Standard Event Rules

Miami Un-Regatta USA, 29-30 March 2009

Miami Un-Regatta USA, 29-30 March 2009

PRESS RELEASE- March 30th, 2009

By Tomas Nores, M.Y.C.


For more information, please contact Tomas at tnores@mac.com or 305 377-9877.


Less than one week after delivery of its brand new fleet of 20 O'Pen BICs, the Miami Yacht Club celebrated by hosting the "1st Annual MYC O'Pen Bic Un-Regatta". Kids, ages 7-13, participated from all the major regional clubs, with the first event of the day literally to cut the bubble wrap off the cool new boats.

Miami YC plans to expand and combine its already successful Opti Racing program with O'Pen BIC racing at the local and international level. The target is to support an active O'Pen BIC calendar in South Florida and prepare a team for the O'Pen BIC World championship in the Netherlands in July and the U.S. O'Pen Cup in New Bedford, MA August 15-16. We also want to instill the passion for sailing in our younger kids, and the O'pen BICs are perfect for that.

"We need our kids to be planning today to be ready for 29er and 49er racing tomorrow!" said Leandro Spina who is one of the Olympic Team coaches with USOC and also advises the Youth Sailing program at MYC. "Our vision is to form more complete sailors for the future by alternating between a very competitive Opti platform and a fun but fast-growing and more modern O'Pen BIC."

Although the purpose of this first event was to showcase a new format of fun, unorthodox, and loosely competitive sailing, some hardcore sailing competition could be seen at the front of the fleet. The stormy weather made it even more exciting with planning conditions in the afternoon and gusts over 20 knots.

It all started with an unconventional La Mans beach start at the gun. The spectator fleet was then surprised with the mandatory mid-course freestyle moves such as Spidermans (fast flips), Supermans (body drags), King Kongs (mast climbs), and compulsory 720s. The "serious play" format brought roars from the spectators and huge grins from the kids at every level of the fleet. Some boats were single handed, some double, a few triples. It doesn't matter- "this is the "UN-Regatta" where anything goes as long as it follows Rule #1- Have Fun!

The kids love the freestyle and the fun elements of the O'pen BIC, not to mention the cool factor. "One of my favorite parts was that we got to unwrap all these Rad new boats" said Juan Cruz Nores, winner of the "Most Fun award".

The Results with 6 races completed and multiple rounds of Freestyle, were as follows:

Freestyle Event
1st- Liza Topa, Alie Topa, Ciara Rodriguez
2nd- Julian Blanes and Alex Van Puffelen
3rd - Maximo Castillo, Manuel Nores and Lucas Gonzalez

Racing Event
1st- Liza and Alie Topa with 11 points
2nd- Geronimo Nores 19 points
3rd- Alex Van Puffelen with 27 points

"Most Fun Award" went to Juan Cruz Nores

Rounding the markaction  

The fleet enjoying some quiet time between gusts.