Regional Racing
Find a Fleet Near You, or Let Us Help You Start Some Racing of Your Own!
H Class fleets can be found all over the world. Although our oldest fleets can be found in the Buzzards Bay area (Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, Buzzards Yacht Club in Pocasset, and Quissett Yacht Club in Falmouth), there are H Class fleets all over the country. There is a large and active fleet at Shelter Island (New York), and there are 2 very active fleets on Martha’s Vineyard (Edgartown Yacht Club and Menemsha Pond Racing), and in addition, there is a relatively new fleet on Nantucket, a long-established one in Annapolis, and there are several scattered throughout Maine that we know of. And, much farther afield, the Saudi Royal Navy has a racing fleet of 8 Doughdishes! Please contact us and let us know if you have a fleet in your area that we don’t know about, or if you’d like some help with starting a fleet in your area.
We’re very happy to share the regional racing we know of - you’ll see below that in addition to the H Class Championship, there is other great racing happening on a more local level. And although these local regattas are not sponsored by the H Class Association, we are glad to help spread the word, so please let us know if you have a regatta in your area that you’d like us to include here. And if you’d like to receive the regatta invitations for upcoming regional racing, and the H Class Championship, please be sure to sign up to receive the H Class News - we’d love to see you on the line.
Buzzards Bay Herreshoff Cup and Team Trophy
Some rough racing - typical of the weather for the 3 days of the regatta (Photo by Hew Russell)
After many long years without one, in 2016 the Buzzards Bay Regatta offered racing for the H12s, and will continue to do so every year that the regatta is hosted at Beverly Yacht Club in Marion, Massachusetts.
In 2016, an enthusiastic fleet of hardy H12s raced in very wet and challenging conditions, with seas of 4-5 feet, and winds up over 20 knots. The racing was held over three days, which allowed for 10 races over the course of the regatta.
2016 Buzzards Bay Herreshoff Cup winners!
Terry Cronburg (Lorelei, H41), of The Buzzards Yacht Club, came first, followed by Mark Adams (Tiger Moth, H277) of Beverly Yacht Club. Rich McNeil (Tiger Tale, H477) of Beverly Yacht Club came third. It was a memorable weekend filled with lots of great racing, and lots of great parties!
Buzzards Bay Regatta will again offer racing for the Buzzards Bay Herreshoff Cup on August 3, 4, 5, 2018, and will award a prize for the best team showing in the weekend’s standings. Housing and moorings will be available for visiting sailors. You won’t want to miss the fun!
Register to race your H-12 in the 2018 Buzzards Bay Regatta! Visit http://www.buzzardsbayregatta.com/ for details and registration information.
The Beverly Yacht Club Single-Handed Championship
Two one-design classes gathered at the starting line on September 9, 2017, to compete for The Single-Handed Championship! While the Bullseyes and H12s hold National Championships every year, that racing includes crew. This latest national title for these 16-footers was created especially for single-handers.
Bullseye and H12 sailors are an especially dogged breed of one-design racers. All through the regular racing season, many clubs allow single-handers to compete in their racing fleets, but class rules make it impossible for those solo sailors to go on to their respective National Championships.
Single-handers at the start!
Beverly Yacht Club hosted the first Single-Handed Championship in 2016, which was a resounding success, with competitors coming from Massachusetts, Maine, New York and Florida. It is expected to become a regular fall classic, as hosting the competition on Buzzards Bay in September can offer up ideal conditions, with early autumn guaranteeing some of the best sailing weather of the year. Beverly looks forward to hosting this competition annually.
The most recent regatta, held on September 9, 2017, had a great turnout (22 boats) and everyone had tons of fun. Stay tuned for more details regarding the 2018 event - we will post updated information here as it becomes available.
Cleveland Ledge Race Commemorative Poster - Courtesy of Tyler Fields
Cleveland Ledge Race: Celebrating Buzzards Bay Rivalries
Located on Buzzards Bay, the Beverly, Buzzards and Quissett Yacht Clubs have enjoyed a friendly but fierce rivalry, developed over many long years of racing with and against each other.
In 2013, the Clubs came together to plan the first ever “Cleveland Ledge Race,” Cleveland Ledge Light being a handy “mid-point” in Buzzards Bay, at which the fleets could meet to compete. Unfortunately, the race was cancelled at the last moment, due to heavy weather, in both 2013 and 2014.
Looking ahead, the fleets hope to schedule a race date for 2019, the alternate year to the Buzzards Bay Herreshoff Cup — with fingers crossed that Buzzards Bay will bless them with some “just right” conditions!
Christmas Cove, ME Annual Regatta
The Christmas Cove Improvement Association (CCIA) fleet is made up of Christmas Cove 21s (CC21), a 21’ one-design which is raced each Saturday from late June through August. The Cove is also home port for a large fleet of H12s! Every summer CCIA hosts a two-day regatta, which includes the CC21s, an Open Class, the Hereshoff 12 ½s, and the Bulleyes. The H12s have their own course, which is set around the mouth of Christmas Cove, and may take you into the Damariscotta river, or thru the scenic “thread of life.”
Christmas Cove Racing Area
After the first day of racing on Saturday, CCIA hosts a celebratory Pig Roast, which is great fun. Moorings and housing are available for visiting racers. The CCIA runs a fun program with a relaxed atmosphere, and they welcome more H12s to come and join them!
The next regatta will be held in June of 2018, and you can find more details about it as they become available, on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cciaregatta/
Some of the H12s and Bullseyes getting ready for racing in the Christmas Cove Regatta (Photo courtesy of CCIA)
Vineyard Herreshoff Cup
The Vineyard Herreshoff Cup Regatta began in 2014 as a result of Menemsha Pond Races (MPR) having issued a challenge to the Edgartown Yacht Club (EYC) for a regatta of their respective Herreshoff 12 1/2 fleets, which would consist of five races over two days. The first Regatta was slated to take place in Menemsha Pond, with the understanding that each year thereafter the races would be held at the location of the Cup holder’s choosing. The winning score would be the lower sum of the lowest three boat scores of each club over all five races with no throw outs. The EYC accepted the challenge.
The Regatta is a Corinthian competition. There has yet to be a protest. A wonderful tradition has evolved that the host club holds a Saturday night dinner for all participants and their spouses.
The Vineyard Herreshoff Cup Regatta was held for two years on Menemsha Pond, but in 2016, despite MPR holding the Cup, MPR agreed to hold the Regatta in Edgartown where it was run by the EYC.
The 5th Vineyard Herreshoff Cup Regatta will be held in June of 2018 - we will post details here as they become available.
The regatta is exclusively for the MPR and EYC fleets.
The top Menemsha sailors - Team MPR Wins the 2016 Cup! (Photo courtesy of Edgartown Yacht Club)
Photo at top by Caroline Bolick
