks. When our customers called and wanted to know when we were going to deliver, I lied. I said they would be ready in about a week. Peter overheard me and was furious. He made me call them back and tell them I was wrong, that we were further behind and would not be able to deliver for a few more weeks. This was very embarrassing, but it taught me a good lesson. For one thing, I didn’t have to keep on lying each week. Taking the beating once is a lot easier than building one lie on top of another. It’s not easy to do and the customer is going to be angry or disappointed, but that’s the end of it.”

Goggins also said:

“You couldn’t have scripted a nicer weekend for Olaf than the one just past. Pewaukee Yacht Club honored Olaf on Saturday night with a Lifetime Achievement Award to a full house standing ovation. He rose, walked to the front and accepted the award with his usual grace and dignity. The evening was highlighted by Olaf and Ruth on the dance floor. Sunday was a simple Packer game with his family and then, a remarkable chance 30-minute walk with his brother in the sunshine. He died peacefully in his sleep with his loved ones nearby. The company mourns his loss; however the company celebrates his life by doing what we do…every day…into a bright future.”

Olaf Harken was born of Dutch and Swedish parents in Indonesia at the beginning of World War II. In 1941 the Japanese attacked Indonesia. During the fighting and nightly bombings, Peter, Olaf, and their Swedish mother managed to escape to Borneo. Their Dutch father, Joe joined the very small Dutch army and helped fight the Japanese until his capture. Joe was imprisoned for five years and was not liberated until the end of the war. Meanwhile, Peter, Olaf, and mother Ulla lived first in Borneo, were then troop-shipped to New Zealand for a year, to Australia for another year, and finally shipped to San Francisco in 1944. Here they were miraculously reunited with their father in 1946 after the war was over.

After studying at Georgia Tech, Olaf Harken took an engineering job in New York City, but in 1967 he returned to Wisconsin to help Peter build boats for the college market. “Why I made that decision then I’ll never know,” said Olaf.

Inside the office were a couple of doors on saw horses used as desktops, an old typewriter, a telephone, and a file cabinet. A plastic sheet separated the offices from the fiberglass and assembly area. Marketing consisted of all-night drives with Peter at the wheel and Olaf typing brochures in the back seat of an old Chevy wagon. That first year they made $3,800-together.

The Harkens aren’t sure exactly when the turnabout happened, but Olaf the engineer ended up running the business side of Harken Inc., with Peter the economist handling design and production. “Peter designed the blocks, and knew more about manufacturing than me,” Olaf said. “Olaf was more patient, better at the business than me,” Peter said. “Each of us was better at the other guys’ education. We kept it quiet, figuring people wouldn’t want blocks designed by an economist.”

Preliminary plans include a visitation and service Saturday morning, October 26 at Galilee Lutheran Church in Pewaukee, followed immediately by a celebration at Harken corporate headquarters. For overseas friends, another celebration of Olaf’s life will be held during the annual METS show in Amsterdam in November.

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