Offshore Racing Rule Owners Association Announces Inaugural East Coast Championship Series

Newport, RI – May 17, 2012 – The Offshore Racing Association (ORA) and the Offshore Racing Rule Owners Association (ORROA) are pleased to invite you to participate in the inaugural season of the East Coast Championship Series. The series consists of five events, one being the Newport Bermuda Race, and brings the best of East Coast racers together to be scored in a single series using the Offshore Racing Rule (ORR). The top three finishers of the series will receive award flags and trophy plates and be eligible for the year-end National Championship ranking.
The East Coast Championship will be based on the results of a minimum of two of the following races, and each yacht must compete in one distance race in order to qualify (Block Island Race, Newport Bermuda Race or Stamford Vineyard Race). Yachts must hold a valid ORR certificate and register online prior to the start of the races. Registration for the series is free. Registration and Notice of Race are available at www.orroa.org. The 2012 East Coast Championship Series includes:
- Block Island Race
- New York Yacht Club 158th Annual Regatta
- Newport Bermuda Race
- Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta
- Stamford Vineyard Race
ORROA, in cooperation with the Offshore Racing Association (ORA) developed this series for East Coast sailors interested in racing under the ORR rule. It’s modeled after the successful Great Lakes Championship Series created in 2010. “After seeing the success of the Great Lakes Championship Series,” states ORA spokesman, John Winder, “we wanted to develop something for sailors on the East Coast that will serve the dual purpose of increasing regatta participation and giving racers of all types an objective rule to race under.”
As you are already participating in the Newport Bermuda Race, you only need to race in one more event in order to qualify to be scored in the series. But, you need to register before the race in order to qualify! The organization welcomes sailors and race organizers who are interested in participating under a fair and equitable handicapping system. For more information, please visit www.orroa.org or contact us at info@orroa.org.

Sincerely,

Sheila McCurdy
Richard Shulman
John Winder