Racing: Canadians win Oakcliff Pumpkin Regatta

Nov 8, 2018

Oakcliff Sailing is located in Oyster Bay, NY, and led by Dawn Riley who has done four America’s Cup campaigns. It is an unparalleled training facility for sailors and the marine industry including fleet, match and offshore racing. Their fleet includes ten Swedish Match 40s, other offshore boats and a fleet of 49ers, 49erFXs, Nacra 20s and WASZPs.

In 2018 over 1000 international athletes stayed in their modern bunkhouse while competing and training there. This week the Canadian national sailing team is be down for a week of training. 

Oakcliff holds many Level 3 match races throughout the year by invitation only with the Halloween regatta being the final one where competitors dress up in costumes and umpire and the RC boats fly the Jolly Roger. At the event at the end of October, there were ten teams aboard the Match 40s, three of which were Canadian. After too many match racing regattas of being a bridesmaid in second place, Lance Fraser, originally from Bermuda, now sailing with his team out of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, finally won the Pumpkin Regatta beating out arch rival Chris Poole, of Riptide Racing from NYC.

• Katie Nicoll

Katie Nicoll is a multi time J24 champion and certified Sailing Canada Gold level judge. She has participated internationally in the Rolex Cup.