Cayuga Lake Cruising Fleet

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The Latitude Series

Sailboat Racing for Cruising Sailors

As in previous years, the Cayuga Lake Cruising Fleet will again offer a series of middle distance races designed for cruising sailors. It is called the Johnson Boatyard Cup Series of Latitude Races. This is an “open” series, which means that it is open to anyone who has a keel boat, and there are no entry fees.

Because sailors who have little or no racing experience may be worried about possible collisions during crowded starts and mark roundings, we have eliminated those hazards. The Johnson Boatyard Cup series consists so-called “latitude races” with no congestion at the starting line and no mark roundings.

Boats registered in the Cayuga Lake Cruising Fleet will start between the Yacht Club’s flag pole and racing buoy “A.” All others start on a line extending from the flag pole and the “A” mark all the way across the lake. That way newcomers will not have to worry about congestion at the starting line.

There are no mark-roundings because all boats turn around at separate latitudes assigned to them by the race committee according to each boat’s official Performance Handicap number. However, each skipper needs to have GPS to determine where his turn-around latitude is. Because faster boats will have to sail farther than slower boats, no handicapping system is necessary to determine the winner. The boat that first re-crosses the start finish line wins.

So, if you would like to try your hand at sailboat racing, here is a no-pressure way of doing it. Just dock at the South Pavilion of the Yacht Club between 12:30 ad 12:45 on any of the Sundays listed below and ask the race committee to assign a latitude to you. Then go back out on the lake and wait for the starting signal which will sound at 1:30 p.m.

The races last from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the wind. Afterwards, skippers usually congregate at the South Pavilion to share beverages and exchange sailing tips.

The dates for these latitude races are the Sundays of June 22, July 6, 20, and 27, and August 3, 10, and 17 (See Racing Calendar).