PALM BEACH, FL, September 24, 2020 – The Sailfish Club of Florida and Storm Trysail Club said today its 64rd Annual Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race will be sailed as scheduled on Friday, December 4th and will feature the two-course format with starts in Miami and Fort Lauderdale that has become popular with racers since its introduction in 2018.
Sailfish Club Race Committee Chair Tom Bowler said 13 boats from six states have entered the race to date, among them George Collins’ Tripp 62 Chessie Racing from Miami Beach, FL, and Charles Bayer’s Andrews 70 Arctos from Grosse Pointe Farms, MI.
Mr. Bowler said the event will be held in compliance with appropriate COVID-19 protocols, including limiting attendance at the post-race awards ceremony and popular buffet dinner to 175 people on a first-come, first-served basis. It is important to note that the circumstances around COVID-19 continue to evolve and change and this may have an effect on how the dinner is conducted.
“We are delighted to run the Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race as scheduled and encouraged to see so many early entries at a time when all of us are managing through the uncertainties of the pandemic,” Mr. Bowler said. “The safety and health of our sailors, support crews, and Sailfish Club members and staff are our top priority. We are working closely with state and local officials, our race partners, and club management to run a great event under challenging circumstances.”
In 2018, Wirth M. Munroe Ocean Race organizers added a 40-mile course called The Sprint, from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach, which complemented the existing 60-mile Miami-to-Palm Beach track, known as The Classic. The Sprint will start off Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, while The Classic will start off Government Cut in Miami Beach. Both courses will finish off the Palm Beach Inlet.
The Classic Course will be scored as part of the SORC's “Islands in the Stream” series, which includes the Miami-Nassau Race, the Lauderdale-Key West Race, and the Miami-Eleuthera Race. The Sprint Course will not be scored as part of the series.
The Organizing Authority for the race consists of The Sailfish Club of Florida, the Storm Trysail Club, the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. The SORC, Storm Trysail Club, and the Sailfish Club of Florida will oversee race management.
