BCYC Racing

If you want a ride on a racing sailboat, come to BCYC on Racing Sunday (third Sunday of the month, following Work Day) at 11am...crews needed!

BCYC offers a variety of racing venues that accommodate a wide variety of skill levels. The skill levels range from beginner (no racing experience), novice, intermediate, very skilled and senior level. BCYC has racing venues for young people, women only, and men and women. Racing is conducted on weekends, weekdays and Tuesday evenings in day-light-savings time.

BCYC implements several styles of racing, ranging from traditional line starts (with all boats jockeying for position); pursuit racing (each vessel is a assigned an individual start time based its PHRF rating); to fun racing where you catch fish and the fish caught reduces your finish time. We are also looking at other racing formats to increase the fun factor.

Racing sailboats at BCYC can be as simple or as involved as you would like it to be. If “simple” is what you prefer, Sunfish and Prams are a good choice, as they are sailed by one person. The “involved” racers may compete on more complex racing sailboats such as J-24’s, Impulse 21’s, Daysailor’s, Windmills, Snipes, and Capris to name a few. These sailboats are typically crewed by two or more. BCYC maintains a fleet of 6 Capri 16.5 that are available to members. This requires that you be checked out by a member of the sail school.

Performance Handicap Racing Formula (PHRF) racing allows different models of boat (sort of like Chevys, Fords, Chryslers,) and lengths of boats (Capri 16.5’ to Ericson 35) race on the same course with adjustments for the performance differences among the models. In sailboat racing, a faster sailboat will give time to a slower sailboat, over the same course. BCYC members are known to participate in non-BCYC events within the Tampa-Saint Petersburg, and Apollo Beach areas. In 2018 there were 7 BCYC boats registered for the Bone Island Regatta (Sarasota to Key West Regatta).

The larger cruising and racing sailboats compete under PHRF. Boats competing in this designation can vary in size (length) type (cruisers, one design and racers) and manufacturers. The boats generally have a crew ranging from 2 to 6 persons, depending on wind condition. Every sailboat participating in PHRF racing receives a PHRF Rating Certificate, which allows all the different models of sailboats to compete on an even playing field.

If you do not have a boat, you can still have an opportunity to crew on a racing boat. All you need to do is check the racing calendar and show up at the Skipper’s Meeting. Be sure to mention your availability to the Race Committee Chairman so that he can announce your availability. You should also sign in on the racing website.

The following racing formats are available at BCYC. Check us out!

PHRF Series: On Sundays following the Club’s General Membership Meeting (3^rd Friday of the month) . We have a Spring/Summer series (Jan-May); and a Summer/Fall Series (July-Nov). See (Link) for more detail.

Ericson 35

Tartan 33

Impulse 21

Albin 28

One Design Series Regatta:

Capri 16.5, Day Sailor, Windmill, and Sunfish class sailboats BCYC sponsor’s a One Design Championship each November, check out the following (Link) for more details. It is anticipated that this program will grow and become more popular.

Daysailors

Windmills

Sunfish

BCYC maintains fleets of Capri 16.5’s (6), Sunfish (10), and Prams (10). As a club member, these boats are available for your use once you have demonstrated proficiency of operation.

Capri's 16.5

Women’s Annual BCYC Women’s Challenge Regatta: sponsored by Rhumb Runners. Open to all interested female skippers and crew. No boat, no problem. Please see 2019 Women's Challenge Regatta for more details.

Women's Challenge Regatta

Tuesday Evening Races: Casual racing on the Club’s Capri 16.5’s and Sunfish boats during the months of Daylight Savings Time (5:00 PM to dusk), with a friendly get-together afterwards. Bring snacks to share and your own beverage if you would like.

Available to all BCYC members and their guests. Informal racing program with sign up sheet. Boats will be assigned on a first come first serve basis starting at 5:00 PM. You must be present to be assigned to a boat. The signup sheet is located on the Racing bulletin board inside the clubhouse. More detailed instructions are include on the following link. (Link Tuesday Night Races Sign-up Sheet & Racing Rules Rules) for more detail.

Capri 16.5

Sunfish

If there are 3 or more of the same class boat, we can provide a separate start.

Saturday Racing:

In 2019, BCYC will explore implementation of additional racing venues (Pursuit PHRF Racing; Club Capri 16.5’s and Sunfish during winter months, when Daylight Savings time begins and Tuesday evening racing ends. If successful, we hope to continue the program since BCYC’s objective is to get more people interested in sailing and out on the water. Sailing is a perfect sport that can be done individually or with family. See (Link) for more detail.

Crew Connection Corner: If you are interested in crewing on a racing sailboat or on a single-handed sailboat, please see (link) for more details.

BCYC Race Committee Boat: If you are not interested in racing a boat, perhaps you would like to help on the Race Committee Boat. It is a great way to meet club members , enjoy time on the water
(2-4 hours), and learn about race management.

Racing Year End Party: At the end of the racing season, there will be a BBQ for all the participants and support folk, at no charge. This is our Commodore’s way of expressing thank to all those sailors and support people that make the racing program successful.

Links to Tampa Area Racing Clubs