Sea Bags Women's Sailing Team Sets Sail for the Seguin Island Sprint

Racing off the Maine coast: The Seguin Island Sprint

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This year's Seguin Island Sprint continued an exciting shift in tradition. Historically reserved for cruising (JAM - Jib and Main) divisions as part of the Monhegan Race, this roughly 50-nautical mile course is open to all boats that meet safety requirements, regardless of rating, and including two spinnaker racing divisions.

Starting at 1pm on Saturday, August 2nd in Hussey Sound, the fleet first raced south to the “Papa” buoy (formerly a lightship), then sailed east up to Seguin Island, before finishing outside Portland Head Light. Most boats were expected to complete the course in 8 to 12 hours, finishing under moonlight.

Credit: www.monheganislandrace.org

This race is scored using the PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet) Time on Time (ToT) system, a handicap system designed to level the playing field between boats of different designs. Our team raced a J/35 for this event, with a rating that puts it in the middle of its division. That means they needed to finish with enough time to spare that no slower-rated boat could beat them once handicap adjustments were calculated. It's a race that rewards both speed and strategy, and our team is always well-prepared on both fronts.

The Sea Bags Women's Sailing Team finished 5th in their class at the Seguin Island Sprint and that was a finish they were happy with considering the unique nature of PHRF racing.

Emily Carville, the co-captain of the team also noted that the longer waterline on certain boats was advantageous in this race, and that was a learning for the team.

Photo Credit: Ann Blanchard

J/24, J/35, and Etchells: A Fleet of Experience

Over the course of their season, the Sea Bags team competes on a variety of boats, each with its own strengths and challenges. The team normally races on a J-24, but for the Seguin Sprint, they raced a J-35. So even though the boat was still the same one-design model as their typical race boat, the length of the boat introduced differences in racing strategies and tactics. Racing in different classes hones the team's skills and keeps them sharp, allowing them to transfer lessons learned from one boat to another.

Stay tuned to hear more from the team on upcoming races, including a race on an entirely different boat design, the Etchells! And don't forget to support their season with the purchase of a Sea Bags Women's Sailing Team Collection Sea Bag. Shop the collection that supports our sailors!