Every January for the past 28 years Key West has hosted North America’s premiere winter regatta – Quantum Key West Race Week. For January 2015, racing in Key West will be January 18 - 23. Imagine - boats and boaters from around the world sailing under blue skies, bright air, windy seas, temperatures in the 70's. Evenings under the stars with a sweater or jacket. Thousands of happy tourists and locals cheering from sea and shore. And when the day is done, dining inside or out with the sea as your backdrop. Best of all - not a snow shovel in sight.
But first - from Ft. Lauderdale
Race week begins for many with the 2015 Invitational Fort Lauderdale to Key West race. This 160-mile coastal race is for ocean racing/cruising monohull and multihull boats. Classes invited to compete include IRC rated boats, PHRF rated boats, One-Design ocean racing classes with minimum 5 or more entries, and ocean racing/cruising Multihull boats.
The Lauderdale Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club, and Southern Ocean Racing Conference, Inc. (SORC™) are the Organizing Authority for the 2015 Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race.
The race is scheduled to start at 1300, January 14th, 2015 off of the Port Everglades inlet and finish in Key West, Florida. The final entry deadline for the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race shall be Friday, January 9, 2015.http://www.QuantumSails.com
Quantum Race Week Key West 2015
Quantum Key West Race Week 2015 will be organized and conducted by Premiere Racing, Inc., with Peter Craig as Event Director and Race Chairman. For the fourth consecutive year, international sail making company Quantum Sail Design Group will serve as title sponsor of the iconic event.
Boats ranging is size from 23 to 72 feet will compete in multiple classes.
On one end of the spectrum are the high octane Mini Maxis with three boats confirmed. From a spectator standpoint, the most majestic racing machines will be those racing in the Maxi 72 class, which typically requires a crew of 17 to race.
On the other end of the size range is the ever-popular J/70 class. For 2015 there could be up to 50 entries according to class sources. Jud Smith (Africa, Marblehead, MA), Mauricio Santa Cruz (Bruschetta, Brazil) and Carlo Alberini (Calvi Network, Italy) are among many well-known skippers that will be competing this year.
A notable component of the Key West event since beginning in 1988 has been the handicap racing. Expect a wide variety of boats racing in the PHRF rated fleet while the IRC3 class will have a competitive fleet as well.
Other classes expected back with tough competition and great racing include the Melges 24, Melges 32, J/111 and J/88 classes.
How Do I Watch the Racing?
Boats will race along a generally 8 mile course set off the southern and western shores of Key West but inside the coral reef, second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
Ships and crews come from around the world for this event; Argentina, Australia, Great Britan, Italy, Sweden and the Americas.
The best way to watch the races is to get onboard one of the fantastic charter sail boats in Key West. The below companies will watch the race as part of their routine daily schedule and/or allow you to charter the boat to see the races. The best charters are:
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Quantum Race Week Key West is a US Sailing sanctioned event. The racing will be conducted under permit in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
If you have any comments or questions please contact me here.
Good luck!
Additional Resources: