Organizers of this year’s Marion to Bermuda Race have announced a new prize: the Offshore Youth Challenge Trophy. This new challenge makes the Marion to Bermuda race the first offshore event, based on USSER US Oceans guidelines, to offer a youth specific trophy for crews 16 to 23 years of age (at the start of the June 19, 2015 race).
The Offshore Youth Challenge Trophy was created to enable young adult sailors to experience the challenge of sailing offshore while accompanied by adult mentor crew.
“The creation of this trophy, and trophies like it, is vital to the growth of our sport,” says Mark Gabrielson, a Marion to Bermuda Race Trustee. “Not only will the level of competition in the race increase with the participation of new talent, but the social events in Bermuda are sure to be even more fun.”
The Offshore Youth Challenge Trophy is open to any boat that meets the requirements of the Marion to Bermuda Race as stated in the Notice of Race. A minimum of four sailors aboard any boat must be between the ages of 16 and 23 for the boat to qualify for the Offshore Youth Challenge, with no less than 66 percent of the crew classified as youth sailors.
All participating youth crew are required to meet the same safety requirements as determined by the race organizers, including attending a Safety at Sea Seminar.
The Marion to Bermuda Race is hosting its Safety at Sea Symposium at the University of Massachusetts Boston campus on March 21-22, 2015. For more info and to register go to the Marion Bermuda website at www.marionbermuda.com.
