J/Teams Dominate SORC Sailor’s Choice Race
by J-Boats 29 Nov 08:06 PST
SORC Sailor’s Choice Race © SORC Sailing
The inaugural event of the SORC’s “Islands in the Stream Series” was held last weekend—the Sailor’s Choice Race. J/Teams claimed the top two positions on the podium in the ORC Overall Division.
The SORC Islands in the Stream Series includes four races. Here is the lineup:
2024
November 21st – Sailors Choice Race
December 6th – Wirth Munroe Ocean Race
2025
January 9th – Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race
February 20th – Nassau Cup Ocean Race
The Sailor’s Choice race route requires boats to navigate the notorious Gulf Stream from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas Bank and back. This 168.0nm race allows teams to choose their path around the three marks! The main route starts at the Ft. Lauderdale sea buoy, crosses the Gulf Stream to Great Isaac Light, heads down to Ocean Cay, proceeds to the Miami Sea Buoy, and finishes back at the Ft. Lauderdale sea buoy.
The race was challenging, with winds gusting up to 30 knots from the north due to a significant front passing through the area. More than half the fleet retired due to the extreme sea conditions caused by the rapidly flowing northerly current of the Gulf Stream. This scenario is notorious for creating violent winds against a current exceeding 6 knots, resulting in huge breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet that have no “backs”—truly punishing conditions for boats and crews alike! Nonetheless, the J/Teams that completed the race thrived in these conditions.
ORC Overall Division
The winner was long-time J/Boats sailor Trey Sheehan aboard his TP52 HOOLIGAN RACING. J/sailors will recognize Trey and his lively, fun-loving crew, who have been sailing J’s for over 40 years, beginning with J/24s in Cleveland, OH. His entire J/70 crew from HOOLIGAN RACING participated!
The silver medal was awarded to Andrew Clark’s vibrant red J/122 ZIG ZAG, while the bronze went to Chris Saxton’s J/125 VORTICES from the Detroit/Lake St. Claire team!
ORC 1 Division
In this fleet, the silver medal was achieved by Saxton’s J/125 VORTICES.
ORC 2 Division
Clark’s J/122 ZIG ZAG triumphed in this division.
For further details on the SORC Sailor’s Choice Race, visit www.sorcsailing.org
